Near misses, please tell me yours and steady my nerves...

[seriouscase]

I had a near miss today with DS2. He is fine, I am a wreck. Please tell me I am not alone. I feel crap. So scary how things can go wrong in a few seconds.

hotcheeseburns - i have also had a carving knife presented to me by an 18 month old who discovered how to get into the dishwasher - he proudly plodded into the front room to present it to me blade pointing - i dread to think if i was out the room or if he ran into dd - knives are very thoughtfully placed now.

Ds2 has fallen off the bed when he was a few weeks old - luckily I had prepared the ground with a pile of cushions and pillows etc. as I was half asleep most of the time at that point and knew it might well happen.
I am not sure why the bed guard wasn't on actually - we had one soon after if not at the time.

DS1 has had a few awful ones.

One time he was about 2 and was trotting about while I did some routine motorbike maintenance. It was on its stand on the drive, I went into the lean to to get a spanner and was gone about 2 seconds - when I came out. he had climbed up onto the seat - he was fine, but had he rocked it just a few inches, the spring stand would have come up and it would have fallen and crushed him to pieces.

That was witnessed by our neighbour and I have never, ever forgiven myself because the possible outcome just doesn't bear thinking about. Awful, awful stuff. I can't think about it to this day.
I sold the bike soon after that.

When DD was 2.8 and DS was newborn, I was trying to get them both in the car on a fairly busy road. I didn't know what I was doing (I was all flustered, DS was literally about 10 days old) and was putting his babyseat in the car on the kerbside first before I saw to DD.

DD knew her car seat was on the other side of the car and, bless her, trying to be helpful, stepped off the pavement onto the road and went towards the other side of the car. A car driver actually beeped and swerved as he went past. I screamed at DD to stop louder than I have ever screamed in my life (and luckily she heard me and did stop in her tracks) cos I could have had my head inside the car by then fiddling with DS's seatbelt etc, and not noticed her step off the pavement.

Having learned a shocking and scary lesson from this experience, I posted it as a tip on Mumsnet a while back (ie. put your toddler in the car first, not your newborn who can be left safely on the pavement in the carseat) but it didn't become tip of the day and I did wonder why?

DH and I had taken DS's to McDonalds for a Saturday treat, all fine so far everyone ate and no-one acted up (a minor miracle!). We strap DS2 in the double buggy and walk out with DS1 holding hands. In a split second DS1 wriggled loose from holding hands and legged it across the main road (luckily only a one way street!) I was so panicked I ran out after DS1 leaving the buggy on the pavement with DH. A car missed both of us and what also shocked me was I DIDN'T even look to see if anything was coming before I dashed out. We could have both been hit

Oh my god, I was howling and crying in the middle of a busy high street after that close one. DS1 was totally oblivious at the near heart attack he'd caused me!!

All the 'what ifs' go round my head regularly!!!

But what did the OP do? Is she going to admit to it? Can't be worse than some of these.

Actually DS fell out of our bed when he was about 7 months old, hit the floor with a solid "doink!" and I woke to his cries. To my shame, I just plonked him back on the boob and went back to sleep. He was fine though.

Took dd for a walk in the woods strapped onto my front when she was about 6 months old. I slipped and fell forward totally on top of her in the mud.

Somehow I had a few seconds on the way down to think and twisted enough so that she didn't take my full weight, but she just got dunked in the mud. Amazingly she didn't even cry just looked a bit surprised. We then had a half hour walk back to the car with us both covered in mud and i was trembling like a leaf. Drove straight to casualty in shock - I had broken my wrist but dd totally fine.

Sold the bloody baby harness on ebay the next day.

DD ran into the road in front of a bus that we'd been waiting for. She knew that the bus stopped by us and evidently thought that it would come to a halt nicely short of where she stood.

I had been holding her hand but not really holding it as I'd had no idea she would do something so daft. She was only two

Hope you're feeling better now OP.

