PEANUT’S FIRST BLOODY ACCIDENT

Everything stopped and panic took over – tears, screams, the lot. I never thought about what my reaction would be when Myla eventually had an accident, with blood! It was scary stuff that’s for sure. Being abroad as a solo parent made it all that bit more frightening – not knowing what immediate action to take.

Thankfully, my mother is usually a phone call away, when she decides to answer her phone that is. She has been a nanny for as long as I can remember and is first aid qualified for small children/babies. So of course, I called her straight away and her reassuring response was quick to calm me down, though I cried mostly

out of guilt. I was literally foot steps away from Myla when she fell off the hotel bed and was greeted by the bed side table and hard stone floor – the guilt ate me up for days. Peanut however, was so strong throughout it all; smiling moments later.

All down to my mums speedy response and expertise, I was able to treat Myla’s wound swiftly and efficiently.

Here is how to treat and clean minor baby bloody wounds:

1. Wash your hands or use anti-bacterial gel
2. Rinse wound with lukewarm water
3. Once wound stops bleeding, wrap a few ice cubes in a clean cloth/muslin and apply pressure on and around wound to prevent any swelling
4. Use antiseptic wipes to clean the wound and avoid infection
5. Rub ‘Anicare’ cream around the wound to prevent any bruising
6. Apply Vaseline on the wound to prevent bacteria entering the wound
7. Wash your hands or use anti-bacterial gel
8. REPEAT THIS CLEANING PROCESS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND BEFORE BED FOR THE FIRST WEEK

Though my mum is in no way shape or form a doctor, I trust her 10+ years experience of being a nanny and not to mention, had four baby’s herself. So when she assured me that Myla would not need stitches and would be okay, I took this as confirmation that we did not need to go to A&E. Our flight was a few hours after the accident took place and of course I considered taking her to A&E immediately, but didn’t want to go unless we really had to, so it was quite relieving being able to continue our journey back home.

We arrived back pretty late in the evening, way past 9pm and way past Myla’s bedtime. I bathed Myla instantly, repeated the cleaning process of the wound and put her to sleep. I was still in complete shock of what had happened and felt as though I ruined her little precious face. I watched her sleep, cried whilst whispering sorry and kissed her all over. Luckily, it was only a minor accident and I’m so grateful it wasn’t anything worse. A mother would keep their little babies in a cocoon, safe and warm, out of harms way if it were possible – there is nothing worse than seeing your baby in any kind of pain.

The very next morning, the first thing on my agenda was to take Myla to the GP and ensure she was and would be okay. Our appointment was booked for 10:30am, so a lay in (playing with toys) was a must. Due to the significance of the appointment, I made sure we were early and seen promptly at 10:30. I explained in as much detail as possible what took place and talked the Dr through the steps I took to treat the wound. She nodded throughout reassuring me I took the correct steps. The Dr later confirmed I did all the right things and that Myla’s wound was healing perfectly, with no sign of infection. She advised me to continue the cleaning process of the wound every morning and evening for the next week.

After a few weeks, peanut’s wound became a faint scar – what a souvenir of her first birthday and first holiday. With the guilt feeling that comes alive when I think back to this day, I try to remind myself it wasn’t my fault and instead commend myself for my quick (thanks to my mum) response. Accidents will happen, especially as they become more curious with no sense of danger. And it is merely impossible to have your eye on them every second of every minute. But being prepared and knowledgeable in how to react goes a long way.

Love,

L.V.