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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To NOT want to go to A&E because my baby fell down the stairs?

61 replies

bigboobymama · 04/05/2010 14:53

My DD is 5 months old and fell from my arms when I slipped on the stairs yesterday. She feel from 3rd step onto her face. She cried for 10 minutes or so and then was fine. No sleepiness, no bruises. Fed as normal and is her normal self. I have two older boys 13 and 8 and know babies fall and it can be scary but I'm confident she is ok. She is my DH only daughter and he wants to go to hospital. This I feel wil be a waste of 4 hrs or so. Should I take her? Or talk him out of it? We already have issues in our marriage over her as he feels i'm too complacent about holding her and now this!

OP posts:

thegirlwithsomethingextra · 04/05/2010 19:23

My DD fell all the way down the stairs when she was about 13 months old. She cried for a few minutes but then she seemed ok and was walking around and playing normally.

I rang NHS direct straight away and they said not to take her to A&E but to observe her for any signs of concussion and told me what to look for.

mummytime · 04/05/2010 19:50

Some of the posters here seem unreasonable. If she cried straight away that was a good sign. Mine always fell asleep after falling, which is horrid as that is a bad sign (its now been modified to unusually sleepy and can't be roused). If she hasn't been sick then she's probably fine.
I did take DD2 after falling down some of our front steps and dropping her in a flower bed, but only 6 hours later when she was sick. We were lucky A&E was quiet and we we're quickly sent home having been checked.
I would send her with her Dad to the GP if he is so worried. Or he could phone NHS Direct instead.

fernie3 · 04/05/2010 19:54

I probably would have taken her at the time or at least called doctors or nhs direct for advice. I am not normally the type to rush to a and e for the slightest thing but a 5 month old is different to a toddler falling down the steps.
not sure what to do now since its been a day already,

RabsGirlx · 04/05/2010 20:03

i think YABU you should have taken her to a and e right away as there could have been damage done that may not show immediatley i therefor think it is very irrisponsible of you as a mother to not even be so alarmed by the situation. if it had been my ds in that situation i would have acted imediatly even a call to nhs 24!!!

Original poster

bigboobymama · 04/05/2010 20:28

No not lazy or selfish,just following my instincts.Isn't that what mothers do? If I had been at all worried I wouldn't have hesitated going to A&E. I understand what many have said about having DD checked out but if all parents did this for every fall, high temp, colic, teething etc, the NHS would be overloaded! surely this is what health visitors, GPs, NHS direct is for? I did suggest HV but DH said no.
However, the point is DH NEVER mentioned hospital yesterday. Only wanted to go today nearly 24 hours after the fall. If I went today wouldnt they ask why we had waited? Would they ask why we were presenting her now?

OP posts:

preggersplayspop · 04/05/2010 20:31

I'd have called NHS direct at the least. At that age a fall onto the head from your arms is a long way.

Something fell onto my DS's head and even though he seemed fine I called NHS direct to check what to look out for and as he had vomited afterwards (probably not related, but ok to say that in hindsight) I went to A&E. They were so lovely to me and gave him a good check over - they looked into his eyes for swelling/bleeds, which you couldn't do at home. I am surprised you are so blase about it tbh.

RabsGirlx · 04/05/2010 20:36

my ds had only a high temp which actually turned out to be pnumonia and he was very ill with it so yes you must take temps seriously as it is the brain telling the body to shut down as it cant cope thats what the health service is for even if you are only a little concerned he also had swine flu that only showed a tempreature

Northernlurker · 04/05/2010 20:36

This isn't a bumped knee or teething though is it? We are talking a small baby here and how far did she fall?

I think you need to take her and when they ask why you didn't come yesterday you should admit you've got a bit casual but you now recognise that the fall was a good mechanism for injury and you and dh have discussed it so just to be on the safe side could they look at her?

preggersplayspop · 04/05/2010 20:39

Why does he want to go now then? If something is still concerning him you should act on that together. If there is nothing underpinning it, and she seems fine, then count yourself lucky it wasn't serious and move on.