Took dd (4 1/2) to swimming a few weeks ago and you have to cross a v busy road at a crossing. She has no road sense whatsoever (I go over it every time with her but she can't grasp it yet), so I always have to really hold her tight or she wrenches free. I had a bag full of swim stuff in one hand, and tried to itch my nose with the other and she got loose and immediately ran in front of a mercedes which was doing 30 mph. Thankfully he stopped and I wrenched her back in time-I screeched at her so loudly in fear birds actually took off from the trees-I was devastated, and now threaten her with reins the second she even attempts to leave my side!

I was rushing out of the house with the carry car seat, late for a family party. I tripped on the step and dropped the carry seat upside down. My ankle was badly twisted and I couldn't move. Dd was about 5 months at the time. I was out of mind with pain and fear that she had landed on her face. There was no sound and I assumed she was unconscious. After wretched seconds which seemed like ages, I screamed for help and, eventually, two neighbours came from their house and helped, picking up the car seat. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to see that, because the straps were done up, dd had just hung upside down but free from harm. I couldn't understand why she had not cried, must have been shock.

More recently, I fell down the stairs with dd in my arms. I was carrying her down the stairs first thing in the morning. We were both half asleep. I slipped on a bit of paper. In a split second, I somehow managed to twist my body and plonk her down on the seat above/beside me, taking the full force of the fall on my spine because my hands were holding her and I couldn't use them to break my fall. She was ok but I bumped down the stairs, knocking the wind out of me and bruising my back. Days later, a nursery nurse asked me about it. Dd was a bit traumatised and had been telling them. She won't let me carry her down the stairs now and I don't blame her.

I must be very clumsy.

When DD2 was born I was put on Iron tablets,I was BF'ing and would take the Iron when I was, to remind myself to take it. I would put lid back on and replace it on a desk next to settee,which was too high for DD1 to reach up to.

I can only think due to lack of sleep,and putting lid back on one-handed whilst BF'ing,the lid hadn't fully clicked on........

I came into lounge from Kitchen one day to see DD1 2.3 saying to me "smarties",when I looked all the Iron tablets were over her lap and on settee,I counted and recounted them,realising there was about 4 missing!

I telephoned NHS Direct who said take her straightaway to A&E. At A&E they transferred her by Ambulance(incase she "arrested")They monitored her overnight,and X Rayed her.They felt she wouldn't have taken any as they would have been bitter if she'd had crunched them.

Unfortunately she asked for the potty,and did a "black poo".The Doctor said that iron could cause organ Failure and Cardiac Arrest.

In the morning they let us out,saying to watch her closely as the effects might be delayed and could show in the next 2 weeks!!!!

DD1 is now 4.3 and everything is locked away now.I will never forgive myself for "what if..." and for what she had to endure whilst in hospital.

But to say I have learnt from it is an understatement.
Iron Tablets are very very dangerous to children

DD1 (now 18) pulled a chest of drawers down on herself when she was cruising. Thankfully the drawers opened and stopped it from crushing her. Bugger me if she didn't do it again when she was about five - this time it was a wardrobe and she ended up in the cupboard bit of it .

She also managed to get hold of my contraceptive pills and i found them in her bed, she must have been about five - phoned 999, i think they got in touch with a tox lab for me, i was told she would be OK but might have a "period" again.

I am genuinely perplexed as to why tablets look like sweets, or sweets look like tablets - my friend bought DD one of those PEZ sweetie dispensers, DD called the sweets her tablets, she is only three - i "lost" them fairly quickly after friend left.

DD2, grabbed a cup from the dishwasher that had all that crappy water in it when the thing has finished running and a cup turns up. Phoned NHS direct, DD was screaming by the time i had spoken to woman on the phone - DP came home to the scene of me on the phone to NHS direct being told what to look out for in case of poisoning - he was less than impressed i can tell you.

When DS1 was about one, a friend gave me a gorgeous silky dressing gown. For some reason, I was wearing it (over pyjamas) when I put him to bed one night.

Hours later, went to check on him before we went to bed. Somehow, the silky cord had got attached to him when I put him down. As he'd wriggled about, it had gone round and round him as he slept, and was loosely around his neck.

