Paranoid - Need Reassurance Please!

You're not paranoid, just concerned. Babies are bottom heavy by morning (wet diaper and all). When they fall it'll probably be on their butt. Put the mattress down as low as it goes (to the floor if possible) for added safety. His next task will be to throw a leg over the crib side and flop out so drop that mattress soon. Good luck mom.

There are so many things your little one will start to do and you can look at the good side of it. He is developing and able to explore on his own. All kids will go through the stages and your little one is right on track. If he falls in the crib, the mattress will "break" his fall. He may bump his head a little but he will be fine. My son had a little bump but he didn't even cry out. And he fell against a hard toy that was in the crib. Look at this as his normal development and the joy of your little one growing. If you do this, he will not be afraid to explore later.

Hi there. Mom of two girls, 13 and 6. My youngest one gave me heart attacks too, when she started crawling out of the crib! The pulling up and walking behaviour is completely normal, and it is possible he might bump his head, or mouth on the crib rail, but a little ice and motherly love usually heals these things without too much fuss. They are going to hurt themselves when they are learning to walk, that's normal too, and makes them more cautious as well, generally. Try not to worry too much. You cannot prevent all injury, and most of the time, it's nothing too major. If you are awake and up, you might try some playpen time, it's lower to the floor and not as hard on the sides usually as the crib is. Watch for the climbing out behavior though, Once they start doing that they can fall to the floor, and again, usually no more than a bump or bruise that a little ice will take care of. Once they start climbing out, if you can, lower the crib to it's lowest position, so if they do fall out, it's not a far fall. Just know that it's totally normal and we all go through it.

This is very age appropriate and he will be fine. He may fall down and bump his head, but he won't hurt himself badly. There really isn't anything yu can do outside of making sure he doesn't have anything in his crib he can use to help himsellf climb out of his crib with. Chances are he will fall down once and maybe bump his head, then he won't do it again. You can't stay with him all night to prevent him from walking around in his crib. He'll be fine. :)

Sometimes the only way my son would learn how to do something or not to do something would be to fall or get a little hurt. If I would constantly be hovering over him or trying to help him he would never learn to be careful. Not to say I didn't ever worry! And if he was doing something truely dangerous, of course I'd pull him away.

I don't think your son could seriously hurt himself doing that, maybe just a little bump or scratch and he will learn from it. It is normal for babies to have lots of little tumbles and "owwies". They are very durable and low to the ground.

A month ago I really freaked out when my boy fell down 6 stairs while my hubby was watching him! I saw it happening but couldn't get to him fast enough to do anything about it. And he was totally fine. Just another example of how durable they can be.

You are doing a great job! Try not to worry. I know, easier said than done. (:

All children do that. Some are more gung-ho than others...like my oldest compared to my second child. They will hurt themselves from time to time, but typically nothing serious.

Tell me how do you suppose he is going to hurt himself seriously in his crib? Maybe get a bruise or a little knot on his noggin, but I doubt he could injure himself seriously.

He has to learn and explore. He has to get a few bumps and bruises. Let him be a boy. Nothing worse than a sissy boy whose mother over protected him. A little Lord Fontleroy that won't get his hands dirty, screams like a girl when he sees a bug, or cries like he's dying because he scraped his knee.

Just bite your lip and watch. Don't let him toddle off the edge of the porch or out into the street. You can kiss his ouchies when he has them, but then pat his head and tell him he's fine. Encourage him to shake it off. Encourage him to be a boy.

I was nervous all day the other day because my oldest went on her very first fieldtrip all the way to Rockford. I hated her being on that bus for that long and that far away, but I just prayed all day she would be fine. That the mom in charge of her little group would keep a sharp eye out for her and the others in her group.

THere is a line between being worried and being obsessive. There is a line between being adequately protective and over-protective.

Find the line for yourself and then grin and bare it. Will he play sports? That's the worst. Mine played soccor this year and I kept cringing every time she fell. If she looked at me, I just yelled; "your doing great baby...shake it off". She worked so hard. She was amazing. After a game she would have bruises and be so tired. I kissed her bruises when we got home and then told her how proud I was that she worked so hard and didn't quit.

It's hard to see your little one doing things that look dangerous. It is hard when you see them fall and hurt themselves. Our first instinct is to run over and scoop them up. Sometimes it is better to just walk over calmly and tell them they will be fine.

I seriously doubt he will hurt himself badly in his crib. It's in the living room that you need to worry! :) Just kidding. Now is the time to pad the fireplace mantle and put gates up at the stairs though.

Relax...They bounce.....I know that sounds horrible, but they're acutally soft and squishy for the purpose of falling down, and not our cuddly enjoyment. The best way for him to learn is to fall. The best confidence builder is for him to fall down, get up and try again. And remember that your reaction will determine his confidence. If you shout out, or audibly catch your breath (react with fear) so will he. If you wait for him to decide whether or not he's hurt, you'll give him the ability to take some bumps and brush them off himself. I actually had to train myself not to react with fear, and it took a while, but now my son is a very confident and increadible kid. If he see's a challenge he faces it, even if he's scared. He always proceeds with caution (because he's nervous), but he makes sure that he masters whatever challenge he faces. He took a swan dive down the first flight of stairs at my mothers house while I was standing next to him. It happened so fast, and I could do nothing but watch. (Ive noticed if I get in the middle of a fall, his injuries are usually worse.) He ended up on the landing head first with his legs tangled in the rail, I said "you ok?" and his response was "yeah, alright", to which he got up brushed off, and went back up try what he was doing again, which happened to be walking down the stairs without holding on to a railing. He went up and down those stairs for about 6 hours that day, and he overcame his fear. I had a mild heart attack though, but I refused to let him see that. Had I allowed my fears to get in his way, he wouldn't be so willing to take on the world.
So I say again...Relax mommy. He will soon be showing you his ability to jump off the couch.

