Am I an awful mother?

[ladyjam]

My 4 week old baby has bowel problems, so I had her laying across my lap so I could massage her tummy. All of a sudden, she stretched her legs out straight and the force of the stretching sent her flying off my lap onto the floor! She wasn't hurt at all, but I feel awful and I cant stop crying and I feel like I'm not looking after her properly.

Has this happened to anyone else?

It's happened to all of us I think. There was a thread a few weeks ago with everyone confessing the accidents they've had with their baby DCs. I spent the night up A&E last week because my 8 month old had a nasty tumble and landed on her head. (she's fine now but they wanted to observe her).

Have a nice hot drink (or maybe a bar of chocolate) and try to relax. These things do happen and she's fine. You aren't a bad mom, in fact if you were a bad mom you wouldn't be upset right now.

If you were a shit parent it wouldn't be bothering you accidents happen all the time don't feel bad go to bed and relax. You are great mum.

Well, not that situation exactly but yes I have accidentally hurt my child, I bumped her head off the door frame. Underestimated how tall she was. Yes it feels dreadful but no, IMO your not an awful mother at all, you made a mistake while trying to help her.

DM also admits to accidentally letting DSis fall off the bed. I don't remember his old DSis was. She was fine though.

so I had her laying across my lap so I could massage her tummy you're a lovely Mum

Oh god yes! I dropped dc1 in the bath, and I vividly remember looking down at him lying placidly on the bottom of the bath, gazing up at me through the water. Then I lifted him up, he sneezed, and we continued with the bath.

All 3 of my children have rolled off my bed at some point in their first year.

Dc2 was a right kicking wriggler, and did what yours has done, several times. Eventually I learned to either keep ahold of her, or turn her to lie across my lap rather than along it. Also developed faster reflexes to catch her.

And I dropped dc3 in the loo once, lifting him slippery-wet out of the bath. You'd have thought I'd learned by then to wrap the baby in the towel while taking them out of the bath. Well, yes, I had. But we all make these daft little mistakes.

Congratulations on your LO. Enjoy her and don't worry too much.

*you're not an awful mother

BTW try the tiger-in-the-tree hold for windy tums. Also bicycle legs while she's on her back. A nappy change will often release wind low down.

I dropped DD2 from my chest height to the floor when she was a couple of WEEKS - I only caught her through sheer reflex thing - put my hands out and caught her by the side of her cheeks.

I got the most horrendous fright, I really did. It's horrible OP you poor thing. I bet your knees are all shaky

And I dropped dc3 in the loo once

That's one for his 21st!

Fell on top of Dd.
Left ds in the bike seat whilst I shut the gate and he managed to tip the bike over.

Cried buckets over both.

I clipped DS3's finger when I was clipping his nails when he was a tiny baby. It bled. I cried. A lot. I made DH cut his nails for months after.

YABU for thinking you're an awful mother. I remember the first time my son fell off the bed. I felt awful because I wasn't watching him closely enough. Couple that with the time I accidentally cut his finger while trimming his nails as he was sleeping, and I felt like the worst mother ever at that moment. and enjoy your new wee baby.

I was sat on the floor with my 11 month old in my lap last week, reading a story. I was distracted for literally a couple of seconds and the baby launched herself out of my lap and faceplanted on the tile floor. She was absolutely fine but I felt terribly guilty.

You're not a bad mother at all; despite our best efforts these things will happen!

X post with LilithTheKitty!

DP still does the nail cutting here and the kids are 2 and 6....!!

Lilith and Herring!!

Dd rolled off me at 5 days old I was hysterical. She was fine!

My DP has only cut our son's nails once, at my behest Daisy17 so I wish my DP was like yours!

I managed to drop DS1 on the head before making it out of the hospital. I was leaning across to the crib to lower him in, and my strength gave out.

He's a healthy, intelligent 6 year old.

They're designed to bounce

On Friday I accidentally catapulted my 8 week old out of a bouncy chair and he hit his head on the floor. It was horrible. And my toddler, Who had watched the whole thing, just looked at me and said "mummy, what did you did?"

I took him to the GP to get checked out, and she said he was absolutely fine, thank goodness. But I felt really shit, and so the GP told me about how she had accidentally dropped her week old to baby of the bed and banged her head.

We have ALL done it. Please don't feel upset.

When my dd was a week old, middle of the night I was carrying her Moses basket into my room to put it on the stand with her in it. I must've accidentally let go of one of the handles and she rolled out onto the floor as I was walking past the bed!! I never told anyone that before I was too ashamed I watched her all night after...!

And I did the head bang off the door frame too but that was with my best friend's baby!! I totally misjudged the space.. I thought she was gonna kill me. It was her third so she just shrugged it off and said she's done it loads of times over the years.....!

My DD rolled off the bed when she was a few months old. I was so hysterical my DH had to come home from work

She was fine! They're designed to bounce

OP, you are a perfectly good mother. Be kind to yourself.

Thank you all. I still feel awful, but much better knowing that others have been in the same boat.

You poor thing what a fright you must have got, anyway i bashed now 24yrolds head off an outside window sill at my aunts house i punted her up to burp her and clattered her head i was distraught she was fine though.