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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

she nearly stepped on my baby dd!

24 replies

nutellalover · 14/09/2010 13:06

Went to a really great playgroup this morning with baby dd and 2 year old ds (mainly for his benefit of course). There were some blankets, pillows etc put out for the babies to lie on, so once for five minutes I put my dd (four weeks) on to one of the blankets while fetching ds his cup. Just as a moment before I come to pick her up (to go back into sling) the lady who organised the playgroup (and lays out the toys and blankets) comes walking across the room OVER the baby blankets and nearly stepped on me dd! She honestly only missed her tiny body by an inch AND did not even notice! Shock
I was in shock and actually even shouted which noone seem to notice neither.

Am I being unreasonable to think that if you put down baby blankets you could expect babies lying on them so could actually look where you're going if you really have to step onto them? Argh!!!

OP posts:
ChippingIn · 14/09/2010 13:07

Why didn't you say something to her?

Lulumaam · 14/09/2010 13:08

oh dear, what a fright

i personally, would not leave a newborn unattended on teh floor at a playgroup where there are children and adults stopming around, easily distracted by their own children and things to do

YANBU to be upset, but leaving newborn on the floor at a playgroup is possibly not the wisest thing to do

ArseHolio · 14/09/2010 13:08

Honestly.. I think if you put your baby on the floor anywhere you need to watch them like a hawk all the time.

Tippychoocks · 14/09/2010 13:09

No, she should know better.
People carrying trays over my DD's head in cafes used to piss me off. Lots of wobbly old people spilling hot tea all over the place and over my baby's head cos highchairs only fit at the ends of tables.

Shout away Smile What did she say?

kreecherlivesupstairs · 14/09/2010 13:10

Agree totally with lulumaam. I am not attacking you personally, but I think it is silly to put blankets in a place where boisterous play is going to take place.

sapphireblue · 14/09/2010 13:12

yes she should know better, but it's also a bit risky leaving a baby on the floor at a playgroup......a gang of lively toddlers won't know not to trample accross the baby area. If I need to leave baby DD2 in the baby area for a moment I always ask one of the nearby mums to keep an eye on her for me.

Tippychoocks · 14/09/2010 13:14

But surely that's the point on blankets on the floor and a baby area? To not tread on it?
I do agree that perhaps leaving the baby was not the best plan.

booyhoo · 14/09/2010 13:16

she should have checked but i imagine she expected a parent to be with any babies that were on the blankets. i would have said to her though.

booyhoo · 14/09/2010 13:18

what i mean is, she presumed there were no babies because tehre were no adults there. does that make any sense?

Bramshott · 14/09/2010 13:18

Do they mark out the baby area with a line or square of chairs? That's often quite a good way of keeping babies on the floor safer - perhaps you could suggest it?

Original poster
nutellalover · 14/09/2010 13:43

I agree, was not the best thing to do to leave her there (was standing in front of her at that moment, getting the sling back on to put her back in)!
I have learnt my lesson, but was just really chocked.
By the way, no toddlers running around at that time, as it was not busy and all the other (three) children at that moment were painting at the table in the other corner of the room.

OP posts:
AllGoodNamesGone · 14/09/2010 13:51

I agree she probably didn't expect a baby to be there without an adult beside her but even so, why didn't she walk around the blankets?! Not very hygienic to walk all over them and the expect people to put their tiny babies on them. Strange.

Hope your heart rate has returned to normal, what a shock for you.

nomedoit · 14/09/2010 13:54

This is why I bought a pushchair with a bassinet you can attach - everyone said don't buy one because they grow out of them but they are VERY safe for little babies to sleep in when you are out and about.

FrameyMcFrame · 14/09/2010 14:02

I bet she knew your baby was there and just stepped past her.
If she's the organiser of the group she's probably well used to having babies and toddlers all around her and is possibly not quite as precious about it all.
She didn't actually step on her so I'm sure she knew what she was doing.
Nobody is likely to miss seeing a baby lying on a blanket really.

proudnglad · 14/09/2010 14:27

It's just one of those things, not malicious intent or negligence . And she didn't step on her so thank God for that.

girlywhirly · 14/09/2010 17:03

Marking out a baby area with a line of chairs is fairly pointless, as the toddlers just climb all over them anyway. IME most of the mothers are too busy gossiping to do anything about it. A better bet would be a playpen or babydan type fenced off area. I found loose drawing pins on the floor at an an NCT group once, in a church hall. They had obviously come off the notice/display board, but a rolling/crawling baby could have put them in their mouth.

I don't think the woman should have walked across the blanket, but you can't assume that the group venue is completely safe, either.

Original poster
nutellalover · 14/09/2010 17:14

I think if I have to put dd down in future I will use one of those bouncy chairs but keep it in a safer area. I,m just getting used to having two children tbh, it's sometimes a bit difficult to divide the attention and deciding who needs picking up first!

Otherwise the playgroup has been brilliant (normally not a playgroup person) but all the other mums are quite welcomind and opened which is great when you need a new social circle. We only moved here some weeks back and it feels a bit isolated at times!

OP posts:
colditz · 14/09/2010 17:16

You should know better than to leave a tiny baby on the floor in a public place.

NOT everyone is as hyper aware of your baby as you are, she's your baby, not anyone else's, and YOU are the only person who is going to be thinking mainly about her. Everyone else is thinking of their child, or their cup of tea.

Don't leave her on the floor again.

FlyingInTheCLouds · 14/09/2010 17:32

tippychooks - I hate that. I always ask the waiter/ess to move tray away from above my DCs head.

(especiallyb as I was a waitress for several years and managed to drop a number of plates/drinks on tables/people Blush

fuzzypicklehead · 14/09/2010 19:01

Personally, I think YANBU. Both of the baby/toddler groups I attend have the same set up: an area of blankets & playmats seperated by chairs from the main play area.
And mums quite often lay their babies there while attending to older siblings. There is always at least one mum "presiding" over the area at any one time, so boisterous toddlers are shooed away, and mums can grab a coffee or take a child to the toilet etc. Everybody really looks out for each other's little ones. I guess I'm just lucky in my playgroups then?

DetectivePotato · 14/09/2010 19:04

I think you sound a bit precious. She runs the group, she knows that there are 'hazards' all over the floor and I am assuming she knows the baby area is there seeing as she set it up. I'm sure she didn't completely miss the fact that there was a baby on the floor.

Learn a lesson from it and don't leave a baby on the floor at a toddler group. Its a disaster waiting to happen.

RumourOfAHurricane · 14/09/2010 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

FrameyMcFrame · 14/09/2010 22:42

almost is the operative word!

Disaster was averted, baby not stepped upon.

seeker · 14/09/2010 22:49

What's the difference between "Almost stepped on: and "Stepped over?"

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