My son fell out of his cot

[SanFran92]

I feel like the worst mum in the world and can’t get over the guilt and anxiety! Please be kind I already feel awful.

I had moved the next to me cot away from the bed temporarily and the side was down. I wanted to quickly put something on the bed so put baby in the cot. I looked at it and thought ahh the sides down I shouldn’t put him in (or similar) but thought I’ll be quick and put my leg there. I had my back turned for no time and then I heard the fall. I obviously didn’t have my leg where I thought it was not that it would have been a suitable barrier.

Baby is completely fine, my mum is a nurse and checked him over too. I just feel horrific as I saw the risk and didn’t pay attention to it, I know my baby rolls a lot also so I should have known better. It was one of the worst days of my life I don’t know how I can forgive myself.

I’m normally so careful (probably over the top) and that makes it even worse. I love my baby so so much! Rest assured it will never happen again!

Please let me know others have had similar things….

Don't beat yourself up, sounds like your baby is fine. Sometimes it's the shock for them more then the pain. Something similar happened to us when my baby was around 6 months old and as parents you feel guilty for ages and they have forgotten it. It does make you think twice in future. If you're confident they aren't injured then don't be too hard on yourself.

My baby crawled around 6 months and he pulled an electric clock that was on a shelf into his cheek. I thought it was his eye and took him to doctor who said he was fine, and a lot worse was to come when he was older. Dr was certainly right. Don't feel bad, just careful.

@SanFran92 Although this was a shock for both you and your baby, no real harm was done. Many, many babies will have fallen out of cots, rolled off sofas, fallen down stairs etc. parents will have felt guilty but 9 times out of 10 it won’t happen again.
I’ll tell you my story where it did happen again! My first baby 50 years ago, was in a wooden high chair and I didn’t know you ought to use reins in a high chair and the chair didn’t have any straps. My son had been in it many times but this particular day, he was in it and I heard bang, bang, bang as he slipped out banging his head and body on the tray, the legs and then the floor. I picked him up and cuddled him, made sure he was alright and popped him back in the high chair. Sure enough bang, bang, bang …
In my defence I was very young!

My two year old once stood up in her stroller, as we were nearly home. So sweet! Then she tumbled forward out of it and landed on her head.

I was so stressed, when I got her to A&E I couldn't remember her date of birth. All was fine, stayed in long enough to ensure she wasn't concussed.

These things happen, OP. Don't beat yourself up over it.

I once also tipped her into a laundry basked

Yes, happened to us. My husband was moving our Moses basket and the handle fell off, baby fell out and rolled across the floor. Luckily it was on carpet. She was fine. DD loved that Moses basket so she slept in it for months without further issue.

there’ll be worse things happen as he gets older. When DD was 3 she dived headfirst off the sofa onto the tiled floor. The noise was horrific. She was totally fine.

Thank you everyone who has responded so far, so kind of you and it’s helping.

The bit that really gets me is I knew the side should be up and then didn't take the time to check my leg was blocking it. In hindsight it never would have! If anyone has similar experiences that would help me a lot!

Sorry to hear you’ve experienced similar and glad your babies are okay.

Mine is absolutely thank god!

Don’t worry happens to us all

ds climbed out of his cot and fell on the floor
he fell out of the bed onto a marble floor once (in a hotel - we don’t have a marble floor at home!)
and he once fell down the stairs

I sound terrible don’t I.
He’s now 12 and fine

When my baby was six weeks old I dropped her onto my tiled kitchen floor.
She landed by the back door in a really awkward position, her head was turned sideways and she was squished against the door.
Honestly thought she was dead.
She is now 21 and doing a degree at university…thankfully I never dropped her again!
(Every time I pass the bloody door I think about it though!)
Glad your baby is ok, don’t beat yourself up, accidents happen xx

dont worry it happens to us all!
My eldest rolled off the bed around 6 months, two nights in a row. First night I turned my back for a second to get something from a drawer, the next night DH did the same thing. She's now 6 and perfect.

If it makes you feel better my aunt who is a health visitor left my cousin unattended as a baby and he fell downstairs! (He was fine)
My eldest DD fell off a large climbing frame as a toddler, I remember thinking she’s probably too little for that and the next thing she’d fallen off, awful had flashbacks for days (she was completely fine, the floor was padded).
It can happen to anyone, you’ll never do it again!

