There are moments in parenting that you can prepare for and moments that arrive without warning. The first smile, the first steps, the first word. You are ready for those. You have the camera, the milestone cards, and the group chat on standby.
Then there are the other moments. The grape that gets stuck. The mug of tea that tips. The bath that is too hot. The silence from the cot that makes your stomach drop. The sudden fever that comes out of nowhere.
These are the moments that matter most, and they are the moments most parents are least prepared for. Not because they do not care, but because nobody taught them what to do. That is what our Baby and Toddler First Aid course is for. Three hours of practical, hands-on training that prepares you for the emergencies that actually happen in homes with babies and young children.
We are PCT Services, and we run this course at our training centre at First Floor, 2 Queen Street in Northwich, about a 5 minute drive from Middlewich. It costs £42 per person, and you receive a certificate valid for one year.
Choking: the moment every parent dreads
Weaning is exciting and terrifying in equal measure. You are introducing your baby to solid food, watching them explore textures and flavours, and constantly watching for the moment something goes wrong. Gagging is normal and safe. Choking is not.
The course teaches you to tell the difference instantly. You learn how to position a baby face-down along your forearm and deliver back blows with the heel of your hand. You learn chest thrusts for infants and how the technique changes for older children. You practise on infant manikins until the movement is automatic, because when it happens for real, you will not have time to think. You will only have time to act.
Parents who have done this course describe a shift. The anxiety around mealtimes does not disappear, but it changes from helpless dread to quiet readiness. You still watch your baby carefully. But you know that if something goes wrong, you know exactly what to do.
When breathing stops
Infant CPR is the skill that sits at the centre of this course. If your baby stops breathing, the clock starts immediately. Brain damage begins within minutes. The ambulance, no matter how fast, will take time. You are the only person who can keep your baby alive until it arrives.
You learn how to check for breathing without wasting precious seconds. How to give rescue breaths to a baby by covering both the nose and mouth. How to perform chest compressions with two fingers in the centre of the chest. How to alternate 30 compressions with 2 breaths and keep going until help arrives.
It sounds overwhelming written down. In the course, practised on a manikin with an instructor guiding you, it becomes something your body knows how to do. That is the point. When the moment comes, your hands know the movements even if your brain is in panic.
Burns: the everyday danger
Babies and toddlers are drawn to exactly the things that burn them. Your cup of tea on the coffee table. The oven door. The hair straighteners. The iron. The radiator. The bath tap. Every home is full of burn risks that adults navigate without thinking but that young children encounter at face height and hand height.
The course teaches you the correct response. Cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Not ice, not butter, not cream, not toothpaste. How to cover the burn. How to recognise severity. When to call 999. When to take the child to A&E. When to manage at home. Clear, simple guidance that replaces confusion with confidence.
Febrile convulsions: terrifying but manageable
A febrile convulsion happens when a baby or young child's temperature rises rapidly and triggers a seizure. The child may go rigid, shake, lose consciousness, and turn blue around the lips. For a parent who has never seen one, it looks like the worst thing imaginable.
The course teaches you that febrile convulsions, while terrifying to witness, are usually not dangerous. You learn how to keep your child safe during the seizure, what position to put them in, what not to do, and when to call for help. Understanding what is happening transforms the experience from paralysing terror into a situation you can manage.
Allergic reactions and meningitis
You learn to recognise the signs of an allergic reaction at every stage, from a mild skin reaction through to anaphylaxis with breathing difficulties and swelling. You learn about adrenaline auto-injectors and when to use them.
You learn the signs of meningitis in babies and young children, including the glass test. Meningitis can progress rapidly in young children, and early recognition can be life-saving.
The details
Three hours, £42 per person, certificate valid for one year. Small groups of up to 12. No previous experience needed. Entirely practical and hands-on.
Our training centre at First Floor, 2 Queen Street in Northwich is about a 5 minute drive from Middlewich. We run scheduled courses throughout the year. Check the live dates on our Baby and Toddler First Aid page.
For Middlewich parent groups who want to book together, give us a call on 07958 915146 and we can arrange a date.
Baby & Toddler First Aid
Gain confidence to handle emergencies with your baby or toddler. Learn essential first aid skills from a trainer who is a Registered Nurse with many years of clinical experience within Emergency Departments who trains Advanced Paediatric Life Support to medical and nursing staff in acute hospital environments.
Northwich Training Centre, Northwich
Fully booked · 3 dates available
Be ready
You cannot prevent every accident. You cannot child-proof the world. But you can make sure that when the moment comes, the moment that really matters, you know exactly what to do. Three hours. Forty-two pounds. Book your place.
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