My baby fell (again) and I just can’t stop feeling terrible!

[Raycheese]

I know this happens to many people and it’s ’normal’ in many ways but it doesn’t stop it hurting and making me feel so guilty. I didn’t even drop him but turned away for one second but that’s all it took for him to roll off the sofa and hit the back of his head on the corner of the table. Poor thing was hysterical and he was immediately fine, although he does have a small cut from the table. I cooled with an ice pack and sprayed a gentle antiseptic and breast fed and comforted him but I don’t know when I’ll forgive myself. Just wondered how other mums feel when it happens to them and how to go about forgiving yourself.

How old is baby? Why are you leaving him on the sofa even unattended for a second? Just put him on a mat on the floor, there's no need to risk it.

How old is he?

Don't beat yourself up too much about this! Learn from it and move on. DD fell off the bed 3 times as a baby which I'm pretty sure is probably a higher than normal figure!

These things happen, I have 3 DC and they have all been to A&E or minor injuries for accidents.

My now 10 year old was trying to get herself down from the sofa when she was about 14/15 months old. I helped her down, the sofa was only low but as she got her feet on the floor she tripped over herself and fell. Honestly the fall was nothing spectacular at all, she barely fell...however she obviously landed wrong because from the way she screamed I knew she had really hurt herself. DH had been sat with us and saw how minor the fall looked and rolled his eyes at me when I suggested going to accident and emergency, anyway off we went and sure enough DC had fractured her clavicle, poor thing.

Just wait till your DC starts toddling and walking, running around...you’ll be having a heart attack several time a day. My youngest is only a toddler and until she started walking I had forgotten just how stressful it is to stop them from accidentally maiming themselves. She will be my last because my nerves wouldn’t last for another one

7 months and it’s happened a few times not all by me. True, I should leave him on his party mat but he gets bored quickly and screams. We have him on the sofa to change his nappy. Hehe, that’s what I’m told- just wait for the terrible twos and walking age. Thanks all for your replies!

@squeakydog was that comment really necessary?

Not party mat, play mat.

Don’t worry about it too much OP

Children will fall and bump themselves but it’s part of growing up. His ok and it was an accident.

Really, don’t beat yourself up about it. Now you know to avoid putting him in that spot where he may fall again. Lesson learned.

Yes, lesson learned. Thanks all.

Thanks Cherry85

Yes, young children do have bumps and trips, sometimes serious, sometimes not. And parents do make mistakes. But I wouldn’t expect it have ‘happened a few times’ when your child is only 7 months old, regardless of who was looking after them.

Think the best way to forgive yourself is to try and be more proactive in preventing these things happening.

This is obviously not a good idea as it has led to injury. Please change baby on the floor. Babies that are immobile should not be getting injuries. I hate to tell you this but any health care professional worth their salt will be questioning these.

I would say a 7 month old who has hit his head hard enough for it to be cut needs to be assessed by a medical professional.

It does happen to most of us but if it's happening numerous times when your baby isn't mobile yet, then I think you do need to be a bit more careful. Especially if it's resulting in cuts and things.

My DD rolled off the bed at 3mo and from then I never left her unattended on anything higher than floor level as it gave me such a fright. Of course now she's mobile she's falling all over the place, but when they're so small and not moving under their own steam then it's a lot easier to protect them.

Oh I wouldn't worry!

It happens to everyone - I remember my Daughter rolling off the bed when she was about 6 months old. She was fine after a little cry. A friends baby fell off the kitchen table, another friend left her 5 month old baby to play with 2 toddlers and he also fell off the bed.

We are human, we make mistakes and sometimes are too knackered to be on the ball all of the time x

My 15 month old (is walking though) burst her lip as she tripped walking to me and missed the soft bit off the couch and hit the hard side. Cause off her slavours it made it look so much worse I sat there crying until her dad came home because I felt so bad that she had done it! Few days later she was sat on the couch moved and hit her chin off the arm (witch again is hard) burst her mouth again and that was me I was like how am I going to do this toddler stage 😂😂😂 she's not hurt herself again yet but I always have a fear as she's walking outside now and thinks she can run etc! X

The first time is an oops, they do fall etc but to put them on a sofa when you know it's happened before is odd in honesty. Learn from it and know that even if they are upset at being on the playmat, they are safe and will be fine for a short while.

I actually think you are under playing this.
Hitting his head of the corner of the table is quite serious.
I think you sound quite flippant about your son's safety.

Making the same mistake a couple of times is actually pretty negligent. Who cares if he gets bored, put him on the floor, wash your hands etc and then play with him. Don't leave him on the sofa.

I should leave him on his party mat but he gets bored quickly and screams

I'm not having a go at you but he's going to scream when he falls off the sofa and hits his head, so you might as well let him scream from boredom instead!

The idea that it has happened "a few times" at 7 months is rather surprising to me.

I think instead of worrying about how you can get over the guilt, I think you should be worrying about how you can prevent it happening again.

Many (most?) parents have a story about something like this happening. Happening ONCE. If you (plural) have managed it a few times in 7 months, you need to change your behaviour.