the choking person to stand if he or she is sitting. Place yourself slightly behind the standing victim. Reassure the victim that you know the Heimlich maneuver and are going to help. Place your arms around the victim's waist. Make a fist with one hand and place your thumb toward the victim, just above his or her belly button. Grab your fist with your other hand. Deliver five upward squeeze-thrusts into the abdomen. Make each squeeze-thrust strong enough to dislodge a foreign body. Understand that your thrusts make the diaphragm move air out of the victim's lungs, creating a kind of artificial cough. Keep a firm grip on the victim, since he or she can lose consciousness and fall to the ground if the Heimlich maneuver is not effective. Repeat the Heimlich maneuver until the foreign body is expelled.