Dumb ques (re safety) for nearly 9 month old (Need other perspectives please??))

[evelynevening]

I need some advise about my DS (cant ask others in real life as I would feel like a crazy person!)

How many times a day is normal for a baby to bump his head? (He is crawling, pulling up on furniture etc) How do you differentiate between whether the bump is minor or a bit more serious? (I would know if it was severe as there would be a mark/bump etc and could apply ice pack--seek dr opinion etc, but I am unsure what Im meant to do first aid/sympathy wise etc for those bumps you cant see).

How far should you go preventing bumps on his head? I have padded out the bottom of his (very spacious) playpen. he playpen has soft sides. I also leave him sometimes alone in his travel cot which has soft sides too. He also plays on some carpeted areas and I put a pillow behind him when we play there in case he falls backwards. I also put my hand in front of him when he pulls up so he wont bump his head on the wall/post etc? Is this too much?? I know I should leave him alone to play by himself but how am I meant to do this without him hurting himself?

About the bumbo everybody seems to like...I cant leave him in it for long as he wants to catapult out...do I keep trying him in it or should I stash it away. Also is liking the bumbo genetic?? (Am wondering if I should sell it or keep it in case a possible DC2 likes it?).

It is a really worrying stage once they get mobile - they are completely gung-ho and suicidal - a miracle any of them make it to school age really.

If they bumped their heads or fell over, I used to just pick them up quick and give them a cuddle and distract with something else, if the crying went away fairly quickly then it's fair to say that they've not really hurt themselves, just frightened or annoyed. If they cry for longer, are inconsolable then poss a bruise will come, so have an icepack ready.

Can't advise on a bumbo - they weren't around when my DC's were little - they're 10 and 13 now!

No matter how vigilant you are, there will always be bumps and bruises so just be kind to yourself and try not to worry too much.... Easier said than done, I know, but just think how many kids survive through terrible neglect and poor parenting - you are doing brilliantly.

Ds is 20months, we never had bumbo, but i would say keep it. tbh i never saw a need for it, babies don't like to be confined.
We did have wooden playpen briefly but ds screamed every time he went in, so instead used as guard for tv.
I used to just let him do his own thing, and if he fell, say 'oops, up you get' instead of rushing over. Except when just learning to sit i never put cushion behind him.

I would say in my mind a bump on carpet is very rarely going to be serious, and you'd know if his behaviour changed.

At that age we moved our little glass coffee table out of the room, purely because it was so light he could pull it over.

Btw ds was crawling at 8mo, walking at 10.
I deliberately tried not to be too anxious about it cos i figured it was going to happen and i didn't want a clingy baby who didn't go off and explore.

Hth, Im sure you're doing a great job.

Bumps all the way here. But she learned pretty fast to hold on to things properly. I only used a cushion when she was standing on concrete, though now she's pretty stable so I'm getting a bit lax here.

Most crying seems to be shock more than pain, I think!

We bought a Bumbo and used it about twice as DS used to catapault himself out of it too. But you may well find that DC2 loves it - I certainly have friends where one child loved it, but it was too dangerous for another.

Can't really help on how many bumps are normal - they certainly are wobbly and bump into things for a while - my DS is over 2 now and I really notice the wobbliness of little ones in comparison! I'd agree with the advice that you can judge how serious it is by how much crying/fuss follows.

My DS wasn't very physically coordinated until about 18 months when he started doing a Tumbletots class, which is all about physical movement, and now he is very good at climbing and scrambling over things, jumping etc. You might investigate whether there is a class near you (I think Gymbobs is the class for pre-walkers) as it might help you both get more confident (and if you are worried, you can compare him to what the other babies are able to do).

Try not too worry to much though, they change and develop so fast at that age and you will soon see that he is much more stable and the tumbles get fewer.

Thanks for your replies.

He was bumping his head everyday (about 2-5 times) but yesterday not at all, so hopefully he is getting better at balancing. So hard to get the balance right about not being too overly protective.

There is a baby gym class that starts at 9 months which Im going to book him into to as well as think he would love it.

I will hold onto the bumbo just in case DC2 is more placid and enjoys sitting still more than DS. If he had been one of the product safety-test babies they would have had to make a few modifications (such as a safety belt and higher back etc) to it as it does seem very easy for him to get out of!

lots of bumps is normal, just do what you can to limit the risks, they soon figure out it's something to try to avoid. If it really damages them they don't calm down with cuddles. Babies are made to take a lot of this.

Never had a Bumbo, DC always assume it's a potty!