Please reassure me..

[whoneedssleepanyway]

My sister just phoned me in floods of tears.

She had put her 4 week old DS in the buggy (Bugaboo Bee) asleep on his back hadn't strapped him in as she didn't think he could get out, she was so knackered she lay down and fell asleep, she woke to a shriek and crying and he had fallen out of the buggy and was on his face on the floor in the living room, he cried but then she managed to calm him and fed him. I guess he had slid down a bit and then just slid out of it.

She was beside herself and the horrible thing is she lives in another country from me and all our family so doesn't really have anyone there, I just wished I could go round and help her.

I told her I was sure he was fine, it was good that he had cried and fed ok afterwards, I know how she though I remember DD1 rolling off a bed and getting in such a state, but it is so hard to know what the right thing to say is to reassure her. She didn't know whether she should take him to be checked out, so I said if it would put her mind at rest to call her doctor.

It was so horrible to see her so upset and be miles away and not able to do anything about it...please reassure me so i can reassure her that these things happen and not to beat herself up about it and he will be ok.

Thanks

Oh love . Most of us have had accidents happen with our children and mine have resulted in hospital trips. As long as your sister always straps him in from now on it shouldn't happen again. Depending on what the floor is made of maybe a quick check up from a doctor would be good as baby is so young. Try not to worry.

Thanks Fab.

All is ok, she called her doctor who said just take him in for them to check him over, they observed him for a little while but everything seemed fine.

She was just really shaken up by the whole thing and I wished I could go round and give her a massive hug. Still it seems no harm done and sometimes these little wake up calls are good, she won't be putting him in the pram without the straps on again...

Ahhh, what a horrible shock for her. Babies are amazingly resilient though and it was probably the shock of it more than anything. When DS toppled off the sofa onto the floor, I was terrified and felt ever so guilty. These things happen though occasionally and we've all been there, haven't we! Glad all's well now.

Glad baby is okay.

On 2 different occasions I turned away from my 2 year old/10 month old to sneeze and they fell off the counter/changing mat. The 2 year old had to go to hospital and have a head scan as he had a suspected fractured skull and the baby screamed but was fine. I was a nervous wreck. I try not to sneeze near the kids now when they are up high.

Oh dear. It must have really frightened her.

It's true though, everyone's been there. Years ago a friend of mine dropped her baby on her front doorstep. He had a triangular dent in his forehead. She rushed him to hospital and he was absolutely fine. Just a bruise on his forehead by the next morning. He's a strapping 23 year old now.

My DD got herself into a couple of scrapes when she was younger because she's too bloody adventorous. As the registrar (paediatrician) told me "They're designed to fall out of trees", a reference to our ancestry and survival of our species. I'm not for a moment suggesting that any mother tries this out, but it did make me realise that small babies are pretty tough and resilient.

It's also perfectly normal, after a visit to the GP or hospital with a fall, for the HV to phone or call around. Tell your sister not to worry if they do, they're just doing their job. My HV only did this for the first tumble.