My 11 week old fell off my bed. Feeling miserable and not sure what happened?

[Ferncheek]

I’m not even a FTM… this never happened to me before. I feel awful. I’ve even kicked my DH out of our bed for safe sleeping and this still happened?? Basically my 11 week old doesn’t sleep too well from about 3am, so usually I leave him lying next to me on my king sized bed and he sleeps better. I adhere to all safety guidelines, or so I thought. So it’s just me and him on the bed, no blankets near him, no pillows, and I also keep a distance between us in case I roll over. At 5:30am this morning I heard a thud and I woke to my baby face down on the carpet screaming. He was fine but I am still under shock and can’t stop crying because I don’t know how it happened. Lately I have occasionally found him lying horizontally in his crib. Could it possibly be that he turned anti clockwise and then pushed himself off? I did have the fan on overnight so it is possible I didn’t hear him shuffling because of our loud fan 😔

He is absolutely fine… laughing and smiling, feeding and sleeping, but I am so shook I might have to put an end to our early morning cuddles 😣

You should be in cuddle curl position, not sleeping ‘a safe distance’. At that age, they were likely shuffling around to get to you.

These things happen OP, please stop beating yourself up about it. If you’re anyway worried it could be no harm get them checked out just because they are so small x also recommend mattress on floor or bed securely fitted with an appropriate bed rail just for peace of mind. X

Why would an 11 week old not be smiling/laughing?

OP didn’t mention rolling?

What a weird response?!

my friends baby was rolling over at 3 months (and walking by 7!) so it’s not unheard of.

I agree with PP, I always slept in a curled C position around my baby. He still managed to roll out of bed though he was about 10 months at the time. I now have a toddler bed guard on the bed, though I think these aren’t recommended for some reason.

@Lazydaze123 thank you! Yes we do have a gp appointment today actually. Mere coincidence but I will bring it up.

Yeah he is NOT rolling. He shuffles himself and pushes himself with his legs occasionally and then ends up turning clockwise or anticlockwise😅

@casualcrispenjoyer yes… I should do this
going forward.

My very elderly midwife, in the 80s, told us 2 tales re babies

1. Mum woke up to find that baby had rolled off and under the bed- she could even find him at first!

2. whilst midwife was checking Mum over, they turned round and the toddler was rolling the baby down the hallway!

Point being- they were both fine- babies are pretty hardy. Try not to worry.

Sounds like you shouldn't be co-sleeping to me. I wouldn't risk it happening a second time. He's only 11 weeks, how long did you persevere with him in the next 2 me for?

Also, he is not laughing like ‘haha’-laughing. He laughs by smiling with a sound and shows excitement in his movements coordinated with his smile, iyswim. ;)

I put a bed guard up on the opposite side of the bed that I sleep on when we started co sleeping more regularly just for peace of mind. But yes sounds like they may have been pushing around on their back, usually going round and round. Am sure baby is absolutely fine so be kind to yourself. Being sleep deprived is not easy!

I knew exactly what you meant, those coos and cute little noises x

@ThejoyofNC he is in the next2me for most of the night. I only bring him over between 3-4am, sometimes 5am. I am so scared now I think I’ll persevere to have him in there all
morning. I am just so tired with a toddler too. A bit desperate for sleep.

My ds rolled off the bed when he was a baby...and got wedged between the bed and the bedside table...I was actually awake and with him, he just moved so fast! He's 17 now and appears unscathed....it's a horrible shock when it happens though.

Totally understandable but now you'll be so scared of him falling again that you probably won't sleep anyway. Keep him in the crib and hopefully things improve soon. Are you and DH taking turns?

Op said it’s more cooing and smiling.

Agree that you SHOULD be near him in a cuddle curl when cosleeping, not keeping a distance between you. You'll likely feel him moving a lot more then too but he's most likely to gravitate towards you than off the bed.

Don't feel you have to stop cosleeping, but put mitigations in place to be safer. Cuddle curl is the biggest one because you feel them moving. But I'd also consider a bed guard on the far side of the bed, just in case and not sleeping with the fan.

Yes, sorry just saw OPs response!

@ThejoyofNC yeah DH has him first part of the night till about 11pm. Then transfers him to the cot before he goes to sleep in another bed. I will try persevering tonight. If it fails, I will make sure we are close together in cuddle curl.

I HAD to have the fan on last night. It was too warm. We are in the UK though, so I am sure that was a one-off!

I suppose I am just surprised he managed to shuffle himself off the bed at this age.

Hi all,
It might be an idea to stick to the topic and support the mum who is feeling a bit miserable rather than be derailed by baby development chat? Alternatively, if baby development is what you want to discuss, consider starting another thread. Thanks.

@HopeMumsnet that’s very kind of you. Thanks!

@HopeMumsnet too right and good to see MN chipping in to shut down these stupid comments.

OP don’t feel bad, it happens and baby is ok but just to reassure you it’s absolutely fine for baby to be close to you when cosleeping, you won’t roll on them, you will wake up if you go to roll, it’s mothers instinct.