Family Life

Surviving Stitches with Kids… I’ve joined the club.

Tuesday morning, OrangeBlossom pushed AppleBlossom and she took a header into a wooden magnetic dress up doll. Puffy, with a slash laceration.

Tuesday afternoon, running up the step stool AppleBlossom feel and skinned both shins.

Wednesday 9pm, AppleBlossom took a header. Either 12 or 2am I’m not sure which, AppleBlossom was screaming. I found she’d wet the carpet standing next to her bed. Chaos and clean up.

Thursday 4am OrangeBlossom wakes me up by asking if I’ll come get in her bed and snuggle a while. In waking up I realize I slept through Almond’s feeding alarm. I start to nurse him and send OrangeBlossom to bed. She goes crying then starts screaming. The Enginerd goes to find she has started to wet the bed. Chaos and clean up. Almond finishes and I think things might calm and the Enginerd helps Orange clean up, then Almond expels all liquid he’s ingested. Vomitous maximus. Chaos and clean up.

Thursday 8am The girls wake an exhausted mama. Then we do all the morning stuff and pile in the car to head toward the pediatricians office to see if stitches are indeed necessary.

*Blood and gore pictures to follow. Leave now, or you’ve been warned.* 

 

IMG_1678So back to that header for AppleBlossom. Immediately, I told the Enginerd she needed stitches, he didn’t think so, but didn’t really stop to look at it either. (Poor nervous man, doesn’t like his family getting hurt.) Talked to SisterL, she said probably just a butterfly. Talked to SisterB, she said probably just a butterfly. Talked to Grandmama and she said, could be just a butterfly, but maybe not and agreed to go see in the am. Talked to overnight nurse, and she said definitely go in the am – avoid a general ER and that I have a 12 hour window, and maybe like 20 with the face.
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Off to see the doctor we go! He glances and says she absolutely needs stitches and that glue won’t hold “that”. He said we might be able to get away with a butterfly bandage, but doubtful at her active age and the location with all that muscle movement. He explains to AppleBlossom, step by step what we’re going to do and then we go for it.

Wait, back up. Enter the exam room. As I mentioned, Almond missed a feeding during the night (which makes me feel it all day) so I decided to try to sneak in a feeding before we’re seen. As I start to nurse him, OrangeBlossom decides her three year old bladder suddenly cannot wait. So I ask our beloved Nurse if she’ll aid the toddler to the potty while I’m nursing baby. Then the doctor walks in and conversation starts. Toddler returns ecstatic that she washed her hands all by herself (lovely large step stools, you’d think they hosted children often) and starts hyper talking (typical lately, loud too…). So Doctor gives her a sucker. She continues to talk about the sucker, and I tell her I think the idea of the sucker is to keep her quiet. Nurse takes well fed baby and encourages toddler to follow. Tell Kindergartener what we’re going to do. Toddler returns, Nurse too, yet baby-less. I’m told a “fist fight” has broken out among the nurses as to who gets to hold the baby – well then, at least he’s occupied. Toddler leaves in Nurses shadow again.

IMG_7673IMG_2662Bedadine, Lidocaine, tears. Promise daddy and ice cream. Followed by two stitches on a very still brave girl. And go back for a third stitch in the middle. All children return, more suckers and stickers are presented and smiles return. Take children to car, remove infant seat so that Kindergarten doesn’t have to climb under and risk head bump. Nurse baby, again, and head off to deliver on the daddy and ice cream promises.

After daddy visit, head home and try not to fall asleep while driving. Then be exhausted and home and accomplish nothing.

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So that’s my adventure! Now what can you gain from my research/experience?

Child takes a header, now what?!

  • Don’t panic, kiddo will reflect your anxiety. Apply cold pressure immediately and get the blood flow under control.
  • After a few minutes, check the cut (laceration is the fancy word) and see if the blood flow has slowed or ceased.
  • Now check just how severe the laceration is (remember to keep those mama emotions intact).

Stitches, yes or no?

  • Check if the laceration is gaping open. If not, slightly touch the skin nearby to see if it gapes. Gaping holes need stitches.
  • (Thanks to nurse on the phone) If the cut is larger than 1/2 inch and on the face, it most likely will need stitches.
  • If you just don’t know. See doctor to find out if it needs stitches. Smaller cuts that still need medical attention might be fine with a butterfly strip or glue (see doctor!).

So, we’ve decided to get stitches or see the doctor at least… Now what?

  • Is there any debris in the wound? You might need to go sooner if so.
  • Clean wet cloth to dab surface clean.
  • Apply antibiotic cream to keep out bacteria.
  • Apply loose bandage to aid protection.
  • See the doctor with the 12-20 hour window. (12 for body, 20 for face)
  • Sleep if possible.

*People, I’m not a doctor and while I do have a degree in nursing and I’m a mama who experienced this, use your own judgement and contact your medical advice team. This is just my experience and you may not solely rely on me.*

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(No spam, I promise. Just creative madness ramblings, reviews and life-stories, with quilting and cross stitch inspiration in between!)

The Creative Madness Mama also known as Margaret is a Christian Stay-at-home Mama, married to the Enginerd, quilter, cross stitcher, avid reader and book-a-holic. As book blogger for various publicists, she loves to share the latest and greatest about books coming out as well as her needle art and other crafty projects with some pictures of her fourteen-year-old AppleBlossom, twelve-year-old OrangeBlossom (the Princess), nine-year-old Almond Blossom (the Rascal boy!), six-year-old (red) Mermaid Warrior, the four-and-a-half-year-old Viking Dragon, and Huckleberry (due in June 2024!) in between. Homeschooling, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing, bone broth brewing, tea drinking, list making mama full of a little creative and a lot of madness.

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