HELP! Baby fell off changing unit and landed on head on the floor - is there a bump developing or my imagination?

[Victoria72]

This afternoon my 7mth old son fell off his changing unit onto the floor and landed on his forehead. He cried but not as though in any severe pain. I called the surgery and they said as everything else was normal (his nap times were fine and eating has been fine, except he has a cold so he is a little off his food), just make sure he isn't drowsy. I've just gone in to check on him and I am sure I can feel a raised bump on his frontal lobe. I am sure there was nothing there this afternoon. It might be just my imagination because of the horrendous guilt and worry about him being okay . DH has just taken him to A&E to have him checked out. I hope I am just a neurotic mother but is there a chance something could be 'forming' or 'growing' or developing due to a bump/blow to the head? I am now so worried about a clot or something I don't know what to think or do. Has anyone had any experience? I am SO worried.

[Mummamols]

Hi ladies . No disrespect here , but I am a first Aid trainer , I work for St John Ambulance and have worked on ambulances for years. Please be aware a bump on the head is not “a good sign” that’s unfortunately an old wives tale. A large swelling on the head is telling you they have had a significant bump and certainly should not be considered positive. As anywhere else on the body if you have a large swelling or a bump, it’s because damage has been done. You could likely be dealing with concussion . Monitor closely and seek advice if they show any signs : ie , sickness , sleepiness , floppy or life less , unable to calm them , or having difficulty waking them. Xx

[Boobalina]

Poor you - to echo everyone else; it does happen. I think this is it now until we are old ladies - constantly worrying about our kids and all their accidents, scrapes, misadventures etc.

I've been in A&E before with DS when he was 1.5 and he fell down the stairs. He was totally fine but I wasnt!

The 4 hour wait thing is a positive really, they'd get him in quick smart if it was very very bad.

Have a very very easy day tomorrow - you'll all be tired from today

[purpleflower]

Don't worry, DS fell off of our bed not once but twice at about 5 months old.

He was fine although he does have a thing about headbutting anything and everything at the moment, resulting in a nice permanent purple bruise!!!

[marriedtoatwunt]

my nephew also fell downstairs at a baby and my dss spent a night at hospital(it still makes her feel sick) he is eight now!

[Morloth]

Hah wait until you are in an emergency room in Rome at 10pm with a kid gushing blood from his forehead. THEN you know you are a bad mother.

Seriously bumps are good!

[barbamama]

heart wrenching - we've all been there. with ds2 i was determined not to let him get hurt by falling off things having learnt that lesson with his older brother. At 12 weeks I was carrying him gently and carefully down the stairs when next doors effing cat ran up the stairs, under my feet, went arse over tit, threw myself against the side of the wall to try and minimise fall and ended up whacking his head on the edge of the radiator at the bottom of my stairs (and knackering my back, incidentally). Accidents happen, he is fine. It's just a horrible part of being a parent, sigh. I still break out in cold sweats thinking about some of the bumps my ds1 has had.

[chankins]

Well you can't beat how fucking stupid I was yesterday,letting my 10 mo old ds fall all the way down the bloody stairs !
I stupidly put him on the toilet floor while helping a mindee onto the toilet, he crawled towards stairs but seemed like he was going up the two steps towards the dds bedroom, I was right behind him, but sat back on my knees as I thought he had crawled past the staris, he then sat back on his bum instead of goiing up the two steps, and the motion just send him down, it was horrific, I screamed and screamed and just thought he must be dead he must be
He stopped crying as soon as i pickedhim up and five mins later was crawliing around, perfectly vocal, eating, etc....didn't know whether to take him to doctor or not but decieded to watch and wait and all was fine, but I still feel so so stupid and guilty and keep waking him every time he sleeps ! Fel guilty for not taking him to doctor too but rang 3 different friendss/colleages who said he sounded fine. EEEk ! Stupid bloody woman I am!

