The Dangers of Bouncing on the Bed.....

So we all did it (and some still do!!) but after the experience we had with Lexi I thought I'd post on here about the dangers of bouncing on the bed......!!

Let me outline the scenario: On a lazy Sunday morning Mummy, Daddy and Lexi were sitting in the bed with Lexi bouncing around and throwing herself down on the bed in sheer delight, giggling and laughing and us thinking it was wonderful with her enjoying herself so much. A bit of family time with us all just enjoying each other's company. Our bed is a Tempur mattress on top of a divan so is about waist height (a lot higher than a normal bed). We were all having lots of laughter and fun: That was until disaster struck.....

Silk sheets and a crazy 21 month old certainly didn't mix well on that Sunday that's for sure.....

One moment I was sitting in bed, the next Lexi had slid off the end of the bed and because of the propulsion caused by the silk sheets having no resistance, she hadn't had chance to put her hands out to stop herself so had landed full force on the top of her head. I have never moved so quickly in my life as I shot out of bed to her aide. The sight that I faced was NOT one I ever wish to see again and is not one that I will ever forget for the rest of my life! My baby girl was lying on the floor, completely still, purple and not breathing! I was paralysed with shock completely unable to make my body or brain react to the sight before me.

Totally without thinking I picked her up off the floor before registering my Husband shouting "her neck, don't move her what about her neck". This hadn't even crossed my mind, all I wanted was to hear her cry or scream but I realised he was right so I lay her on the bed. Thankfully and to my absolute relief she started breathing again but to my dismay appeared to go into some sort of shock as she was screaming so loud and was shaking uncontrollably. In the meantime Martyn had grabbed the phone and was speaking to the Ambulance Service who were giving him directions of what to do. Their advice was to pick her up so they could gauge her responses etc. I must have looked so forlorn; standing in the doorway screaming Martyn's mum's name (who was downstairs) with my purple, shaking baby girl in my arms with Martyn trying to get some sense from me so 999 could work out what was going on.

I can honestly tell you I have never been so frightened in my entire life!!

To cut a long story short; we took her to our nearest A&E where they did an examination of her and closely monitored her for 5 hours before deciding to admit her into the Children's Ward for further monitoring and tests. We were in the Children's Ward for 3 hours making a total time spent at the Hospital of 8 hours with a very shaken, very upset and very sore little girl (and a very shaken, very upset and very frightened and concerned Mummy and Daddy).

Thankfully, they sent us home with the proviso that we would watch her very closely to make sure there were no more signs of head trauma, but it could have been much, much worse!!!

I will never, ever for as long as I live get that picture of Lexi still, not breathing and purple out of my head! It is something I can and will never forget!! Those 20-30 seconds of her like that seemed like an eternity and it wasn't until we were at the Hospital that I was told it had only been 20-30 seconds rather than 2-3 minutes which was how it felt to me!!

So please, don't let your children jump on the bed! We were very, very lucky... THIS TIME!!