Baby fell back from sitting onto hard floor

[Jamontoast1]

My 7 month old was sat on her soft mat and just fell backwards from sitting onto the 2 inch space between the mat and a rug where there is hard floor! Lesson learned to put pillows in that gap in future but please tell me this has happened to others and they’re ok?

She seems fine now, cried immediately and I was only a few metres away making her breakfast.

I called 111 because she was sleepy when I was giving her a bottle (but then maybe she’d have been sleepy anyway… hard to know if I’m overthinking) and they’re getting a clinician to call me back so just looking for a hand hold whilst I wait.

Feel so guilty.

Don't feel guilty! You can't cushion your entire house/skirting boards/the cot/all the other things babies like to headbutt. I tend to stick DS in his highchair while I'm cooking, could you do that next time?

Hope you hear off someone soon and all is well.

Honestly in my experience it's a very east mistake to happen. Try stop the mum guilt.
All my boys have been head bumpers are after many trips to a&e to check it out I'm always told an immediate cry is a good thing, so is a bump as long as it stays hard and not squishy and also expect loss of appetite. It's only an issue if consciousness was lost or they were sick.
It's so hard to not over think especially when they're littles. But I've had many wasted trips so thought I'd share what I'm always told. Hope it helps.

I imagine most babies have done this whilst becoming stable sitting up.

Once they are toddling, they spend quite a lot of time falling and hitting their heads.

The clinician will go through how they are now and what you should look out for - which will be useful when it inevitably happens again.

NHS Uk website has useful information.

It feels awful when it happens but it happens to everyone. I swear DS2 has a supernatural ability to pivot to fall on the only uncushioned area available! If you have one of those c-shaped pillows that are often recommended for breastfeeding then I found it the best thing to put behind him to just give a little bit of support.

In a couple of months they’ll be cruising around the furniture and falling backwards from standing. I’m sure they’ll be fine.

I’ve got three boys and I can’t begin to tell you the cock ups I’ve made! Please don’t beat yourself up

It's horrible when it happens but don't feel bad.
It really does happen to almost all babies.
One of mine felt like she permanently had bruises or bumps on her forehead for about 6 months!

Mine did this too. He was sitting up absolutely fine then suddenly decided to fling himself back as hard as he could and banged his head on the hard floor

He was very upset, but fine, but I did put a lot of rubber floor mats down after that

Pretty sure every baby in the world has done this at some point!

You will be shocked and appalled at the head bangs that toddlers inflict on themselves - even when you've taken every precaution you can think of! It's awful but also part of learning!

Don't feel bad, and she will be fine I'm sure.

Yeah as others have said this is something pretty much every baby will do. She’ll be fine(unless of course you see any worrying symptoms).

All my three kids and all five grandchildren had this happen. Several of them on a few occasions. They are all fine! Don’t worry.

This will literally happen to every baby, in every country throughout the world. They are not all permanently damaged. Heads are fairly solid!

Whoops. You'll be fine

My DD did this when she was a toddler. We had a wooden floor covered in foam mats and she managed to fall over and hit her head on the only bit of floor not covered. We did see our GP, but she was fine. I did apologise to the doctor for taking her in, but they said they'd rather see her and for everything to be fine than for me not to take her.

Mine all did this too. I was seriously considering fitting my baby with a helmet at one point (PFB!). They were always fine though (luckily, a baby falling back from sitting isn't actually falling very far so they don't hit their head as hard as an adult would if they fell back from standing, for example).

This has made me feel much less sh*t!

Laughed at the baby helmet - definitely my PFB too as I don’t think it’s such a bad idea 😂

The 111 Dr said sounds fine but as she’s under 1 it’s best to take her in to be physically assessed.

Thanks all!

Dont stress. All of mine have done this! As soon as they are walking they will find many more things to bump their heads on. You can't pad the whole world! Just wait till they are running around playgrounds... my favourite one is the smacking into the door frame manoeuvre. The 3 parallel line bruise on the forehead is iconic 😂

I wouldn't worry OP, although horrid the first time - they spend all their time tripping and falling and hitting their heads over the next few months!

Mine did this several times especially when she was learning to walk she got extra clumsy. You can pad the whole room like a psych ward and they will still find the slightest crack or corner and crack their head open on it somehow at this age!

There was also a time she fell off the bed too when she learned to crawl. I put her down to grab the laundry basket and that was the exact moment she decided it was her time to shine! No time to react and save her. I didn't forgive myself for a month. I still flinch when I remember it and it's been 2 years.

Oh yes and recently she learned to jump and decided to master this new skill on the bed while I was trying to do the dishes. I popped my head around the corner and watched as she cartoonishly starfished and spun around in the air and falling head first onto the hard wood floor and the poor thing just cried and cried and cried. She got a nice goose egg on her head. It scared me enough that I took her to the doctor but she was just fine.

Yes I was THAT paranoid parent that day. Well she learned not to jump on the bed. 😅 there is more mom guilt in the future yet to come. They find all sorts of creative ways to injure themselves!

Wish our doctor was this understanding. They just preached to us about how the system was overwhelmed and I can't be bringing mine in for every bump and bruise when there are kids that are literally dying in the ER. 😐

If it makes you feel better, OP, I have worked in childcare (baby room) for 16 years, and this has happened to me numerous times. Sometimes babies just lose their balance or forget they are sitting up with no support, and back they go! Every single baby in my care who has done this have all been absolutely fine after a wee cuddle and a wee bit of fuss made over them.

This will probably happen multiple times in some form or other. You can't cushion or mat every bit of the world as they grow and explore. Would not be going to the bother of having her looked at if it was me but I guess now the doc's said to you have to lol.

I doubt there is a single baby in history that hasn’t done this at least once. Hope you and her are okay!

It won't be the last time baby does this and bumps will become even more common when she starts cruising and then walking.

I had to go full blown mama bear to stop my DH from buying a helmet and finding a way to make baby armor when we reached this stage.

every baby on the entire planet has fallen backwards. Every parent has panicked about it. It is inevitable.

the truth is that it’s going to keep happening. Your baby is going to spending the next 18 months looking for new and creative ways to injure herself as she learns to control her body. If you are an uptight parent like me and DH, I suggest heavily baby-proofing. We also swapped out our coffee table for a fabric ottoman. Actually still have that even though I have a teenager now, it’s quite nice for putting your feet up.