My first introduction to First Aid was in 1997, it was a 2 hour class offered at my Dad's workplace. It was a basic CPR class and I don't remember a thing since that day. I remember going, getting some sort of certificate and maybe donuts.
I learned from that day that I wouldn't be cut out as an emergency responder. I didn't retain anything I learned. I prayed that if an emergency occurred, it wouldn't be near me, or at least someone who actually remembered the life saving skills was there handling the situation instead.
Signing up for this important class has been in the back of my mind since Mason was born but I kept putting it off. Basically I've come to realize that your #1 job as a Mother is ensuring your child stays alive & safe at ALL times. This is an incredibly daunting task from the minute your baby exits the comforts of your womb.
You go through all the fun stages:
Baby constantly spits up. Choking
Baby starts solids. Choking
Baby starts to crawl and puts *everything* into the mouth. Choking hazards. Poisoning
Toddler starts to stand/walk. Bumps & Bruises
Yes, that's a *real* cast on his leg.
Child learns to ride on toys/trike/bike. Bumps, Bruises & Broken bones
Etc...etc...don't get me started by adding to the list (ie Mason turns 16 and wants to drive a car. Lord help me!)
These stages make you want to permanently wrap your kid in bubble wrap til they are an adult. Maybe longer.
The best thing you can do is baby-proof the house, watch your kid like a hawk and be prepared in an emergency.
That's where professional training comes in. I actually meant CPR but you can also hire professionals to come into your home to point out baby hazards as well!
So once I got my butt in gear, I started researching different companies that offered CPR courses in Burnaby/Vancouver. I had a few different options, a few hours to two full days. Considering I'm still on a budget, I chose a full day Emergency Child Care course at Trauma Tech. I originally registered for a Saturday class in May but it was postponed twice due to low registration #'s. Finally the class on June 11th was full.
It started at 8:30am. AM! It was tough getting up so early on a weekend. The office was easy to find as it's on the corner of Boundary & Broadway and they have a huge sign on the front of the property. I had already prepaid so I didn't need to sign in and was told to head straight to the classroom. There were already two women there and 6 more people joined us. In total there was:
- Mom / Daycare owner
- Daycare employee
- Couple / Daycare owner
- Mom?
- Couple / pregnant
- Dad?
- Me / Mom
Our Instructor's name was Pam and she was from the East Coast so she had a wacky personality, she made the class fun with a lot of stories. She spent the first hour or so going through the topics and intro to the CPR class. We were given a guidebook "Canadian Red Cross - Child Care First Aid & CPR Manual" and spent the next 7ish hours going through each of the chapters. We had a 45 min break for lunch and a few bio breaks. The instruction was about half verbal and half exercise. We 'practiced' CPR on the baby doll:
and then on adult Anne (with AED - also known as a Defib. It was a play model but had working sounds and lights)
The book was easy to read and we skipped over a few sections as we could read them at another time. There was no exam and the class ended on time.
I learned:
- ABC's (Airway, Breathing & Circulation)
- What to do for a choking infant/child/adult
- Modified H.A.IN.E.S Recovery Position
- Using the AED
- Wound care
- Bandaging a sprain/broken arm/leg in a splint
I felt that the course was a good intro to all First Aid but would have liked to spend more time practicing CPR on infants & children and really ensuring I knew what I was doing. Unfortunately I left with questions but figured I could spend more time reading the book and researching online. What I learned was the basics.
The course was $95+tax and I received two certificates (one for framing & a wallet sized card) which is good for 3 years.
I highly recommend *everyone* taking a CPR course!