Yep. Happens to everybody, and with every kid. Somehow, with some situation. Don’t worry.

Madeline, I know how you feel. I’m a first-time mom too (my son is now 2), and both my husband and I have had mishaps. (Our son didn’t roll off a bed, but we know a friend’s child who did.) I left my little guy on the floor, bundled up to go out, when he was maybe 3 or 4 months old while I dashed into the bathroom to relieve myself before we left. Well, he wanted mommy and rolled over, then couldn’t roll back. I heard him crying (I’d left the bathroom door open) and came out to find him face-down and crying muffled in the carpet. Another time, he was in the tub one night with me sitting right on the edge of the tub and slid completely under the water. I scooped him up under the armpits and was like, “Hey!” You think you’re used to how they move, and then they surprise you. Sometimes I’d feel frazzled from lack of sleep, stress, isolation, depression, trying to juggle a lot at once. … The list goes on. Bottom line is, you’re new at this, so treat yourself with some kindness. Your son is OK (at least he sounds like it from your post). You feel awful, which shows you care. It was an accident, and you know better for next time — lesson learned. It’s like my mom told me after one mishap with my son: This is not the last mistake you’re going to make; everyone has them. Recognize that you don’t want this to happen again, and move on, because if you fixate on it — and keep beating yourself up about it — you’re not going to have your mind where it needs to be. Take this as a cue to slow down and stay in the moment.

This is Grandma Petersen, since Grandpa didn’t respond. Madeline, be thankful that he didn’t hurt himself, and be glad that you were right there. People told me when our kids were little that you should count yourself lucky if they cry when they get hurt. It’s when they don’t cry that you know something serious has happened. I can remember when Dave decided to vacuum the dining room when he was four. Steve, age 2, was right there watching him, and I was in the kitchen next to them, but I couldn’t see them. Dave decided to tip the vacuum over to check it out or else it just fell over, and Steve put his hand between the rollers. It took the skin off his hand, and I think you can still see the scar today. No matter how careful you try to be there is always the unexpected. All we can do is our very best, and hope there is nothing too serious which occurs. They are such curious and fast little people, it’s not always easy to anticipate danger.

sum

Omg. Yes. Happened to me when my daughter was about 6 months I think. Same exact thing. Saw the whole thing in slow mo. Rocked her and we both cried. Felt like the worst mother alive till I heard and realized that I was not alone. Get this book, “If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Ok.” written by Laura Zibners, MD. It helped me realize how strong my kid is and if my super mom-ness falters for a second she will still survive!

yes happens to everybody. When my twins were about 5 months old, they (at different times) fell out of their swings. Something I didn’t expect at all, and I felt so bad. In reality though, with little boys, it is probably the first of many, many falls:)

Yep. It happens! My daughter rolled off of the bed at about 4 or 5 months. I was right there and she had never rolled end over end before (and she was in the center of a queen size bed) so I assumed I would have time to intervene. She did it so fast and it was all slow motion like you said. We sat and cried together in the glider for about 5 minutes…I still feel like the world’s worst mother when I think of that incident.

Spencer fell onto the leg of our desk chair the other day. I think I cried longer than he did.

My kid has fallen off the bed, the couch, an armchair… more times than I can count, and although that probably makes me a bad parent, in all fairness, she fell off the bed last week and she’s almost 4… because she was JUMPING ON IT.
Crap happens. My kid, just like me, and her father… well she’s very tall, all limbs, huge feet, very gangly…she’s a klutz. I had less of an excuse when she fell off my bed for the first time when she was 8 months old, that was just a bad day all around, but as she got older, it didn’t hurt me any less to see her fall and get hurt, but it did eventually occur to me that I was the same way at her age. Kids will be kids. They’re tougher than we give them credit for.

I don’t think any of mine fell off the bed, but they have fallen off about anything else you can think of.
When my son was about 1 a neighbor had a new born. She left on the bed and came to my house. I went to get him and he was on the floor. Now tell me how a new born got from the middle of a double bed to the floor in a few minutes.

My daughter rolled off the bed when we were taking a nap- once with me and once with my husband. Carpeted floors are good for something. :)