Infant CPR: Is it worth $40?

Here’s a special post from my guest blogger, NewMamaKira – tell me what you think!

No, this is not NewMamaKira's baby

 
A few weeks ago, I enrolled myself in an infant CPR class at the Toronto store Baby On The Hip and it cost $40.

So why did I decide to take the course rather than stock up on $40 worth of baby stuff? Well, with being on mat leave for a year, I would have the most face-to-face time with my son; hence higher probability of being present if an emergency was to happen. I wanted to have the knowledge to equip myself to handle these situations and to act calm and react in a swift and responsive manner. 

So was it really worth it? Actually, yeah, it was great. It was taught by a Toronto EMS paramedic and upon completion of the course, I had a certificate from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Not bad for an hour-and-a-half course, am I right? 

This is what the course covered: 

• How to assess and do CPR if a loss of consciousness occurs for infants, toddlers and adults.

• What to do if your infant, toddler or an adult is choking.

• How to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). 

And of course, the class was hands-on and we practiced with dummies of both infants and adult sizes.

As for the logistics of the day, they don’t recommend bringing your baby because they don’t provide childcare. (Which makes sense.) However it was just short enough for me to get back home without providing too much stress on my hubby! 

These are techniques a parent wishes he or she never wants to use. But in an emergency situation, it’s good to know how to react to either your own child or someone else’s. While $40 is a lot and I could’ve bought a mega pack of Pampers instead, infant CPR knowledge is priceless.

Click here if you want to learn more about workshops available at Baby On The Hip.