OMG- the baby fell off the changing table

[liz]

As I turned to throw the baby's diaper away, my LO rolled off the changing table onto the floor. I still can't believe it happened. I am still in shock. One of the drawers were opened so he kind of rolled onto it first before falling onto the floor. It happened so fast- omg so fast. I still feel shaky. As I picked him up he was crying (scared crying vs hurt crying) and I checked him head to toe and he seemed fine. I already spoke with the pediatrician and given my description, he feels the baby will be fine. The baby just started to roll over in the last few days, so I guess I just expected him to lie there like always. Everyone I talked to (the pedi, my DH, my mom) has been so supportive, but I feel so crummy. It's my job to protect him. Has this happened to anyone else?

[brittone2]

My two older kids both fell off the bed. DS was about 4 months and fell from our (rather high) bed onto pergo. It was the first time he managed to roll, and I was rushing around packing for vacation. He was fine. But I still remember the scream. I cried, and called my mom who promptly reassured me all of my siblings including me had fallen off of something at some point. I was so thankful to have a reassuring mom at that time!

We got a different bed when DD was an infant. Lower to the ground, and we were in a new house w/ carpet. She fell off the bed probably 3 times :bag but really didn't even cry. I'd say 2 of those times she didn't even wake up LOL. She was an older infant (like maybe 6 months +) during each of those.

I know how it feels :hug: Your little one won't remember, and thankfully somehow they tend to be more resilient than we'd expect. Don't beat yourself up...many a parent has BTDT.

[TwinFoxes]

Well she didn't fall off, but one time I turned around to see D dangling off the edge of the table head first. I'm still not sure how she did it, considering she was months away from rolling over. Honestly, I think everyone's being so supportive because it's pretty darned common, and in the grand scheme of things, not such a big deal. :hug:

ETA: Brittone2's post reminded me of when my nephew was small, and sitting on my bed with me. My dad told me to keep an eye on him because he could turn over now (I knew nothing about babies). About a minute later he rolled completely off the bed and started crying. :bag I was horrified. He's 17 now, and doing fine. :)

[lowrioh]

Yep....DD rolled off the changing table and onto our hardwoods on my DH around that age. She had recently started rolling and he didn't think she could make it over the edge of the changing pad...he called me at work and sounded really shaken. We called the pedi and they sent us to the ER, which was a total over reaction IMO. We went and the Dr.s there looked at us as if we were crazy to bring her in since by the time they saw her she was all smiles.
Don't beat yourself up about it..it sounds like he is going to be fine.

[nrp]

BTDT, unfortunately. DH let DD roll of the bed when she was around four months, and I'm glad I didn't give him a hard time because I let her roll off the changing table a few weeks later! No way around feeling awful, but try not to beat yourself up - it has happened to a lot of us and it sounds like your baby is fine.

[egoldber]

I think something similar happens to almost all babies. They are very resilient. :)

[JTsMom]

DS rolled off of our bed twice. I can still hear the sound almost 5 years later. :hug: The first time was bad enough. The second time I was practically in hysterics b/c I couldn't believe I'd let it happen again. I had dozed off with him in bed, and left the one side unprotected. :bag

[MaiseyDog]

DD1 rolled off the bed when DH was watching her one night. I got a panicked phone call and had to call my girls night off to go home and comfort him. He was terribly shaken up by the whole event. I let DD2 roll of the couch. I think the majority of kids fall off of something at that age.

[sste]

My son fell off the sofa, backwards, when he was 18 months old . . . he was OK but I think it would have been worse but for a very thick shag rug underneath.

This type of thing happens all the time.

FWIW, we joke in our house that my dh has Baby Anxiety Disorder (BAD) - - he in fact got his own diaper changing station (pad only) set up on the floor and would only change on the floor. And he went around the house and arranged thick rugs with special thick (wood blend from a rug store) rug pads underneath every surface DS could reasonably fall from during the baby/early toddler years. Some babies become such wrigglers that it is easier just to prevent and save yourself the stress.

ETA: We also made all babysitters and relatives, including highly trusted ones, use the floor changing station with the exception of our nanny who is literally the most cautious, zero-error, total attention caregiver we have ever seen or heard of!

