10 week olds held fell back

[Piggle21]

So I am the worst parent ever! Was putting my little one down on his play mat and thought I had his head safely on the arm as I lowered him in. But he moved and his head flopped back. He didn't hit it on anything and didn't cry.

But I'm not really worried that I hurt him when this happened and that something will happen later to him as a result. Could I have caused shaken baby syndrome from it flopping back so suddenly?

I’m sure he is absolutely fine, babies tend to let us know when they are hurt. I did exactly the same thing when my DD was a baby and she’s now 11 and none the worse for it or the multiple times I misjudged the door frame... or when she fell off the bed at 4 months... we’ve all been there. Cup of tea and be kind to yourself. You’re doing fab

@TheTempest thank you. Just feel like such a failure. It's always me doing it wrong where as my husband seems to know exactly what to do.

Just so worried about hurting him.

Oh I’ve definitely been there. They seem so fragile at that age! He’s probably feeling the same, I remember looking round when DD was that age and thinking that everyone had it sussed but me! It’s gets easier! Do look after yourself and if you feel that you are feeling down, or anxious, not sleeping (any more then you don’t sleep already with a little baby!) then do contact the GP. Do you have support around you?

No you won’t have caused it. He’s totally fine. I’ve got 3 children and panicked and obsessed over little things at various time with all of them. Stop googling and checking him. He’s fine.

I've said this on another thread, but I'm sure it's easier for men to manage tiny babies as their hands are bigger. That's why your husband manages easier!

Almost every parent has been there. I was dropped down a flight of stairs. I dropped my prem baby from a foot up before his due date.

My medic friend pointed out that if flopping backwards damaged babies’ heads then they’d see a lot more of them in hospital. It’s not even a thing the midwives really highlight, more a cultural thing. I often saw tiny babies tied to their mothers’ backs in other cultures, heads lolling around.

Your baby will be fine.

Thank you everyone it's so scary having this little person who depends on you to look after them completely! I have anxiety too so anything that goes wrong is like a hundred times worse in my head!

Definitely agree with you about men's hands. My husband definitely finds it easier to do things with him than I do. It's even harder now he's getting bigger I'm just not long or big enough!

I did this to my 7 week old DS, I tried to get the washing out and held him and he did a sudden move and his head flapped back at such a speed. He cried, I cried and lost sleep for 3 days.

He is nearly 2 and perfectly fine! Don't worry mama, these babies are durable, he's fine and you're fine, everything is and will be fine xxx

Thank you @cheesebubble

Been there, done that and she's fine now. In my case, it was in the baby sling and her head flopped backwards her neck went backwards as I bent over. I felt physically sick and I also worried about shaken baby syndrome.

I also felt the same as you about husband doing everything and me getting it wrong.

Now she's older, you should see how he dresses her 😂 I think it's evened out a bit now 😂

Husband doing everything perfectly *

When my DD was 8 weeks old we were moving her around in the car seat as we decorated. wasn't strapping her in as we were there are having to put her in and out so often. Picked up the car seat, unfortunately that time I hadn't clicked the handle up, car seat tipped forward and she fell straight on her face. Luckily she was fine. She is 19 now and if she does anything daft I say it's because I dropped her on her head as a baby.

I really wouldn't worry. Babies will scream murder if they're hurt in anyway so you'll know if anything is wrong. Try to relax and go easy on yourself!

I remember being so relieved when my DS finally had full head control and was out of the floppy head phase. Don’t worry OP, your baby will be absolutely fine!

Thank you everyone again your messages have really really helped!

After saying husband never got it wrong last night he had DS on his legs in bed to keep him upright after a feed, DS moved head quickly to the side and fell off - face planted himself onto the bed luckily we have a big squishy duvet!

Found this thread reassuring. Have a 1 month old and when burping after feeds she's little unsettled so few times she's lifted her head and it's flopped back and forward. So anxious now and worried in case she's hurt.