I'm an awful mother. Learn from my terrible, stupid mistake.

doodleoodle

LO was fussy because she was hungry. I was holding her as I warmed up water to warm her bottle. I took the bowl of warm water out of the microwave and she swiped at it, scalding her entire hand. I ran it under cool water and put lavender oil on it, but she wouldn't stop crying. She cried almost the entire way to the pediatrician's office and then began crying again once the doctor looked at her hand and didn't stop crying until it was wrapped. She has been asleep for almost an hour, but even in her sleep is breathing heavy the way you do after you've been crying really hard. Moral of the story, even if you have a clingy crying baby don't hold them while you warm up a bottle or are around anything warm for that matter. It seems obvious now, but I'm a dumb FTM and it just never occurred to me.

snowflake143

Definitely doesn't make you an awful mother. You were rushing and holding her because your goal was to comfort her as best as possible. If it backfired it's because you're human, not dumb.

I left baby propped up on a boppy so I could go to the bathroom and came back to a screaming baby because he had launched himself over the side and face planted onto a jagged dog bone. All because I wanted to pee! And that thing actually has a warning tag! While I'll never do that ever again, he healed and doesn't even remember it now.

We make mistakes and learn from them, that's when we become better parents.

doodleoodle

Thanks @snowflake143 I've propped my baby on a boppy to go to the bathroom at least a dozen times... So that's two things I've learned today

VexedMommy

Accidents happen.  Accidents happen more often with kids around.  It's just a fact of life.  You are in no way dumb.  You live and you learn. 

My first was a huge wiggle worm.  I had her on the changing table and  was out of diapers in the usual spot.  With her "safe" because she was belted onto the changing table I walked across the room to her closet to grab a new pack of diapers.  I heard an odd sound behind me and she had managed to wiggle straight down off the changing table!  Luckily she landed in the dirty clothes hamper.  Thank goodness for my crappy house cleaning skills. 

Parents of older kids tend to have a ton of stories like this.  The time the toddler skinned their face running on the sidewalk, the time you had to call poison control because they ate Vaseline (perfectly safe fyi), the time they were the Picasso of Poop on the wall behind their crib, etc, etc, etc. 

kfry22

snowflake143 said:

I left baby propped up on a boppy so I could go to the bathroom and came back to a screaming baby because he had launched himself over the side and face planted onto a jagged dog bone. All because I wanted to pee! And that thing actually has a warning tag! While I'll never do that ever again, he healed and doesn't even remember it now

Same thing happened at our house this weekend!! I had my son laying on the floor to play and ran to the restroom. Came back and he was screaming because he had rolled all the way across the floor and landed with the back of his head on the dog bone. It gave him a nasty little scratchy at the back of the neck. I felt awful! 

rachswi

Injuries are going to happen. Parenting mistakes happen. Thankfully, they're too small to remember anything yet. You haven't scarred your child for life. My mom has told the story several times about how she was holding me and hot tea and managed to dump the scalding tea on me (and I was her second child! It's not just a ftm thing!). I don't remember this since I was too small. I don't have an unexplained aversion to hot tea or anything. Your daughter will heal (and heal faster than you would - babies heal remarkably quickly!).

Pretty much every other time I cut my child's fingers I manage to draw blood because he squirms sooooo badly (and biting nails is worse and he sleeps too lightly). I hate it and he screams. But he heals.

Please don't beat yourself up, momma. Accidents happen. And there's every chance your daughter will injure herself worse than a scalding as she's growing and playing and exploring the world around her. Bumps and bruises will happen along the way. As long as you aren't intentionally putting them in harms way (like being one of those parents that sticks a bumbo on top of a counter and walks away), you're fine. 

doodleoodle

Thank you all for being so kind! I love this community

chein1

My first rolled down our steps. 6 wooden steps. She was okay. This LO is also clingy, so I was trying to put away clothes while holding her. I had the top drawer open while I was filling the bottom and when I came back I was in the clear, but clonked her head at full force on the open drawer. I was obviously devastated both times, but it's going to happen. You're a wonderful mom. 

rubirubi89

I actually have a scar on my wrist from when I was a toddler and my mom accidentally left her iron on. She though she had unplugged it and I somehow put the back of my hand against it.  They actually had to flatten the skin because it folded all weird.  As I grew, the scar moved up to my wrist.  To quote my mom "Overall I did ok with you, one scar isn't so bad" 

Ceridwen77

No way are you a horrible mom! We've all been in this or a similar situation. Thanks for posting about it because it will make me think twice about pouring my coffee around DD. Your lo will be back to a smiling happy baby really soon!

LydianG

These things happen. I was playing chase with my 2 year old and he tripped over his own feet and smacked his forehead on the dresser. I dont regret playing chase with him because he loves it. And we still do shenanigans all the time. You cant prevent everything. All you can do is the best you can with what you know at the time:

doodleoodle

The doctor took the wrap off of LO's hand this morning and it is good as new!

helsbels222

You are NOT an awful mom! These things happen to the best of us. Wait until she starts walking... lots of falls and bumps on the noggin. Be glad you don't have a boy. Boy oh boy are they accident prone. 

Edited: autocorrect

kdoak2015

Glad your babe is ok, these things happen!

mmmynyx

I was cutting my baby girls toe nails in bad lighting and clipped a good chunk of skin right off her. I felt like a horrible mom. She cried for a second and I cried for 2 days. Lol. Babies are a lot tougher than we give then credit for.
Her dad had her on his lap while watching some videos on his laptop and he didn't have his hand on her chest so she leaned forward and bonked her head right onto the table. She cried but was okay after a minute.
You're not a bad mom! Our kids are gonna get hurt on their own and we're gonna make mistakes. It happens to everyone! As long as it wasn't done on purpose then you have nothing to be upset about...although it's in our nature to worry.  

acastl24

Lurking from Dec 15
When my niece was 2, my brother was making her cheese grits because it was all she would eat. We were out of instant so he made them on the stove. He poured them in a bowl to cool, set them on the table, and strapped her into her high chair. He turned around to grab her sippy cup and she somehow launched herself from the chair to the table and scalded her hand. She had third degree burns on all of her fingers and her palm, all the way to her forearm. Her mom spent weeks bringing her to the burn unit every day to have her hand stripped in a whirlpool. She remarkably didn't scar and doesn't remember the incident, but she learned what HOT means. 
You're not the first and definitely won't be the last. It's just a lesson learned. 

Ceridwen77

Today I had DD up over my shoulder and sat down a little too quickly onto our soft couch. Her head went slightly back and then forward due to the motion of my body and she bumped her chin on my shoulder. Cue her pain cry (only previously heard when receiving vaccines). Boy did I feel awful. She calmed right down though and is just fine. It was a dumb move on my part not to be supporting her more, but I'm sure this happens to a lot of people, just like your scenario. Best thing we can do is learn from it. 

doodleoodle

@Ceridwen77 it's so hard! I'm sure you thought that since she is older and has good head/neck control it didn't even occur to you as a possibility. At least the tears didn't last long!

JLW0504

I accidentally burned LO#1 with oatmeal. It was too hot and she sit it out(I was in a hurry and didn't test it like I always did).

I also zipped her belly once while putting her jammies on her.

As for Maddie, I went in for a kiss today and her face smashed into my glasses. She cried for a moment, but "Sissy Ellie kisses" made her right as rain.