We all have them at some point, right? My friend The Feminist Breeder shared hers here when her son choked on his dinner. My story is very similar and equally as frightening.
Sawyer had been acting funny all weekend. He was very clingy and moody, which isn’t like him at all. I mean, he’s usually pretty clingy, but this was a whole new level. He practically broke down the door if I tried to go to the bathroom without him. I chalked it up to me being gone a good chunk of the weekend, but his clingy ways and mood swings persisted.
Monday, after I got home from my massage, Sawyer was glued to my side. He also took a 3 HOUR NAP which has happened, well, never. I figured he was just tired from the weekend and his sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa. He seemed off, so I asked him several times if anything hurt- his tummy, his head, throat, etc. He replied no each time. Mr. Hipster had grad school and then was spending the night in the city, so I was all alone. Sawyer went to bed at his usual 10:30, and I watched trash TV next to him.
Then, around 2:00am, I awoke to the worst possible sound ever. I heard gurgling, and then Sawyer gasping for air. He was choking on vomit in his sleep. The scenario that has been my #1 Mommy Fear EVER. I flipped him over, and nothing happened. Immediately, I started to (sort of) gently give him the Heimlich Maneuver. The vomit started spewing out of him, and he was breathing and conscious. THANK FREAKING GOD. I ran with him in my arms, completely covered in puke, into the bathroom. He threw up for about 30 minutes before stopping long enough for me to change him, clean him up, and get him something to drink. Sawbones has never been sick with a stomach bug before, so this was his first time throwing up. He had no idea what was going on, and asked me several times if he was dying. That broke my heart. I explained to him that he was just sick, and his tummy was having some problems keeping the food inside. That seemed to be a good enough explanation for him, because he then began yelling at me to change my clothes because I was covered in “throw’d up.”
The puking went on and off all night and into the morning. I never slept because I was absolutely terrified. I stayed up the entire night watching him like a freaking hawk. I called Kev around 3am to let him know what happened, and I couldn’t stop shaking. In the moment, I was incredibly calm, but once I had to say the words, “He was choking on vomit, I had to give him the Heimlich to make him breathe…” the reality of the situation set in. I couldn’t help but think of all of the “what ifs.” What if the Heimlich didn’t work? What if I hadn’t woken up? Even worse, what if he was in another room?! Cosleeping really saved the day here, and that’s no exaggeration. If he hadn’t been right next to me, I don’t know what would have happened. It certainly wouldn’t have been anything good.
For the record, we are all fine. Sawyer hasn’t thrown up in about 36 hours. He will only eat watermelon and crackers, but that’s something. He’s still crabby and more lethargic than usual, but he’s fine. I, however, have plans for him to sleep with a baby monitor in his room until he goes to college.
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| I took this while I was watching him sleep. At least one of us got rest! |
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