I dropped my baby on the floor

[samebutdifferent1]

Name changed, regular MN user.

Please somebody help me feel less guilty about this, I've beat myself up all day, I've cried on and off, I've cuddled her all day thinking I must of terrified her.

She's 4 weeks old and the past week been suffering with reflux, I've been getting 30 mins of sleep before she wakes up screaming again because of the pain. I had a drs appt for this morning and in between DH and I have been giving her the drops and massaging tummy, bicycle legs, keeping her upright for 30 mins after bottle, we've changed bottles, teats. Tried everything.

DH has been working a 2 hour drive away for the past couple of days meaning he leaves at 4:30am to get on site for 7am. I've done the last two nights in the living room with the Moses basket.

I am absolutely dead on my feet. I picked DD up from another bout of crying and pain from her Moses basket about 4am and sat on the sofa watching tv whilst she was on my shoulder and I was rubbing her back. DH came in at half 4 with a bottle prepared for her.

I gave her the bottle and the next thing I know, she was screaming on the floor and it was 7am. She must have rolled from my lap and I just have just passed out from tiredness.

Luckily our sofas are very low and we have soft carpet, I immediately picked her up and was so upset I called 111. They asked if she was awake and responsive, she was. They asked me to check her head or body for any obvious bruising or swelling/redness, there wasn't any. They asked me what position she was in and I told them she was on her back. They asked if she could follow her rattle toys with her eyes which she could and then they stayed on the phone whilst I gave her another bottle and she sucked away happily until the pain of reflux kicked in again. I told them I had a GP appt in a couple of hours with her and they said she sounds fine, it happens all the time and to mention it to GP.

GP gave prescription for baby gaviscon and I told her about the sofa incident, she checked her over, felt her head and stripped her off, checked her reflexes etc and said she's absolutely fine and it happens more often than we think.

I still can't stop feeling awful. DH has called site and told them he will be in at lunch tomorrow so that I can go to bed tonight and have a full night sleep. He's tried to reassure me and said it could have just as easily been him on the nights that he does (we share nights or do shifts depending on where he's working etc).

I keep looking at her and crying. Please tell me others have done this and all was okay. I keep thinking I should take her to hospital in case her skull is fractured or something 😢

When I was about 12 I was playing with a family friend’s baby upstairs (no idea who let that happen!) and she rolled off the bed and landed on her head. She’s a doctor now! Also all my own kids have whacked their heads at some point. Your little one will be fine, but it’s very alarming when it happens 💐

This happened to me in hospital about 12 hours after a c section when I was full of morphine, one minute I was sat on my hospital bed and the next I woke up to her crying on the floor, stuff like this happens don't beat yourself up about it - oh I also locked my dd in the car the first time I took her into work to show off and the fire brigade had to come and smash my window to get her out, I felt sick about it for weeks but can laugh about it now

Don't worry too much. My mum told me I rolled off the kitchen work top when I was small. It's definitely not caused me problems.

She'll be fine. Like PP have said, all of us have accidentally hurt our small children and it's so awful at the time. I hit my daughter's head on the kitchen worktop when holding her and trying to do too much at once, I also sat on the phone to 111 and ended up going to A&E because I was so worried. She was absolutely fine. I would research safe co-sleeping if I were you (look up Safe Sleep 7 and Lullaby Trust). It saved my sanity and it's much safer to prepare to fall asleep with them than do it accidentally. You might find she sleeps for longer too x

She's fine OP. I've done it with my DS. I was in hospital with him and dropped him. Nurses checked him and were so kind and reassuring. They realised then I was far far far too tired (and it was the reason I kept being sick) and told me to sleep and they took him to the nurses desk. Still hands down the best 4 hours sleep I have ever had. They said then it happened a lot. Don't feel guilty, you did everything right and she has been checked over. I hope you managed some sleep and I am glad you have some support.

Can't thank you all enough for sharing your experiences etc.

I had a nice hour soak in the bath and now I'm in bed.

I don't want to co-sleep it's just not personally for me, the problem is that I've let myself get so exhausted by refusing help (MIL offers to come round whenever I need for a few hours so I can sleep) because I feel like I'm her Mum and should be able to do it, today was a massive lesson learnt.