He's seven now and I still make myself go cold thinking about it.

When my ds2 was 18 months, my dh asnwered the front door and dashed off to help a neighbour without shutting it properly.

Meanwhile, I had been chatting on the phone, oblivious. I wandered out to the hall, still on phone, to find ds2 outside, about 1ft from the main road!!

I sobbed hysterically all evening, thinking of what could have happened and still haven't recovered fully!

I'd be interested to know how you described the condition of the harness on ebay Flocci . These stories are making me feel a bit queasy too. I was walking upstairs with 6mo DS in my arms and tripped due to dodgy slippers. As I fell my instinct was to let my DS go ! The result was he basically sat down softly on the step whilst I smacked into the stairs, so I realised it was the right thing to have done otherwise he would have slammed into the stairs with me...

The slippers made their acquaintance with the bin soon after

When ds was 10mths old I turned my car over and ended up in a field,outof site of the road. Ds was unhurt bar superficial grazing to his forehead and I'd broken my wrist.
A few weeks before we'd been into Mothercare to ask about the next car seat up and the woman had advised us to stick with the rear-facing baby carrier type as these were the safest. during the crash the passenger door behind me had opened and completely buckled
whereas the front part of the car where ds and i were was fine.
For weeks after I was tortured by What ifs?
ie What if he'd been in the back seat? What if I'd been unconscious and couldn't summon help? etc.etc.It's horrible but it does get easier.

We had taken the 3 children to the pool. DH was teaching DC1(5) to swim and I was mucking around with with DC3(1) who was in a float ring. DC2(21/2) was splashing with his armbands between the both of us. We suddenly realised that DC2 had had an accident in the pool. I quickly whipped him out and into the changing room. DH was showing the lifeguards where the mess was so they could get it out.

Suddenly DC1 came running into the changing room and told me to get out there asap as there had been an accident. While everyone was contcentrating on cleaning up, DC3 had somehow managed to turn himself upside down in his ring and was under water. Nobody had noticed not even the lifeguards. He wasn't breathing at first but soon came round.So we rushed him to A&E to get him examined. By the time we got there he was perky as ever and even tryed to climb up the framework of the bed while we were talking to the nurse and fell off. Her comment was 'I think we may be seeing quite a bit of this little chap!'

My two have had a few...DD1 choked on a dried apricot last year (was 3) - it did come out eventually but I was at the point where I had scooped her up and was heading to the neighbours. V scary and after I had to phone a friend as went into shock - DP was away of course!

Poor DD2 got locked in the conservatory when she was about 2 weeks old on a boiling hot day. My friend and I were in the garden and the door shut itself...friend had to climb the fence, rouse a neighbour and borrow a mobile to phone DP who brought keys. DD2 thankfully came to no harm.

More recently this summer (aged 2) DD2 decided to set off down the road on her trike whilst I was getting the helmets from the garage! She got a good way at quite a rate of knots (steep hill but cul de sac) before tipping into the gutter. She went through a lavender bush so smelt divine.

It amazes me that any mothers make it through childhood! We seem to spend so much of our time with our hearts in our mouths.

Was with DD (just turned 4) in dept store at weekend, and let go of her hand as I jumped on the escalator. She had been so excited when she saw we were going on it I though she would just jump on behind me but she didn't, and was left, arms outstretched at the bottom screaming 'mummy'.

It was a stand alone escalator, so I would have had to leave her there, run through the dept I was in to the stairs, downstairs and through another dept to get back to her, while she was alone. Someone could have grabbed her and been half way down the high street by the time I'd got there.

Fortunately a middle-aged lady grabbed her hand and bought her up to me when she saw what was going on, but I got a VERY disapproving look.

Have not dared to tell DH or my mum.

dd is frightened of escalators and goes a bit loopy which is dangerous. I have tried to reassure her but I tend to avoid them when I can.

