Baby First Aid: How to Feel Calm and Confident in an Emergency
By Gemma Morris, Paediatric Nurse and Founder of Your Baby Matters
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most extraordinary experiences. From the moment you leave hospital with your new baby, everything changes: your routine, your relationships and even your sense of self. Suddenly, you are responsible for nurturing and protecting your little one, without a manual and with a whole lot of learning on the job.
When a calm moment suddenly feels urgent
Parenthood is full of beautiful moments, but there will also be times that make your heart skip. A sudden cough, a high temperature, a bumped head or a meal that turns from an enjoyable sensory experience into a choking risk can all leave parents wondering: what do we do now?
Parents do not need to know everything. What matters is recognising the signs and knowing the first steps to take.
The first few minutes matter most
In an emergency, simple actions taken early can make a huge difference. At Your Baby Matters, we teach parents and carers a clear, easy-to-remember approach: Check, Call, CPR.
Step | What it means | What to do |
Check | Recognise whether your baby is seriously unwell. | Check responsiveness and breathing for up to 10 seconds. |
Call | Get emergency help on the way early. | Ask someone nearby to call 999 for emergency help, or call yourself and use speakerphone. |
CPR | Begin life-saving support if your baby is unresponsive and not breathing normally. | Start rescue breaths and chest compressions, and use an AED if available. |
How to use Check, Call, CPR
1. Check
Start by checking whether your baby is seriously unwell. Are they awake and moving? Do they respond to your voice? You can also gently stroke the sole of their foot to see whether they react.
Next, check their breathing. Look at their chest: is it rising and falling? Put your ear close to their nose and mouth, listen for breathing and feel for any breath on your cheek. Check for up to 10 seconds.
2. Call
Getting help on the way quickly buys precious time and can help you stay focused on what to do next.
3. CPR
If your baby is unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin CPR. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and is a combination of rescue breaths and chest compressions.
Start with five initial rescue breaths.
Cover your baby’s nose and mouth with your mouth to create a seal, then blow gently until their chest rises.
Remove your mouth before giving the next breath.
Give 30 chest compressions, then return to two rescue breaths.
Continue with a ratio of 30 compressions to two breaths.
For compressions, place two fingers or two thumbs just below the nipple line and compress the chest to an approximate depth of 4cm. Aim for a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute, which is around 1.5-2 compressions per second.
If there is an AED nearby, ask someone to locate it and turn it on. Apply the pads as shown in the diagram on the pads, then follow the spoken instructions.
Continue CPR until emergency services arrive and take over, or until your baby shows signs of life.
Why learning baby first aid helps parents feel calmer
Parents are often surprised by how simple the steps feel once they have been shown clearly. Baby first aid is not about expecting the worst; it is about knowing what to do if the unexpected happens.
As an experienced paediatric nurse with an intensive care background, I have seen how important those first moments can be and the difference calm, early action can make. That is why I created Your Baby Matters. My mission is to give parents, grandparents, carers and relatives simple, life-saving information they can rely on in an emergency.
In our classes, we focus on the emergencies parents worry about most: baby CPR, choking and anaphylaxis. I break the information and skills down into clear, gentle steps, showing families exactly what to do in those crucial first few minutes before help arrives.
Parents often tell me they leave feeling lighter and more confident, not because emergencies disappear, but because they know how to manage them.
Book a baby first aid class
If you are expecting a little one, navigating early parenthood or caring for a baby in your family, a baby first aid class can give you practical skills to use when they matter most.
Your Baby Matters offers friendly baby first aid classes online and in person across Kent. Online classes can be booked directly via our website, and in-person classes are available by enquiry. You can also find us on Instagram.
