It is unfortunate that I am writing this post as baby fell from bed… again. 😦

The first time he fell, he was only 5 weeks old. I felt so terrible and lousy as this happened after the nanny left not long ago. I felt very unqualified as a mother and broke down crying with him. While waiting for the doctor, I kept googling on what happens when a baby falls as I fear for brain damage.

To summarise, babies are stronger than we think they are. Unless the fall is rather high, 1 metre and above, usually it is exterior injury. Most babies fall from sofa or bed, so it is not as bad as we think.

After baby falls, try not to be panic as babies react according to our expressions too.

First, quickly check for visible signs of injuries such as bleeding or bruises. If baby is unconscious, vomits or bleeding profusely, go to A&E immediately.

Next, try to calm baby down by hugging and carrying him.

Third, move baby’s limps to check for any fractures and the eyes to see if baby is sensitive to light. Again, if baby shows signs of distress, send to A&E immediately.

The signs to look out for, within 72 hours of fall, to determine if baby needs to see doctor:

1. Vomiting (this shows possible brain damage)

2. Unconsolable cries

3. Excessive drowsiness/sleepiness (refused to wake up and play)

4. Fever

If baby has any of the above signs, bring to A&E immediately.

After a few experiences of fall, the above are what different pediatrics told us.

As much as we try to prevent falls, accidents do happen so don’t be too hard on yourself! After the first fall, whenever I place baby on bed to change diapers, I never leave him unattended. This time, even though I was next to him, he flipped and dived head down to the floor. So fast that I couldn’t catch him even though I was just next to him.

I guess the best prevention is not to put on bed at all.

P.S. falls are considered as accidents so do claim from personal accident insurance if you decided to see a doctor!

P.P.S. I got so many stares when I brought baby out. As if he looks very ugly, I abuse him or I did a lousy job. Guess his bruise looked really bad. This random lady came to me and said “I will never let this happen to my grand daughter. She is so precious to me”. I gave a fake smile, in my heart thinking “you think my son is not precious to me? What is this is a birthmark?”

She successfully made me feel even more upset and guilty for not being able to prevent his fall. As much as I’d like to console myself that I’ve done my very best as a mother, it is hard to not self-blame. Motherhood is a job where I set extremely high expectations on myself, which I believe many mothers do so too. We just want the best for our children.

There are so many people who are too quick to assume, and too quick to judge. I hate to say this but many times, mothers are also the ones who judge fellow mothers the most. 😦