The first time she threw up, I cried.
We were driving through France, she was seven months old, and I turned around just in time to see her projectile vomiting all over herself. Cue shrieking (from me, she just looked awfully confused). Of course, I immediately thought she’d contracted salmonella poisoning from the chicken I’d fed her (hey, we were in France, how do I know how fresh their chicken is?) and burst into tears, picturing my poor little baby on a drip in hospital because of my carelessness.
It wasn’t salmonella. But it was my fault. Turns out the cheese that I’d mixed with the chicken was too aged (note to self, always check dairy products in other countries or use ones you already know to be safe as you can’t always decipher ingredients, and don’t know if the milk used is pasteurized or the cheese too strong for them, even if it tastes mild like the one I bought), which made her throw up. Try explaining to a French-speaking doctor what’s wrong with your little girl using an old French-English dictionary. At least she has a French name. That, he understood.
After that incident, I stuck to Blue Cow for the rest of the trip.
Lord knows how I’m going to react if there’s something really wrong with her, I shudder to think!
If you’re struggling with a sick baby who has reflux or has been struck with a harsh fever (or worse), the best advice I can give is to keep your head together. Panicking isn’t going to help her, or you, so stay calm and work out what is best to do. And do a St John’s Ambulance First Aid course which will tell you what to do in an emergency situation and how to tell if they’re really sick. We had someone come out and do the course with us at a friend’s house - cheese and biccies, and a bunch of mums and dads learning how to take care of your child, I came away feeling much more confident. It’s a must for every new parent.
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