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Original poster

I nearly dropped my baby :(

35 replies

ClumsyUselessMum · 24/10/2018 19:34

I feel awful. I know people will be along to say that accidents happen and their baby rolled off the bed and was absolutely fine, but this is different... my own stupidity and clumsiness could have meant a fall from height onto his head - probably killing him. I feel so upset Sad

I was picking 9mo DS up from nursery. I was holding him while trying to pick up the pushchair, which is in this rack thing so I have to lift it up and over the bar which is about waist height - one handed! He kind of toppled over my shoulder and was dangling headfirst behind me, I only had him by his foot Sad I shouted out and people ran to help me. Otherwise he probably would have fallen onto his head.

I can’t believe how awful a mum I am Sad

OP posts:
auberbene · 24/10/2018 19:35

Please relax. We are human and we make mistakes. Your baby is fine x

NightOwlHoney · 24/10/2018 19:38

Oh chick, it was an accident. Please don't beat yourself up about it. Honestly, this kind of thing happens to ALL of us.

ShimmeringIce · 24/10/2018 19:39

If you can’t make it into a funny story later then it’s no big deal!

“Nearly” anything is a boring story Flowers

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TaggieRR · 24/10/2018 19:40

Relax he was fine. Just do it differently next time

Original poster
ClumsyUselessMum · 24/10/2018 19:40

ShimmeringIce I’m glad this was a “nearly” incident! Otherwise he would probably be severely injured if not worse. Sorry that’s boring for you.

OP posts:
Original poster
ClumsyUselessMum · 24/10/2018 19:40

Yes, I definitely won’t be attempting that again. I just feel so stupid and angry with myself. Struggling to stop tears welling up every few minutes.

OP posts:
spiderlight · 24/10/2018 19:45

Oh bless you. That must have been scary. Thank goodness there were people close by to help you (shame they didn't help in the first place so you didn't have to hold him one-handed though really!). You are not stupid or useless though - we've all done daft things and your DS is fine. Be kind to yourself, chalk it up to experience and try not to worry about the what-ifs Flowers

pastabest · 24/10/2018 19:45

I've so nearly done this so many times.

Kinda feel bad now I wasn't upset enough about it to post on mumsnet or even mention it to DP in any of the occasions.

You must care about your children a lot more than I obviously do Grin

Shampoo0 · 24/10/2018 19:46

Don't feel bad, it can happen to anyone! I did something really stupid when dd was small, was lucky, she was saved by a stranger! We all learn to become more careful over time!

What happened to you doesn't make you a bad mum at all. Just be grateful he is fine. Brew chill :)

LittleBearPad · 24/10/2018 19:47

Give yourself a break. He’s ok, he didn’t get hurt and everything is ok. Keep remembering that.

You’ve had a nasty shock which is why you feel as you do but you are neither clumsy or useless.

Original poster
ClumsyUselessMum · 24/10/2018 19:48

Thank you everyone, I know I’m probably over-reacting! It was very scary!

Pastabest sorry that made me chuckle!! However I wish I was not silly enough to get so upset and post on MN about it. I’ll put it down to a combination of anxiety (diagnosed) and pregnancy hormones (12w).

OP posts:
Original poster
ClumsyUselessMum · 24/10/2018 19:48

What happened, Shampoo0? (Hope you don’t mind me asking)

OP posts:
Kaykay06 · 24/10/2018 19:50

Been there baby was sat on a changing mat turned to speak to someone (was at a post natal depression support group) and he nose dived off the unit luckily someone gasped and I turned and caught him but was in floods afterwards I felt horrific. Never changed him up high again always on a mat on the floor or my knee. Feel for you op what a fright you must’ve got but he’s ok and you’ll never do it that way again have a cuppa and some cake or similar.

He was son no2 I have 3 others and all well and surviving my parenting so far, take care OP CakeFlowers

pastabest · 24/10/2018 19:51

In all seriousness though op you could have done exactly the same thing 99 times and it be fine. Don't beat yourself up over the 1 time you unbalanced.

I know you are in shock but is there a chance you feel like you need to be constantly vigilant in case something happens? I know the feeling and it's exhausting until you mentally address it and realise babies/toddlers are much more robust than they look.

My SIL did actually drop her 9mo over her shoulder. Other than a head egg and a fat lip the baby was fine.

You are catastrophising.