You sound like a first time mom for sure! I don't know what to tell you except that it gets easier with each child you have. If they fall, they get back up and keep going. If they get hurt, you either kiss it and make it better or take a trip to the local ER. After 4 children, it doesn't surprise me what can happen. Do I still worry when they get hurt? Of course...I just don't follow them around anymore with my arms out behing them like I am ready to catch them when they fall. You have a boy too - boys will be boys!!! Two of mine have had stitches from falls, and two have never taken a trip to the ER. It does get easier though so hang in there!

C. T.

Yesterday, my son got whacked in the face and knocked back when someone (okay, my husband) threw open the door to come in. He barely cried. I've watched my son fall off the couch and into the coffee table, and I've also seen the result of injuries (bruises, cuts) that he got from who-knows-where when I wasn't looking. Just remember that babies and toddlers are built for survival, and their job is to explore and experiment. Evolution already weeded out the line of kids who died from a minor head bonk! :)

He'll be totally fine. There will be more. Don't freak out, just drop the mattress as far as it will (safely) go.

Z., just relax. It already sounds like your a geat mom. Just keep doing what you are doing. I was the same exact way and it is somewhat exhausting. LOL!! My boys were fine but until he is steadier on his feet just watch him and he might fall but that is part of learning to walk. If you have a coffee table in your living room just move it for the time being. That way he will have more room and he won't fall into it. Good Luck and have fun with your little blessing.

I had a daughter, then I had a son. I know why God gave me a daughter first - I probably wouldn't have had any other kids! Both of my kids were early walkers (9 1/2 months/10 1/2 months) You have to let them take their bumps. Yes, he will hit his head when you are not looking. You will also practice with him, when he is out of his crib. Working with him and letting him gain more confidence will help you to deal with his curious spirit. It's really a hard balance to know when to hover and when to let go. Sometimes you'll be proud of his abilities and other times you'll "kick yourself" for letting them fall - sadly, they only learn how to fall and not hurt themselves - by falling.

My son would "perfect" what he was doing, by doing it 15 -20 times in a row; his first feat was trying to jump off of a curb and land on both feet. He was 11 months old! When he successfully landed, he clapped for himself. By three, he would jump off the counter and work on landing on his feet (of course, this would happen when I just walked out of the room!) He also had an incredible mechanical ability (and still does) and could open ANY lock in my home, even the really high ones that were just for his sake. He was riding a bike without training wheels, when he was almost 3, and by 5 years old, he would enjoy going to the skate parks and ride down the biggest ramps and amaze the teen-agers! Back then, all I could do was pray a lot and believe he could do what he set his mind to do, because, amazingly, for the most part, he wasn't careless - he concentrated on perfecting these things!

He is 10 years old now and, back then, I didn't know how I was going to keep him alive until he was 3 years old. Today, I am grateful that he has the tenacity and the stubborn spirit to keep trying until he gets something right. It really can be physically draining for a mom to raise a child and keep them safe. And...you have to work on that right balance to build that confidence in his physical development, even at this young age. Good luck!

Hi Z..
I know just how you feel. My 8 month old does the same thing. I started standing and watching him bounce around his crib when I put him to bed, and realized pretty quickly that he has already figured out where the rails are. When he's close, he sits down, or turns to the side. A couple times he's bonked his head, but never very hard. I've noticed that he often tries out new things in his crib first, where the landing is softer (and he can bounce at the end of it!) So, I stopped worrying about it. i figure I'll save my worry for when he starts climbing OUT of the crib!
--Cathie

Z. - our son is exactly 9 months and is learning to cruise. He falls repeatedly. I've noticed he cries just as much if he doesn't hurt himself, it just scares him. This is our second, and so it's been easier to just take it in stride. Babies are made to take lots of bumps!

I understand paranoia! Your son will fall and he will bonk his head on the side of the crib, but it will not be a serious injury. Just make sure that there is nothing nearby that he can grab and pull into his crib to hurt himself with, or anything in the crib he can use to climb out. Good luck with such an early walker! Life as you know it is over! :-)

Paranoid...meet paranoid. Okay, so I'm the same way!! :-) I have been told all first time mommies are this way... Our daughter is almost 10 months and is doing the same thing. Yes, she has taken a couple spills so far, nothing too serious though. All is natural, and all will get hurt sometimes. As long as your son is not trying to climb out of the crib yet, you should be okay and feel comfortable relaxing and be thankful he's advancing as he should (and early, might I mention). Enjoy the milestones he's passing now, and relax a bit, otherwise you'll drive yourself (and others around you, I've been told) nutty.

Good luck!
Kelly