User blog comment:B214/Chapter 500: Fire and Ice/@comment-5894890-20160905175158/@comment-7418318-20160905213405

All it takes to make sure is putting one or two fingers on the main arteries on either the wrist or neck. Or for that matter you can put your hand directly over the heart, but I can see why there can be inhibitions to do that with a woman.

And for the breath, just look if her chest is moving, put your ear beside her mouth or put your fingers before the mouth and you will know if there is breath or not.