am i a bad mother if i left my 5 month old for 1 sec and he fell off the bed..he is fine now but..............

Question

he is fine and hes laughing and playing but i just feel so guilty...does this happen at all to ppl...or am i just a terrible terrible mother

Answer 1

Not at all! it happens to most. and atleast you talked about it, some will just hide it like nothing happened. Admitting it and feeling bad about it, Is how it should feel after something like that happens...It means you care and love your child that it hurts you that it happened.. Atleast now you know to secure around your childs surroundings. Your not a terrible mother..

Answer 2

As long as he is acting normal and responsive, he is probably ok. If you have any doubt, even for an instant, take him to the doctor or ER to get checked. You know your baby and his behavior better than anyone. This little accident doesn't make you a bad mom. I think every mother has something like this that they can remember. It happens. And nearly every woman has that feeling afterward that she is the most horrible mom in the universe. Don't beat yourself up over it. That just wastes precious moment you could spend playing with him and watching him grow (it happens much to fast!). The good news is, now you know that he can move enough to fall off the bed and you will be less likely to leave him there again... a lesson learned. Just remember next time you need to step away to lay him on a blanket on the floor or put him in a crib/play pen.

Answer 3

No you're not a bad mother. You're human. It has happened to the best of us. My daughter was about six months old when I left her laying on my water bed. I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I left the door open and she was in plain view of where I was standing. I turned my back long enough to pick up my toothbrush and wet it. I turned around and she was gone. All I heard was her laughing. In about 3 seconds she had rolled off the bed into the floor. Luckily we had carpet and she landed on a pillow. She thought it was hilarious and I was the one who cried all day because I felt like I was the scum of the earth as far as mothers were concerned. She loved the water bed so I kept putting her on it, but needless to say, it was the last time I ever left her laying on it alone until she got older. That was 8 yrs ago and today she's holy terror that's tougher than a pine knot. LOL. Nothing slows her down. She's not afraid of anything. She's still getting bumps, scrapes and bruises right and left. She's a total tomboy who just happens to be the clumsiest child who ever lived. Don't beat yourself up about it. It's not that big a deal. Just chalk it up as a lesson learned and go on with your day. You're a great mom otherwise you wouldn't be this concerned. As long as your baby is acting okay. I wouldn't spend any more time worrying about it. Hope this makes you feel a little better.

Answer 4

This happened to me once. My son wasn't very old. I still don't know how he fell off he wasn't even rolling over yet and he was in the middle of the bed. But after it happened he cried for a minute then he was fine I cried for like an hour. I felt like the worst mother in the world but i guess it happens to everyone at one time or another. maybe one day you can tell the story and laugh about it my husband still picks on me about it. And it's been three years. So no your not a bad mother stuff like that happens sometimes.

Answer 5

My mom did the same with my younger brother... in fact it's surprising how clearly I remember it, because I was only three... but my mom left my brother on the bed and went to change some bedsheets when he rolled off the bed and hit his head. That really gave her a terrible scare! But my brother ended up to grow up just fine, so it's something to remember about leaving your child unattended at the risk of potential danger, even if it's a moment! Just don't let this make you become overprotective, or your child may rebel as it grows older.. moderation is key!

Oh, I should also mention that in psychology, I heard a baby has really bendable bones. I don't remember if this applies up to five months of age, but this probably allowed your baby to take a softer hit.. if this is any reassurance to you!

Answer 6

You aren't a bad mother. You are, however, probably an exhausted mother.

And yes - I'm convinced that this or something similar happens to everyone. When you're on call 24/7 and haven't gotten a good night's sleep in months, maybe a year, it's hard to stay alert.

The good news is that the older children get, the more durable they get.

Hang in there!

Answer 7

If you did not feel guilty, that would be a signal that you are not a good mom. Things happen, and just take this as a reminder not to let it happen again. I have a 5 month old too, and I am so paranoid about anything like that. I think you are a good mom.

Answer 8

i thought this too with my third child every time i would lay him on the sofa to change his diaper and turn around to get the new diaper he would fall (or try to fall) off. I would put my leg across the front so he couldnt. I thought i must be the worst mom ever as many little bumps as he got. but then I realized something that he inherited from his father that we never knew was hereitary. Clutzyness! my son has bit his part of his lip off twice, bit thru it about three more times drove a tooth back in to the gum. gashed the side of his head his face his arms. keeps bruses and scrapes on his knees and elbos. (he even got hit in the top of the head by a freak acorn when he was about 7 months old going from the house to the car to go to the doctors! he went about 6 months with out much more than a bruise and then he desided he missed his doctor i guess and he shoved pillow stuffing up his nose! (he pulled it apart to get the stuffing)
He cant walk across a clean floor with out triping on the air.
we had him checked when he was first learning to walk and again when he was about 2 to see if there was a problem that was making him so clumsy. the doctor said he was just his fathers son (its the whole families doctor so hes patched plenty of my husband s boo boos too!)
it seems he was always destined to be injury prone. and i had nothing to do with it! its all his fathers fault.
(i watch him like a hawk! but i have two other kids and it never fails if i take my eyes off him for 2 seconds hes going to get hurt.)
you can't watch them 24/7 its just impossible! and this little joker of mine has proven that watching them every waking moment dont help either he still finds ways to get hurt! i consider myself the best mom i can be. i mean no one is perfect and if they say they are they are lying!
(by the way my other two sons dont have nearly the stack of boo boos as my third one does. And their more severe ones they normally get at school or at grandmas.)

Answer 9

Happens to i think pretty much everyone just lets you know he is two active to leave alone now even for a sec. Don't worry about it. Just make sure his pupils are the same and acting good and it is fine. Lessons are always learned

Answer 10

You're not a terrible mother. If you want to be a great mother make sure nothing like that can happen again. Keep him with you or put him in his crib or playpen anytime you have other things to do that need your attention.