We have a cot in our bedroom which she is too small for right now (1 bed flat and don't have dlave for a next to me bassinetand a Moses in our living room. I normally do Monday-Thursday and DH does Friday-Sunday.

We take it in turns to have the bed or to be the one on the sofa with DD in her moses.

It's only been for the past few days that he's got this job a fair drive away, his next couple of months are local work and he runs his own company so luckily he can pick and choose times although obviously he needs to keep customers happy to earn the money that we live on.

I really didn't intend to fall asleep, it was literally one minute she was on my lap and the next it was hours later and she was screaming on the floor. Id never lay down with her on the sofa due to suffocation risk etc.

I'm in bed now and don't have to be up until DH leaves at 10 so I'm off to get that full 10 hours because I need it so badly.

No idea why that's only just posted but I've just woke up and feel great. Thanks everyone x

This!

We've all done it and it won't be the first time you'll accidentally hurt your child. It's called Mother's guilt. If you didn't feel guilty about this, then it would be something else.

Forgive yourself, you were so exhausted, it wasn't your fault. You took all the steps necessary to make sure your baby is ok. All is fine.

It's ok. Was an accident. My kids have fallen for various reasons and completely fine.

Everybody has definitely done this. Took each of my kids to A&E for an avoidable accident as babies. DS fell down steps onto paint cans because the stairgate wasn't closed, aged about 18 months, DD launched herself off the bed onto the floor headfirst at several months old. No lasting effects.

It's worse when they can remember and bring it up at every available opportunity though! The time I caught someone's chin when opening the boot comes to mind. Entirely their fault, though you wouldn't think so...

I haven't. Ever. Which I'm very confused about because I'm so clumsy.

Glad you're feeling better OP.
I hate to tell you but it's the first of many accidents, especially once they start moving. Before you know it, she'll be rolling off the bed, falling off a climbing frame or running into a door and getting a huge bruise on her head. You'll feel guilty every time but children are amazingly resilient.

OP, I am so glad to hear you have managed a decent night's sleep now.

We have a family story - it is legendary- my grandad managed to drop my dad down a flight of stairs when he was a few months old. The whole way down - he (baby dad) rolled.

Not recommended - but babies are often more resilient than we give them credit for.

My dad is now 68 and in perfectly good health.

Honestly please don’t feel bad. Very common. Do you have others who could have baby whilst you sleep?

Sorry about what happened. Sounds like you did everything right and you were absolutely knackered. Baby seems fine which is good. Please look into changing your husband's working patterns as its not sustainable

This x

she will be fine -babies are quite resilient! Mine rolled from his changing mat and landed on the floor when I literally turned my back to pick up a fresh nappy. The other one fell down our whole flight of stairs! No harm done. But you really mustn’t fall asleep with her on a sofa - do what you can to avoid this, I know it’s not easy xx

Oh darling everyone has done it.

i was changing my baby who had NEVER rolled over when my toddler climbed up the inside of my leg, and bit the inside of my thigh. He dug his teeth right in and wouldn’t let go and I turned away from the baby to get him off! Bloody hell it hurt! And then the baby rolled for the first time, right off the changing table on to the floor! I was demented that morning! I took him to a&e still in my pyjama shorts and the paediatrician checked him out and said “you’re the second one today! Please don’t worry, he’s fine.” And he was.

It’s horrible horrible. But also almost a rite of passage.

I was in Italy once, staying in an old hotel and someone there dropped their baby, from standing onto the marble floor. Baby and parents went to hospital, ran all the tests and came back clear. Please don't worry, these things happen.

Yes totally agree, please forgive yourself OP

I've definitely been here too, OP! I took the tray off the high-chair and baby wasn't strapped in and plummeted to the floor head first. She was absolutely fine but the memory of it still makes my blood run cold.

On the reflux side of things, it might be worth giving Omeprazole a try as others have mentioned. I found that Baby Gaviscon caused terrible constipation.

We also found the Carobel milk thickener to be a serious game-changer. You can buy it in bulk on Amazon as it's not a clinical medicine so there's no prescription required. It thickens baby's milk, making it heavier and harder to throw up in refluxy babies. We used less than described on the pack otherwise it practically turned into cheese😂