6 week old baby fell off the sofa. I'm devastated

[wtfih]

Hi,
Last night I fell asleep while breastfeeding my baby. I felt like I was dozing off then heard a thud and baby crying. Woke up in shock to see her tummy down on the carpet.
I can't shake off the shock I've been through and can't stop crying. I don't know know what to do anymore.
She stopped crying when I put her on my breast. Since then (8 hours ago) she's been fed a few times. She smiled, responded to our voices, kicked her little hands and legs, followed us around with her eyes. She's been sleeping for most of the time but she normally does every morning.
I can't see any bruises and can't feel any bumps on her head. She's been posetting after feeds but she does that usually. When they say go in if they vomit they mean actual vomiting, right?
She has been sleeping in my arms since birth, she was low weight so I feed her on demand. I can't stand seeing her cry and every time I try to put her down she cries a lot that's why I let her sleep on me. I've been extremely tired these days.
I can't stop crying, can't believe I let this happen she means everything to me and I can't believe I could let her get hurt :((
I can't stop thinking about it wish I could turn back time or wake up from this horrible nightmare

6 even!!

Hi OP.

Firstly, dont beat yourself up. Being a new parent is so hard and we all have lapses. She sounds fine though, if you are worried I'd perhaps call the GP.

Secondly, I had a prem NICU baby who was like this, she was low (3lb 9) birth weight so like you I fed on demand and was worried about her weight gain. The best thing I did was introduced a dummy. She went from clinging to me and crying when i put her down to easily settling in the next to me. It didn't impact her weight, in fact I found she ate more rather than just snacking constantly. I also gave her a little corner of a muslin I had slept with and put it in her cot (it was no more than 5cm) so she had a smell of me. They do this in the NICU too.

Take care of yourself

@Katela18

The OP posted this in 2015
Bit late to call the GP now.

[quote vajingleberry]@Katela18

The OP posted this in 2015
Bit late to call the GP now.[/quote]
Ooops! Teach me to pay better attention!

When DD was 3 went to a swimming pool, was sitting on a step watching her happily bobbing in her floaty thing…my eyes were glued. So glued on her that I’d failed to notice DS1 (!) also in floaty thing inverted In the water! When I lifted him the trauma was awful. I’ve never forgotten it and afterwards wouldn’t take the DC swimming without DH.
Anyway - he’s fine and a now a great swimmer and sailor!

Please don’t a sling as someone suggested!! Can you imagine falling asleep lying down with her in a sling she could get stuck and suffocate.
I would take her to an infant cranial oesto who can both check her out for the fall (I am sure she is fine) and can help with reflux.

Zombie thread sorry

[quote Csalee1018]@AlisonWunderland she’s not asking for backtracked advice, or opinions of how she can do better… she was looking for advice from women In a similar situation.[/quote]
Why on earth did someone decide to revive a 5yo thread just to post this amazing gem of advice?
Always gobsmacked at how these get brought up again for the most mundane reasons. It would have told the poster that this thread hasn't been posted on in ages, yet they still deemed it worth it.

My mother dropped me on my head when I was a baby. I was fine.

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE

Honestly don’t feel bad, I think you get a badge for this as it’s something that happens to most parents!

I remember my daughter fell off the couch straight onto her head and I felt so bad and guilty. That horrible feeling will go soon and you will realise that you are not a bad parent at all and will soon be telling another mum the same thing when it happens to them!

You may also have times when something nearly happens but you still get the horrible feelings and guilt.

That's wonderful you've cracked co-sleeping and feeding in bed. That should prevent you falling asleep holding the baby again. Please stop beating yourself up - things happen, we learn and need to move on. I dropped a large paperback book from a height onto my baby's face - I was sorting the shelves above her moses basket; very stupid! There really should be more advice out there for safer co-sleeping as some babies just won't go in their beds! My first baby wouldn't but the second does - I've done nothing differently. Ignore the 20 minutes advice from the GP - doctors aren't usually breastfeeding experts.

I did this in hospital a couple of days after the birth. I hadn’t slept at all and dozed off. Woke with my baby on the floor. I alerted the nurse and she was checked over tho they said the doc would do extra checks before we were discharged. All is well tho and she is now a healthy 7 year old. I felt sooo guilty for weeks after. You can always speak with a midwife or doctor if you want the baby checked over. It might help to put your mind at rest.

OP - I feel for you. I felt the same totally. My ds leapfrogged off his dad when two weeks old and apparently asleep on his chest. ds landed on his head and was unhurt but we were really shocked.

As a baby, ds was unable to sleep anywhere but on my lap during the day until he was three years old and at night until he was two and a half, so you are by no means alone. Take care there and set your mind at rest. Parently is really tough work sometimes.

FFS why don't people bother to read the thread?!

THIS IS A ZOMBIE THREAD! THE OP POSTED THIS 6 YEARS AGO, SO I'M SURE SHE'S RECOVERED FROM THE SHOCK NOW!

Opps! Just realised it is an old thread. Oh well.

This happens more than you would know! I fell down some stairs with mine when she was about 6 weeks old, I couldn't stop crying. The sound of her head smacking against the tile will haunt me forever. We went to the hospital and stayed over for observation, she was absolutely fine - thank God. I felt awful, but please don't give yourself a hard time over it x

And again:

FFS why don't people bother to read the thread?!

THIS IS A ZOMBIE THREAD! THE OP POSTED THIS 6 YEARS AGO, SO I'M SURE SHE'S RECOVERED FROM THE SHOCK NOW!

Oops zombie thread!