How do you do the Heimlic maneuver on a pregnant woman?

Question

If you did it same as a non pregnant woman you'd hurt the baby, right?

Answer 1

Pregnant/obese people: Abdominal thrusts may not be effective in people who are in the later stages of pregnancy or who are obese. In these instances, chest thrusts can be administered. For the conscious person sitting or standing, take the following steps:
Place your hands under the victim’s armpits.
Wrap your arms around the victim’s chest.
Place the thumb side of your fist on the middle of the breastbone.
Grab your fist with your other hand and thrust backward. Continue this until the object is expelled or until the person becomes unconscious.


For the unconscious pregnant or obese person: The sequence of events is the same as those for an unconscious adult. Chest thrusts, rather than abdominal thrusts, are delivered. To position yourself for chest thrusts, take the following steps:
Kneel on one side of the victim.
Slide 2 fingers up the bottom edge of the rib cage until you reach the edge of the breastbone called the xiphoid process.
With your 2 fingers on the xiphoid, place your other hand on the breastbone, just above your fingers. The thrusts should be quick and forceful to remove the object.
Care should be taken because complications such as rib fractures and heart muscle damage have been known to occur with chest thrusts.
If at all possible, subdiaphragmatic abdominal thrusts should be used in the pregnant woman, especially if there is still room between the enlarging uterus and the rib cage to perform the maneuver.

Answer 2

CHEST THRUSTS FOR PREGNANT WOMAN OR OBESE PERSON

UNCONSCIOUS

1. Kneel beside the person, placing one hand on the center of the person's breastbone and then placing your other hand on top of it.

2. Give 5 quick thrusts, compressing the chest 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

3. Do a finger sweep (see above), open the airway with a head tilt and a chin lift and give 2 slow breaths. If air still will not go in, continue giving chest thrusts, finger sweeps and 2 slow breaths until the object is expelled and air goes in.

CONSCIOUS

1. Stand behind the person, placing your arms under the person's armpits and around his or her chest.

2. Make a fist with one hand and put the thumb side of the fist against the center of the person's breastbone.

3. Make sure your thumb is on the breastbone–not the ribs–and that you are not near the tip of the breastbone.

4. Put your other hand over the fist and give quick inward thrusts.

5. Continue giving thrusts until the object is dislodged.

If the person becomes unconscious while you’re doing this, use the method for unconscious people.

ONCE THE OBJECT IS DISLODGED

If the person is not breathing and has a pulse, perform rescue breathing. If the person is not breathing and does not have a pulse, give CPR.

Answer 3

Instead of using abdominal thrusts, chest thrusts are used. The fists are placed against the middle of the breastbone, and the motion of the chest thrust is in and downward, rather than upward. If the victim is unconscious, the chest thrusts are similar to those used in CPR.

Answer 4

i wouldn't do that esp on the later stages. but if it really comes to saving the mom, i would do it the same way its done to non-preggy women. mom dies, baby dies too. try to save at least one.