[infomama]

Dd2 fell out of a shopping cart. She was buckled in and she leaned over the edge just as I reached for a plum. It may be the single worst public horror of my life. Everyone looked at me like I was the devil...I kid you not. I was freaking out but she was fine. I called the ped for my own peace of mind but like I said...she was just fine. :hug:..I know how bad you feel...it's OK.

[wendibird22]

Don't beat yourself up. Consider it practice for when he hurls himself out of his crib or rolls off his first big-boy bed.

[boogiemomz]

so sorry... :hug: don't worry, it's clear here that it is VERY common!

DD has never fallen off anything (yet), but recently my mom was taking care of her and tripped over something in the apartment while carrying her, and they both hit the floor.. HARD. my mom (a big lady) fell on top of her. she was hysterical but once she calmed down she was fine. ped told us the same thing, as long as she didn't start vomiting or crying uncontrollably that they didn't even need us to bring her in. she was absolutely fine and yours will be to. it's so hard to see them go through that though! hugs to you, mama!

[HIU8]

BTDT only DD fell off our bed 2x. I also fell off the changing table as a baby 2x. First time my mom took me to the ER b/c she was so freaked out. Time #2, she just picked me up (I was 5 months old).

[elliput]

:hug::hug::hug: Something similar happens to just about everybody. I recall one of my good friends saying "accidents happen and babies bounce". My kids definitely have had their share of falling off things as babies- the sofa, bed, my lap. :bag

[TonFirst]

Happened to me - well, more accurately, my daughter. We were at a science museum when she was 12 months old. I was changing her diaper in the bathroom and while I had one hand on her and the other hand was tossing the dirty diaper, she managed to flip of the table. I had one hand on her and snatched at her as she flipped over - she is a very busy, wiggly girl - but couldn't stop her from hitting the marble floor head-first.

...one CT scan later, we spent the night in the hospital: she had a fractured skull from the impact. I felt TERRIBLE. I don't know how I could have prevented it - I was holding on to her - but it's terrible to see your baby having a CT scan.

And then two weeks ago, we were walking up the stairs and I was one step behind her to make sure she didn't stumble. *I* tripped and fell into her, causing her to slam chin-first on the uncarpeted oak stairs. She bit a chunk out of the inside of her cheek and the bruise is still on her jawline.

Mother of the year!

[peanut520]

dd fell of her changing table backwards head first and luckily landed in trash can and that broke her fall. not even a bruise. we so shaken up we wouldnt put her down for an hour. to make it worse we were both in the room dh was changing her crib sheets and i just turn to wrap up the dirty diaper.

then she fell off our bed twice. first time while i wanted to change her one last time before we left for the airport. then again one night i decided to let her sleep with us because she had a cold and was extra fussy. well dh didnt come up to bed at his normal time and we both fell asleep. dh rolled off his side. she cried because of shock both times and were perfectly fine and the second time i picked her up and she stopped crying and went back to sleep just like that.

[essnce629]

DS1 fell off the couch on DBF watch when he was about 4 months old (on to carpet). DS2 has fallen off our bed 3 times so far (also on to carpet). We cosleep and I have to get up in the morning to make DS1's lunch and DS2 is still sleeping. All 3 times he woke up and instead of crying for me like before, just head dived off the bed (I saw it happen once and it was so scary). He also fell out of the swing once too when I had him in there swaddled and not buckled in when he wouldn't sleep. That was horrible-- I heard him cry on the monitor and went in right away and found him face down on the carpet, still swaddled so he couldn't roll over, with the empty swing swinging over his head. I cried a ton after that. So sad.

[trales]

Kids fall from things. We have had our share over here also. You are in good company.

[lchang25000]

DS had started rolling over and we were at the ped's office for his well baby checkup. I laid him down on the exam table and turned to close the door. He rolled over, fell, and landed in his carset which was just below the table. He cried soooooooooo hard and loud that I'm sure the whole office could hear him. He ended up having a big bump right above his ear and luckily we were already at the ped's office so the ped just took a look at it and said everything would be fine. The bump went away really quickly, and luckily, he had no signs of any other injuries. I know how you must feel. :hug:

[AbbysMom]

My youngest fell from a changing table. I never moved away from it but turned my head to make sure a gate was closed so my oldest wouldn't fall down stairs and she managed to get aruond my body and fall off. She landed on the floor like Spiderman. Not a bump or bruise. I was fine for a while and then had a panic attack. Don't feel too bad - glad you LO is OK!

