ENTER TO WIN GIVEAWAY AT THE BOTTOM OF BLOG POST!!!
Have you ever had to take your child to the emergency room? We had our first experience recently and it was the most terrifying day of my life. We woke up like any other day – except this day was a little extra special. We were on our way to Disneyland. The entire way there we sang songs and planned out what rides we were going to go on. We parked the car and took fun pictures as we waited to go through security. We almost couldn’t wait to go inside and have a fun, happy day. We had no idea that within moments everything would change and we would have a horrifying day. As we were waiting to get on the tram that would take us into the park my daughter fell face first unto the concrete. It happened so quickly and so out of the blue at first I didn’t even know she was hurt, except I can’t get the sound of her teeth hitting the ground out of my head. It happened so fast, in fact, that my brain and my body didn’t have enough time to react and respond and before I knew it she lifted her face off of the concrete and her mouth was covered in blood. She cried immediately.
I tried not to panic and Disneyland cast members responded immediately. They shut down the area with a blockage to give us ample space and called an on call nurse. My stroller and diaper bag were left in the middle of the floor space and my son still wrapped around me in his baby carrier. None of it seemed real. I could hear all of the people around me asking if she was all right and I they could help but they seemed so far away. All I could focus on was my daughter and trying to stop the bleeding. As my daughter sat on the ground with me by her side, dreams of a magical day shattered, I realized how deep her wound was inside her mouth. Her teeth cut through her entire bottom lip. That was all I saw and I just sat there wondering how they would close the gap in her mouth.
The bleeding stopped by the time the on call nurse arrived. There were baby wipes drenched in blood all around me but the nurse put on some plastic gloves and picked them all up and threw them away for me. She looked at my daughter and informed me that we’d have to go to the emergency room. My heart sank and I was devastated. I was terrified but couldn’t show it. I had to be strong for my daughter as she was even more scared than I was. Thank goodness the nurse told me that my daughter would most likely fall asleep in the car on the way to the hospital. Since we didn’t hit her head I knew I didn’t have to worry about a concussion.
On the way back to the car I called my husband and asked him to meet us at a local hospital. I knew I couldn’t take care of my daughter and my son by myself. The Disneyland nurse pushed our stroller back to the car for us and even helped strap my daughter into her car seat while I strapped in my son. The nurse even gave my daughter some stickers and a free front of the line pass for her next trip to the happiest place on earth. And off we went.
It took us an hour to get to the hospital. My husband was there by the time we arrived. Luckily we didn’t have to wait long before the doctor was able to see us. She informed us that my daughter’s injuries were too severe for them to treat at that hospital and transferred us to the nearest children’s hospital. It was at this time I first became aware of the severity of the injuries on her upper gums. As we sat there in that room waiting for our release forms I sat next to the bed with tears starting to swell up my eyes and almost fainted. It was too much. I got very lightheaded and had to give the baby to my husband to hold while I drank water and put my head between my legs so I wouldn’t pass out. As soon as I was able to stabilize myself, I called my parents and asked them to meet us.
We hopped back in the car and drove another hour to children’s hospital. Once we checked in and waited for a short amount of time we were taken back to a private room all to ourselves away from all the other chaos of the emergency room. We had a wonderful team that took care of us and a television to distract our daughter. By this time her entire mouth was so swollen you could barely recognize her face. Despite the fact we were having a traumatic day and were in the hospital awaiting an unknown diagnosis, our room was quiet and peaceful.
We ended being in the emergency room for another six hours. Most of the time we waited for next steps, results from tests, and specialists to visit and exanimate our daughter’s injuries. The doctors has thought that she may had fractured her jaw so they recommended a CT scan, an oral surgeon, and pediatric dentist to be involved in the treatment plan. The CT scan was fairly traumatic for our daughter but as soon as she was done the nurse technicians gave her a new book and some stickers. Luckily, she did think it was pretty fun to be escorted around the hospital in a wheelchair to and from the exam room. My husband and I had dinner in our room while we waited for the results of the x-rays and exams. My daughter wasn’t able to have any liquids or food all day in case she needed surgery, so she was famished and begged for even ice chips but they wouldn’t allow it. I felt so helpless. And then the guilt set in. Could I have prevented this? Was it my fault somehow?
We were very fortunate that at the end of the day, 11:00pm to be exact, 11 hours after the incident took place, we received our discharge paperwork and were sent home. She didn’t fracture her jaw. Her gums and permanent teeth were fine. And they didn’t even do any stitches because they said they didn’t want to traumatize her more than she already had been and that her mouth would heal just as well on its own. So we left the hospital with an antibiotic to prevent infection, one chipped tooth and four loose teeth but overall without any permanent damage. Praise the Lord!
The next day, still in pain, she only could eat liquid foods through a straw, but by the following day she was eating soft foods again. I remember feeling so sad for her I just held her and cried. I wish I had the pain instead of her. As I cried my insightful daughter said to me that everything would be fine and that she was ok. She even told me I was a good mommy and that she loved me. Within a few weeks her teeth were no longer loose and was able to go back to eating hard foods and mostly a regular diet. We are regularly seeing a pediatric dentist that is watching for any nerve damage so we aren’t completely in the clear but except for a tiny bit of scar tissue on her bottom lip and a hefty hospital bill we are back to normal.
Soon after our hospital visit, I was contacted by a company called IncrediBundles, known as the home for extraordinary baby gifts. Not only can you create a baby registry with this company, you can also create bundles filled with everything a new mom and baby needs. You can choose to create one for yourself and or give as a gift! There are no subscription fees. You just simply pay for the items you fill your bundle with and can choose from a variety of items like diapers, books, toys, bath items, blankets, and more! They offer a variety of prepackaged bundles or you can create your own!
Besides being a perfect baby shower gift or an excellent gift for a new mom, I was thinking that these curated bundles would be the perfect gift for a baby, toddler or preschooler that is in the hospital or home recovering from an injury or illness. And if you cannot decide what to put in the bundle you can always opt to buy a gift card instead. This way the new mom or the child can put the items they need or want most in the bundle themselves!
I love that you can browse by price and or by the age of the child. And did you know that you could even buy a year’s worth of diapers, books, and toys with one click? As a new mom of two, having diapers and other items effortlessly delivered to your door is priceless. And as a mom and a play therapist having age appropriate toys and books are so important for physical and emotional development! Here are some specific options for you to consider:
Infants Under 1
- Bright toys that clip to strollers and carseats and feature a variety of textures for exploring little hands
- Teethers and rattles made from natural materials and colored with food-grade dyes
- Loads of books for baby, especially sturdy board books with touch-and-feel panels, bright illustrations and simple stories.
1 & 2 Year Olds
- Stock up on toys that allow for open-ended play like balls and blocks
- Toddler-friendly musical instruments like bells, shakers and simple drums
- Lots and lots of books, especially those with repetition and rhyme, basic stories and friendly illustrations
Preschoolers
- Games that allow children to learn as they play
- Craft kits that exercise a child’s fine motor skills and creativity
- Toys that encourage hours of happy pretend-play
- Award-winning books with endearing characters and meaningful stories that children will want to hear again and again.
And this week I am giving away a $50 gift card for one lucky winner to create their own curated bundle. What would you put inside???? The options are endless! ENTER TO WIN BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW! US Residents only.
To see some of the items we picked out visit my Instagram Stories!!!! In the meantime, to learn more information and browse the website to purchase your own bundle click here http://www.incredibundles.com/home.php Pregnant? Create your own registry here http://www.incredibundles.com/register_giftreg.php
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