Fell down 5 stairs and dropped baby - hospital says ok but feel so guilty

[joorla]

i slipped down the last 5 steps of the stairs while carrying my 7 mo dd and my reflex was to put my arms out to steady myself, dd dropped to the bottom and was inconsolobly crying. called nhs direct who told me to call 999 who came straight away and took us to hospital. the hospital didnt really do any checks just sort of felt her bones and she has suffed a bang to the head which looks like it's going to be bruised. she seems ok, bit quieter than usual though, but i've just fed her and put her to bed. i feel so guilty cant stop crying, feel like sch a bad mother.
hospital didnt really give me any advice other than to watch out for vomiting.

poor you - I know exactly how that feels and I don't think there is a mother on here who hasn't either had that happen, or had baby roll off the bed, changing table or something.
I'm sure your dd will be fine, and that ther will be lots of other mums on here to tell you that.
The fact that DD was crying is a good sign.
Do watch for vomiting and check on her later as that is a sign that she needs to be checked again.
When DS rolled off the bed at 9 months old, I woke him twice in the middle of the night to make sure he was okay ( poor mite!!!)
Finally, you are not a bad mother!!!

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Don't beat yourself up Joorla. It's awful there's no way around it but it was an accident.

Joorla. I did the same thing wih dd when she was 6 months old. I sliped half way down the stairs dropped her and she bounced down and hit her head on the radiator. I tried to stop it and have ended up with a permenant back problem. To make matters worse I was at my MIL's house (i don't exactly get on with the woman). Anyway dd was fine, but I don't think I have ever fully recovered and to this day can't carry the children down those stairs. It is the worst feling in the world, but it is totally not your fault. Have a hot soak in the bath,a glass of wine and thank your lucky stars she is ok and try and put it to the back of your mind.

You must have got such a fright!

I was in too much of a hurry to go out one day and didn't click the carrycot part of my pram on properly. As I was manoeuvering it off the bus the carrycot flipped off and ended up upside down on the pavement

Thank God the hood was up and ds was uninjured just a bit surprised at his world turning upside down. I however was an absolute mess and still haven't told dh that it happened . When I thought about it, I had such a lucky escape as it could have slid off into traffic or anything [shudder].

Am now very careful...

you poor thing. My aunt did exactly the same thing with my cousin. She still beats herself up about it. As for my cousin - a strapping six foot tall twenty five year old with absolutely no lasting effects at all.

Joorla, poor poor you! DD has long forgotten about this accident but you're still suffering!
When my DD1 was 8 months old I had visitors and she was crawling around the place. In my defence she wasn't crawling long and I wasn't used to locking the stair gate. The inevitable happened - she climbed two steps of the stairs and when I called out her name she was startled and slipped. She landed on ceramic tiles and had a huge bruise on her forehead. I took her to hospital, got her x-rayed and she had a fracture! Thankfully, she was fine and just had an overnight stay in hospital. She's 4yo now and I still get upset when I think about it - even when she's telling me off over something!

Joorla - I'm surprised the hospital didn't advice you to check on your dd throughout the night - every two hours I think is the advice - briefly wake her up and make sure her reactions are normal.

It's very unlikely that there is a problem, but sometimes bleeds in the head take up to 24 hours to appear.

And don't feel bad - it was a total accident (unlike my neighbours toddler who fell down twelve wooden stairs because the parents refuse to instal a stair gate.)

thanks for all your kind words, it's good to know that i'm not the only one who has done something like this.

My friend slipped on the stairs on top of her five year oldson who not only broke her fall but also his leg...ouch. Now that's something to feel guilty about

Just keep a close eye on her for the next couple of days and if at all concerned, take her back up to the hospital.

I did that when dd2 was almost 2. I hurt my foot and have exactly the same Bunion as Victoria Beckham, dd was unscathed.

my dd fell and fractured her skull over New Year.

What to look for, as you've already said, vomiting, drowsiness, any discharge from ears or nose, dilated pupils.

My dd was actually vomiting on the way to hospital and out cold in A & E so I knew it was serious.

However, it can take some time for effects to show with a head injury as sometimes a bleed inside the brain is not immediately obvious. Wake her every couple of hours through the night and monitor her carefully for the next few days.

I'm sure she's fine though - and you've already been to hospital.

Did they scan her? My dd had a CT scan which I found reassuring.

Belgo, I can't believe your stupid vain neighbours woun't install a stairgate - would probably ruin the look of their landing and hallway. Even though my DC are 4 and 6yo and 3 months, I still keep my stairgate installed as friends and relations visit us with their small children (and DD2 will be crawling in a few months!).
My work colleague's sister-in-law had a new fireplace installed and there was props placed around it, she was told to keep those props in place for 2 days when the plaster would have dried. She thought the props looked ugly, so she immediately removed them. The fireplace fell, and nearly squashed her DS aged3yo! He was scraped badly and was hospitalized, but he was very lucky. Your story reminded me of this, Belgo.
Quietmouse, how is your daughter?

Joorla-I trod on one of the cats when ds was just 3 weeks old and we both fell down the whole flight of stairs,so I know how scary it is.Please don't feel guilty,although I know it's easier said than done.Ds was in hospital for 5 days with a fractured skull and I didnt pick him up for about a week as I was so scared I'd drop him again.Like others have said,just look out for vomiting,limpness,drowsiness etc...
I'm sure if the hospital were concerned they would've done tests and perhaps kept her in for observation overnight.
You also don't realise until it happens to you just how common it is,but the "good" thing is she won't remember anything about it,being so young,so please don't beat yourself up over it.

much better, thanks meathmom

joorla- don't worry I dropped ds2 on his head in front of a social worker (doing a really stupid thing- I sat him on a chair then moved the chair-durr). Pour youself a glass of wine/have a cup of tea etc etc.

I failed to strap DD2 into his car seat (distracted by arguing with other kids), picked seat up and the handle didn't click into the central locking position and he slid out onto the pavement - aged about 3 months. He was absolutely fine but I still feel guilty about it nearly 9 years later!

I meant DS2 - too many children

Hi Jorla you are definitely not a bad mother my little one fell out of his cot when i had out him down for a nap as i hadnt lowered the matress as i didn't think he was able to climb over. When I rushed him up hospital the doctor on A and E said welcome to motherhood! almost all children fall off the bed off the changing mat or down the stairs before they are 2 and those that don't are only because their parents caught them in time! Don't worry you are a good parent

I'm pleased to know I'm not the only mother to have had a child with a skull fracture- don't get me wrong I wouldn't wish it on any child, but it seems more common than I thought.
Joorla, how is your DD today? And are you feeling any better?

hi, dd seems a lot better today, she had a really good nights sleep, slept from 6 till 6.30 and has been feeding well. looks like she's going to have a lovely black eye though.