[codex57]

DW still blames me slightly for DS' speech delays cuz he's fallen off the bed a couple times on my watch. After DD rolled and fell off on her watch recently, it hasn't come up tho. :)

[ewpmsw]

DH used to allow DD to roll off the couch and bed regularly when she was an infant. (The computer and TV were bigger priorities, I guess.) She was always okay, but it sucked to know she was hurting and scared when it could have been prevented.

Super easy to guilt trip ourselves (and partners) when these things happen, but they do happen. I'm glad your DC was okay. Let yourself off the hook, mama.

[Indianamom2]

No worries...we've all BTDT.

DD#1 fell of the couch while Dh and I were literally a foot away...videotaping her doing something. Yep, the whole thing is immortalized in High Definition....

Ds #2 has fallen off the bed twice. He's MUCH more active than his sister ever was. He routinely falls over backward while trying to stand in our living room or climbs over stuff and lands head first on the floor. I see the ER in our future....

[lmh2402]

DH let DS fall backward into the ocean when he was 4.5 months old

for some reason, he "forgot" that DS wasn't sitting on his own yet

he set him for a photo "sitting" in the surf and then walked about 8 feet away to take the picture

when he looked back there was an old lady sprinting toward DS who was on his back mostly covered by a wave

for that, i didn't talk to DH for a full hour

but rolling off the changing table, that we've had happen at least twice (once to me and once to DH) and DS has always been ok!

:grouphug:, mama. this will soon be a distant memory

[mommy111]

Honestly, I don't think I know of a single mom in real life who this has not happened to....either with her own child, or with someone she was watching. Kids are resilient. Your precious DC will do just fine, and so will you, shaky though you may feel right now

[Snow mom]

Despite all my blaming of DH for every bad parenting moment, I'm the only one who has "dropped the baby" :bag. The first time she dove head first off the couch on my watch. It happened in slow motion yet so quickly. The second time I got her in the middle of the night and DH was sick so I asked him to move from our bed. He actually said to me "won't she roll off the bed if I'm not on the other side of her" and I assured him she wouldn't. I woke up to the noise of her hitting the hard wood floor in our room and screaming. :bag I think it happens to most parents at some time in some way.

[happymom]

Omg, yes. And it was totally my fault. I put DD down on the chanhing table sitting up (she was prob about a year) and let go of her to close the window wich is right next to her changing table. I didnt realize that she wasnt fully balanced when I put her down, so when I let go, she toppled over backwards! DH was standing at the doorway to the room and he screamed out- I reached to grab her as she was falling and ended up grabbing her by the seat of her pants. She was wearing leggings, so they were stretchy and she was literally hanging in midair by the seat of erh pants!! I turned her upright and she had this look of utter confusion on her face-- like, what the heck just happened there?? LOL. Sounds kinda humorous now, but I was so shaken up at the time.

While we're confessing, I also closed a drawer on DD's finger once and caused it to bleed :( and recently I let go of her hand while walking (she is just learning to walk unassisted) and she fell and hurt her foot.

So yeah, youre not alone. These things happen to everyone. You're doing a great job. :hug:

[JoyNChrist]

:hug: We've all been there mama.

DS rolled off our bed a couple times, but it's relatively low and our bedroom is carpeted, so it wasn't a big deal. The time he rolled off the bed in our vacation home in Mexico (very high bed, tile floors) made me feel much worse - he had the goose egg from that for a week.

And just a couple months ago I was keeping a friend's 6-month-old and I let him roll off the couch onto our hardwood floors. I should know better! He was fine, but I felt terrible and probably apologized 100 times.

[BeccaB.]

I dropped DS1 while I was playing with him. I was swinging him by holding his hands and he twisted and literally flew out of my hands. He hit the floor with the most awful thud. I took him to the ped and I cried for about 3-4 hours straight, he had stopped crying about 2 min. after the incident took place. The doctor spent about 20 minutes of the office visit trying to calm me down. DS escaped with only an inch long, very thin scratch on his face. I guess it's a live and learn situation.