I had my baby on my hip and fell down the stairs, broke his toe! I felt terrible but accidents happen, it’s horrible I know but your baby is fine.

Upon hearing that DD had fallen off the bed at 9months old, my great-granny phoned to console me and assured me it was fine, because "they're not a toddler until you've dropped 'em thrice" 😂

She said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. Makes me wonder how my gran & her brothers made it to adulthood!

Most of us have been there, done that.

don’t worry about it.

This happened to me when baby was 6w okd! A+E doc said it happens all the time and advised never to carry baby in the basket, which I dutifully obeyed. She was totally fine, and lived to fall off the bed (twice-very low bed so totally unhurt) and down the stairs (again, totally fine).

I remember reading a Reddit post from a mum whose baby had fallen down the stairs for the fourth time (she had older children who kept forgetting to close the stair gate).

I didn't realise that newborns can sometimes curl up reflexively and so had my 3 week old firstborn on the sofa and went to grab something - they curled and rolled off the sofa and i did a dramatic dive and caught them milliseconds before they hit the floor. Don't worry - these things happen!

My 11m old fell off my parents sofa onto hard wood flooring. They were minding her while I went to the dentist, rushed back she had a big bruise on her forehead and I took her to A&E, she was happy playing laughing and I was sat speaking to the paediatrician with tears rolling down my face I felt AWFUL!!!! Paediatrician examined her said she’s fine and consoled me! It’s so awful when the injure themselves but please be kind to yourself xx

I slammed the car boot down onto DS2 forehead, and DS1 fingers another time I think. And left the hoover plugged in so DS1 switched it on and it took the skin off his brothers fingers. DS1 fell headfirst out of a trolley in B&Q, oh and on and on….

Falling off a bed is practically a rite of passage for babies…

Completely normal. Both of mine fell off the bed around 8 months ish. It was a shock and they cried, but fine. Also Dh fell down an entire flight of stairs carrying eldest when she was about 24 hours old. And I sat on her in the dark on the bed a few days later! 🙈 They all have lived to tell the tale. It happens to everyone.

I put my baby on the bed to change her and she rolled off the end into the wall. She’s 15 now and absolutely fine. I understand how you feel but I’m sure you have learned from this like I did.

Of course it’s not ideal baby has fallen but they are fine. It was an accident and you won’t let it happen again. Don’t beat yourself up!

if it helps you to feel better my youngest fractured his arm at a trampoline park aged 2 at a toddler bounce session, my mum tipped my sister out the buggy (buggy wheel got stuck and it tipped) and my gran slipped on the hall floor sliding into my mum who was sitting on the door step and literally kicked her out the house!

I was trying to put white noise on for my newborn in the dark and accidentally dropped my phone on his head! Same DC went head first out the bath around 8 months and landed on head/neck, was covered in soap so just slipped straight through my hands and I genuinely thought he'd be seriously injured or dead. I screamed louder than he did.
Absolutely fine and back splashing within minutes.
Eldest DC age 2 walked upstairs carrying a blanket, slipped and the blanket wrapped around her on the way down so no way to save herself. Had a nose bleed which terrified me, but was totally fine.

We have all from time to time, mentally assessed a situation and misjudged a risk. Nobody is perfect, no parent gets it right all the time and you did all the correct things afterwards getting baby checked over.

Mine fell out of his high chair onto hard wooden floor. Honestly these things can happen so fast, and it happens to the best of us. Don't stress it.

They're not made of glass and it won't be the last time he falls. I once tried to put my baby down next to me after a feed in the dark, not realising I was on the edge of the bed and dropped her into thin air. Another time, my stepdaughter left the gate open and I was literally stood next to it, about to close it, when DD, who had been playing happily in her room suddenly leapt out of her door and barrel rolled down the stairs. It's scary when it happens but normally they are completely fine. The human race would never have survived if babies weren't tough since as soon as they learn to walk they become experts at seeking out danger.

I had similar as well when my boy was around 6 months old, he rolled for the first time while I’d nipped out the room for 10 seconds to grab something and rolled right off the bed, I was absolutely distraught and the guilt still niggles at me now for making him cry. He is however a very thriving two year old now so no damage done, and I sure as hell never let it happen again with him nor my little girl!