DamsonWhine · 24/10/2018 19:52

When DS was a baby he launched himself off a baby changing table at the swimming pool. I caught him by his ankles. You are going to make mistakes, including mistakes of judgement. Some of them will turn out fine. Some will not. In the round, there’s really very little you can do other than praise your own quick reactions for catching him.

Racecardriver · 24/10/2018 19:57

I actually did drop my baby. He was perfectly fine. Obviously it was quite a nasty shock for everyone but in your place I would take the no harm done approach and not try to life the buggy one handed again.

pbdr · 24/10/2018 19:58

Hi OP,

I used to work in paeds A&E and we would get loads of babies/kids in every day who had fallen down flights of stairs/climbed out of windows/been dropped etc. etc. Most of them were bruised up and grumpy, occasionally a laceration, but otherwise absolutely fine. Kids are hardier than you think, I doubt he nearly died.
Little ones that age have a talent for getting themselves injured, don't beat yourself up Smile.

pinkbobbles · 24/10/2018 20:00

Huge hugs.

I dropped one of my children from chin height to the floor when they were a couple of months old Shock only caught her by grabbing the poor little things FACE on either side of my hands.

It really, really shook me up as well. But honestly you are SO not a bad mum! Accidents happen Flowers

bobstersmum · 24/10/2018 20:08

When my first was about 8 weeks old I put him in his car seat about to go out then the phone rang, after I answered it I forgot he wasn't strapped in and the carry handle wasn't clicked in place so as I grabbed it the car seat basically chucked him out face first! I was mortified, but he was fine! We have all had a near miss.

Original poster
ClumsyUselessMum · 24/10/2018 20:13

praise your own quick reactions for catching him - I like that, I’ll try to adopt that way of thinking!

Pastabest, yes catastrophising is something my CBT therapist said that I do, a lot. I spend an awful lot of time worrying about things that have almost happened, or could have happened, or “what ifs”. I’m trying not to let my anxiety get the better of me, but it seems today I didn’t manage it! I’m always on the lookout for dangers, although also contradict that by being complacent (eg still use the changing unit despite DS’s repeated effort to crawl off it - no more!)

OP posts:
Original poster
ClumsyUselessMum · 24/10/2018 20:15

I’m glad other babies have been fine following similar incidents! It’s reassuring to know that babies are bouncier than I think.

OP posts:
WitBeyondMeasure · 24/10/2018 20:17

Oh please don't beat yourself up! Honestly I'm as careful as I can possibly be with my kids but my tear away 18 month old ends up with lumps and bumps and almost injuries all the time. Just today I was laying her down on the change mat and slipped on the laminate flooring and almost dropped her. Chalk it up to experience and give yourself a break.

(Although I still remember sobbing my heart out when my pfb slipped and bumped his head on the coffee table)

QuackPorridgeBacon · 24/10/2018 20:20

Don’t worry yourself, it didn’t happen and now you can do things differently to avoid it happening again.

My little one fell off a footstool and smacked her head and face because she flipped over and her head smacked the floor, she then fell forward and hit it again before I grabbed her. I felt awful and rang my mum to come round etc she’s fine by the way and I’ve done stupider shit since. With my younger child I put mouthwash directly into her ng tube and was panicking. Again she was fine though. Hope these horrors I’ve done make you feel a bit better lol. Generally they are fine and have never broken a bone or been seriously injured.

TeaForTiger · 24/10/2018 20:24

When DS was a baby DH was holding him in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. DS threw himself backwards and slipped out of his hands. He did a complete 360° in the air and DH caught him back up the right way Shock

The water bottle hit the concrete curb below, I'll never forget that sound and how easily that could have been DS's head. I had flash backs for weeks and it wasn't even me holding him!

Give yourself time to process it. Accidents happen you're not a bad Mum, just a human one. Smile

Fluffyears · 24/10/2018 20:28

Babies bounce so it’s fine lol.

My brother dropped his daughter on a stone floor, she was climbing all over him as he sat in his mils kitchen. Before we could catch her she tipped over his shoulder and landed on her face. Apart from a large bump and rather a lot of hysterical crying she was fine.

My dad dropped me in a swimming pool T about 6 months.

My DH shot head first down a flight of concrete steps as a toddler on his wee ride on truck. The bin men had left the gate open.

There have been no lasting effects from any of the above. You didn’t drop him, you saved him because you cared like a perfect mum. They are slippery buggers, my uncle said I was like trying to hold a salmon as I was do squirmy.