[MonkeybirdisboredWITHbuns]

Has Victoria checked back in yet? Do we know everyone's OK?

[Habbibu]

Oh, Eyeballs, you poor thing - but I do love your description...

Victoria - dd (17 mo) was playing out in the hall the other day - heard a thud and crying. Picked her up, cuddled her, she cheered up. We went to town, had lunch, did shopping. Came home and I stroked her hair out of her eyes to discover a humungous black/purple lump on her forehead. Poor little lamb must have smacked her head on the wall/skirting board and oblivious mummy didn't notice...

[SquonkForgotHerEasterName]

eyeballs! cringe-tastic!

[cadelaide]

Eyeballs, that's impressively cringeworthy!

[EyeballsintheSky]

My first day as a nanny, I picked up their 20 month old dd and, being so desperate to impress and be liked, I swung her up onto my shoulders...and walked through the kitchen door. You know those pictures on the news when a bus has had the top sliced off by a bridge...?

She had a massive bump and bruise but was fine, I was inconsolable and offered to resign there and then. Her mother laughed about it, or rather, she laughed at my horrified reaction and told me it was just the latest in a long line of bumps and scrapes that kids get into. Their next dd is my god daughter so we all survived it!

[bellavita]

I remember DS2 in his car seat on the floor (we were just about to go out). The phone rang but I knocked it trying to pick it up and it fell off the microwave and on to DS2's head. God did I feel awful - but he was ok, hardly any tears (only mine).

[Bouncingturtle]

I've never dropped my baby... but then he is only 12 weeks old so give me time
I've been headbutted by him several time, really hurt my chin but he never even noticed! So I guess their little foreheads are quite tough!
I have bumped him a couple of times, once on the wall going up the stairs, and another time on the side of the changer unit. Cue a few tears from him and panic from me, then all forgotton about by him and not a scratch on him.
Hope your ds is OK, Victoria.

When I change him on the floor, I have this arch thing with toys on, I find that usually distracts him while I'm changing his nappy quite nicely.

[sweetkitty]

hi you are not a bad parent, my DD1 fell off the bed once and that was horrible, it teaches you that the floor is the best place for a baby.

[SquonkForgotHerEasterName]

What did the doc say, Vic72?

[Victoria72]

LoveyMyGirls, just as I was coming downstairs this evening I thought to myself, that's it, from now on he's on the floor. He prefers it down there anyway and if his nappy's off and he pees everywhere, it only has so far to go and I don't spend the next 10 minutes wiping pee off all his furniture, toys etc. Squonk - 4 hands would be great. Onwards and upwards. A lesson has been learnt.

[SquonkForgotHerEasterName]

there is nothing that you could invent that would be better than another pair of hands. If we all had four hands, we could cope with just about anything


probably.

[LoveMyGirls]

V sorry but lol at you thinking of things to invent to stop this happening again which is a totally normal reaction btw, I'm wondering if you could use a changing mat on the floor instead of a clamping machine?

[moodlumthehoodlum]

He was absolutely fine and dandy. He enjoyed the attention and beamed at all he came across. The whole experience was gut wrenching though.

[Victoria72]

I'm going to invent the Baby Vice which will be a machine that allows you to 'clamp' your baby into position, very gently, with no fear of them falling out/over/onto etc. That might do the trick. Sigh. Bleary eyed and feeling stupid.

[Tickle]

at that bedside manner hoodlum!

Yup, sitting firmly on chair here....

Have a nice cuppa Victoria, hope your DH & ds are having fun in A&E. At least it's not Fri night!

[SquonkForgotHerEasterName]

that's awful! poor you.

He was fine though?

[moodlumthehoodlum]

When I took ds in for the same reason, the consultant said "so you dropped your son?" Er no.. He fell off.. "Right, well its all the same, he hit his head and its your fault".

Yes, thanks. I know, that's why I'm weeping, but thanks for your sparklingly sensitive bedside manner (as ds beamed at him).