DH had a heart in mouth moment at work a couple of days ago:

DH works as a cycle copper and on a typical policing day, most danger occurs after he has mounted his trusty steed and pedalled out to whip the masses into shape. On this particular day he had been with a colleague to the local multi-storey carpark to pick up two brand new bikes that were being stored there. As a safety measure they had a D-lock on them but in true sod's law tradition, no key could be found. Raiding their store of bike tools and related paraphernalia they decided upon bolt croppers to free their shiny new bikes. Half an hour later, the bolt croppers are bent and dulled. The D-Lock doesn't have a mark on it.

Now, here is a sentence that is a turning point in most good stories. The bolt croppers having failed, they went to see the fire brigade...

Now, the fire station in our local city is across the road from both the police station and also this particular multi-storey carpark. It's a small city. DH explained the predicament, emphasised that it was a simple operation and wondered if they had any equipment that would help. MrFireman and MrFireman2, bored on a slow day in a rural area, assured dh that they would bring a fire engine over. DH did wonder if this was a bit unnecessary but Firemans 1 and 2 were adamant and jumped excitedly into their cabs ready to begin the 30 second journey.

Now, the arrival of fire engine in the multi-storey carpark is a Big Event in a little city. As you can imagine, intrigued pensioners and excitable pre-schoolers wandered over to see what the emergency was. Dh says that the gasps of 'ooh look mummy a fire truck and firemen' were audible. They were less interested in dh he noted sadly. I did want to explain that Firemens 1 and 2, while sadly lacking in common sense- I'll get to this- were burly strapping young things in traditional uniform. DH and aforementioned colleague were in the new police cycling kit which is lycra-based in theme and comes complete with bicycle clips and protective helmets. They looked less emergency service and more Village People Re-enactment Society. Anyway, I digress.

Fireman 1 whips out a shiny instrument that he prematurely promises can 'cut through steel like butter'. Ten minutes and £2,000 worth of damage to said instrument later, the D-Lock is steadfast in its resolve. Fireman1 is momentarily shocked but has by this point, risen to the occasion. The D-Lock is becoming his nemesis. He whips out a piece of complicated hydraulic equipment and approaches the D-Lock. Minutes later it becomes apparent to DH that an awful lot of hydraulic pressure is being applied to the locks and he moves away to tell a woman and her little boy to back away in case the pressure is released suddenly. As he starts to walk towards her there is an ear-shattering bang and accompanying hiss. The D-Lock, prised from its position, hurtles through the air, past DH's ear and inches from the child's head. It embedded itself several inches into the bonnet of a van. A startled van driver who had just started his engine didn't know whether to be more shocked by the metal embedded in his van or the fact that he happens to be on his mobile and two coppers are staring straight at him.

I jest somewhat, but DH was very shaken. Not worried so much about himself, but seeing the damage the hurtling lock could do and knowing that a couple of inches to the left and that small boy would not be able to run home and tell the tale to all his friends.

When I was about 4 my parents and some friends took all their kids to a pub garden for Sunday lunchtime drinks. There were two cars and about 8 kids (pre car seats so no one was counting how many kids were in each car). I went to the loo without telling anyone and got locked in. By the time I got out they'd all gone so I walked home. It was a couple of miles along busy roads. When I got back they hadn't even noticed I wasn't with them (I was a very quiet child) because all the others had run off to play. They only worked it out when I told them that I'd only been scared of the dragons (what I used to call diggers). My mum still goes cold when she thinks about it - it was nearly 40 years ago!

When I was about 4 my parents and some friends took all their kids to a pub garden for Sunday lunchtime drinks. There were two cars and about 8 kids (pre car seats so no one was counting how many kids were in each car). I went to the loo without telling anyone and got locked in. By the time I got out they'd all gone so I walked home. It was a couple of miles along busy roads. When I got back they hadn't even noticed I wasn't with them (I was a very quiet child) because all the others had run off to play. They only worked it out when I told them that I'd only been scared of the dragons (what I used to call diggers). My mum still goes cold when she thinks about it - it was nearly 40 years ago!