Parenting Tip #237: Don't Fall On The Baby

It hurts.

Sylvie and I were coming out of a playgroup at one of the churches in town yesterday when she tripped. (Over her blankie, over her too-big golden slippers, in a little pothole, I'm not exactly sure). I turned to her, knelt down, picked her up, stood up, took one step and promptly fell face forward onto the pavement. On. top. of. her. I have no idea what I tripped on either. (Over my own stupidity at letting her drag her blanket everywhere whilst wearing a pair of unsuitably large golden slippers, over my sloppy, t00-long jeans, over my two left feet, in a little pothole, I'm not exactly sure.)

As I realized I'd lost control and we were definitely going down, I remember thinking only "Protect her head, protect her head!" And I did manage to place at least one of my hands on the back of her head and prevent it from hitting the pavement. That's right, her little baby body ended up sandwiched between my stupid bulk and the pavement. I managed to push myself up a bit, Sylvie still cradled in my arms, and sit back on my butt in a puddle. An elderly man came over ("Are you all right?" "Uh, no.") and gathered up our belongings. Sylvie cried, but only a very little. I was sure she'd broken an arm or leg or suffered some internal injury. I staggered over to the car, put her in the carseat, responded to a few kind inquiries from some other mothers, and promptly drove to the emergency room. Where the nurse proceeded to examine her.

She is fine. There isn't a scratch on her. I, however, have abrasions on both knees, one elbow, and one hand. My back feels wonky. And I ache all over, as if, you know, some horrible giant creature had scooped me up and then proceeded to fall on top of me. On pavement. I still can't believe she's okay.

While googling babies and falls, trying to comfort myself with stories of other mothers who have fallen on their babies*, I came across these two miraculous stories: a doctor in France was walking past a building when a fifteen-month-old baby fell off a balcony and bounced off the awning into his arms. And just a few days ago, a British tourist caught a one-year-old who fell off a fourth floor balcony in Orlando.

And check out this odd Time story from 1938:a street sweeper in Detroit was working in an alley when a baby fell from a fourth story window onto his head. It happened to him again, one year later. (Different baby, different alley, presumably.)

*I was looking for something reassuring like: "You are not alone. Other mothers fall on their babies, too. All the time. In fact, in North America, a mother falls on her baby every thirty-six seconds. And the babies are almost always perfectly fine. They are super-rubbery. They practically bounce. Some even seem to enjoy it." Unfortunately, nothing like that turned up. Apparently most mothers do not fall on their babies, especially not the good ones.

Comments

[Lisa]

I've done it! I think twice! Don't feel badly, it was an accident, pure and simple. Baby is alright and they are resilient. I think that worrying is common though because I felt the same thing. :)

[Catherine Nichols]

It happens to the best of us. Children are amazingly resilient, thank goodness. When my nephew was two months old, I sat down with on on a rocking chair. The chair gave way and as I fell, I instinctively clutched the baby to my chest like a football. He was fine. I was badly shaken. Glad Sylvie is okay!

[hush]

Happened to us, too. My climbing, jumping, energetic son's only real injury was from the face plant into the kitchen floor he did at 13-months-old as my husband tripped over him. He looked like Frankenstein for about a week. Ugh.

[Steph Burgis]

Oh no! You have all my empathy. I can only imagine how scary that must have been. *HUGS* I am so, so glad Sylvie wasn't hurt, and I really hope your aches and strains fade very soon.

[Melissa]

I've done it. My first baby, getting her out of the car, turn to walk away and: hey, look, there's a curb there! Luckily babies are made mostly of rubbery materials and glue, so they recover quickly. (I, on the other hand, am constructed of some kind of sawdusty material held together by tears and milk. For the record.)

[Kerry]

At least you're funny. Feel better soon!

[Steph]

Thanks for the commiseration you guys. She didn't sleep well last night and of course at 3am I was sure she was bleeding internally or something. But she's fine this morning. :)

[Judy von Wahl]

I fell down a flight of stairs holding Shelby when she was 10 mts old. I went down feel first and on my bottom/back. I never held on to her so tightly or prayed so hard as I did in those few seconds. Other than being scared (I was probly holding to tight) Shelby wasn't hurt, I on the other hand broke my tail bone. The next day we drove from London ON to NS for Christmas, sitting was hard.