A&E is (stating the bleeding obvious!) accident and emergency - this was an accident which may have caused a serious injury. Of course you don't go for every fall for toddlers etc, but for 5 month old babies they don't fall over that often, most of the time they are lying stationary in one place so not really much scope for accidents.

princessmel · 04/05/2010 20:40

yabu

I would have gone yesterday too.

If they asked why you went today and didn't go yesterday, I'd say 'dh and I have been worrying about her over night and wanted to bring her to be checked over' The truth.

Is it normal for her to have a good sleep btw?

Original poster

bigboobymama · 04/05/2010 20:50

Just called NHS direct,and they advised I take DD to A&E as she fell from more than her own height. So we are off to hospital...

OP posts:

herbietea · 04/05/2010 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Vistana · 04/05/2010 20:58

The thing with this post is the describtion of 'fall' if the op had used different adjectives the responses would be different. Be careful of the words you use to describe things as it can easily be changed from a non issue to an issue.
Was your DH there to see the 'fall' or straight after?
If you are having problems with DH, could he have spoken to someone who said you should've gone to A&E.
DH sounds as though he is still getting used to be a dad of a baby and to be honest prob feels this love which he hasn't felt for your other children and it sounds like he wants to impress someone (his mother or friends of his) that he is in control and a perfect parent?.

Northernlurker · 04/05/2010 20:58

I'm glad you are taking her. I expect it will be nothing but it's as well to be sure. Hope all goes well.

Thediaryofanobody · 04/05/2010 20:58

If it's been 24 hours I actually think he's bringing it up to make you feel bad. And not letting you hold her afterwards WTF it sounds like this man has serious control issues.

preggersplayspop · 04/05/2010 21:01

Hope it goes well.

ilovesprouts · 04/05/2010 21:02

i would of took her when she fell ,hope shes ok tho

princessmel · 04/05/2010 21:03

Hope she's ok and you don't have a long wait.

grapeandlemon · 04/05/2010 21:05

She fell face first from a really great height onto her head.
YABU

I am quite frankly aghast as to why you didn't take such a small baby to be immediately checked over.

wonka · 04/05/2010 21:06

Good luck at A&E! At least its not friday night! let us know how you get on!

thisisyesterday · 04/05/2010 21:36

a great height??? go and look at our stairs and tell me the third step is a great height

i think we have to trust the OP here because she is the one that saw it happen, and how her dd fell and how she landed and how she has been since

Sassybeast · 04/05/2010 21:45

Thisyesterday - presumably the OP was standing on the third step so for a 5 month old child to fall from someones arms at THAT height unto the floor is actually a significant distance - no good at the maths but it's probably about 4 or 5 times her own height - imagine an adult falling the equivalent distance if that makes sense. Am sure that in this case, baby will be absolutely fine but the thread may be useful for someone in the furure who is worrying about wasting time at A & E.

thisisyesterday · 04/05/2010 21:48

or maybe, as the op said she SLIPPED, so perhaps had fallen herself before letting go of baby.
she specifically says "she fell from the third step"

so lets not be too presumptuous. as I said before, the OP was there, none of us were- she judged the situation and decided hospital was not necessary, as did her DH at the time so it can't have been that awful.

hazeyjane · 04/05/2010 21:49

When dd1 fell off a table (she was 2 1/2, and had climbed up, then jumped off shouting 'blast off'!, caught her foot in a chair and fell on her face), NHSDirect said that if a child falls from something that is its own height or higher then they should always be taken to A+E.

They checked her over and told us the warning signs to look out for. We have ended up in A+E a few (ahem) times with dds (3 and 4), and have always been told it is better to be safe than sorry.

When I was little I fell off a pretty low wall, onto my head, I seemed fine and it was only a week later, that it was noticed that I had a lump on my head, which turned out to be a fractured skull!

I hope she is ok.

SlartyBartFast · 04/05/2010 21:53

your dh is worried.
understandably

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