How do you stop a baby hurting themselves?

[joda]

John's given himself a black eye! We keep his nails short as he used to scratch them, but lately he's been rubbing them badly in his sleep and hitting himself. This morning that's culminated in waking up to him having a black eye. We are at a loss on how to stop him without literally watching him every second of the day! anyone had a similar problem? Or any advice? x

[Hidden]

Oh my god!!! Is he okay?! All is can suggest is trying maybe a thick mitten under his baby grow to lad it out? do you use the ones that cover his hands? So put the mitten on then his baby grow with the hands covers.. sort of like a little boxing glove? Must have been a shock waking up to that today!! xx

[joda in reply to Hidden]

It was, esp as he'd done so well and only woke up once for a feed. We have tried that but he won't settle with them, doesn't like anything covering his hands. When we go out mitts go missing, but if we use his ones on his baby grow he gets really upset. Tries to bite them and cries and cries until we take them off! Think cos he has such big hands. Wondering whether or not to call HV. He's ok, doesn't seem to be bothering him and have gently touched to see if sore but nothing x

[Hidden]

Poor John! And poor mummy!!! That's a real problem if he can't stand his hands being covered. I guess he won't stand for having his hands tucked into his bedding so yeah I'd give your hv a call! Xx

[cheekymonkey3791]

Blimey, poor John! Bet he looks a right picture. Archie's claws have been like razors and he's looked like Harry Potter a few days ago! He did that during a feed! Had only done nails a few days before too. We woke the next morning to find marks under the eye. Half the problem is he has taken to chewing hands, fingers & thumb sucking as I think teeth moving. Scratch mitts pointless as he needs access to his hands. John is a little younger (I think) but maybe going through a similar thing and missed his target on this occasion? Xx

[joda]

Well HV not much use, mind wasn't my HV. Said doesn't matter if doesn't like hands wrapped up he's a baby - is she going to be the one to try and comfort him and get no joy? Silly woman! We do John's nails every other day because if we don't he would have scratched his face to bits by now, we were having similar trouble with scratches round the eyes. He's 9 weeks so yeah a little younger. He's been biting and chewing since 3 weeks. No teeth yet but gp said could do that for months before first teeth actually appear. He chews on his tongue a lot too. No this he's doing in his sleep. really throws his head about and pushes his fists into his eyes and nose. He does it a bit when he's awake, but not nearly so badly. Right now sleeping on me, looks painful, but apart from a little bit of a squint he doesn't seem in any pain with it x

[Hidden in reply to joda]

Oh what a load of tosh. James will not let me cover his hands ever! Even as a tiny thing, he hated his hands covered and have never been able to wrap him with his arms in blankets.....he won't have any of it. Yes he's a baby but no he doesn't like it, it upsets and frustrates him so why should we force our babies to do that when we know the result! He also rubs and pushes his fists into his eyes a lot and quite hard but hasnt had any injury so far luckily. Sorry I've no solution for you but hope he stops beating himself up! xx

[joda in reply to Hidden]

Exactly. He wouldn't be swaddled from day 1, have his hands wrapped or anything. Our ordinary HV would have been understanding. John won't sleep on his back either so rather than saying we should keep putting him on his back she advised us to allow him to be comfy. Think Abenaa right, something he will grow out of, but worries me he can hurt himself like that x

[Hidden in reply to joda]

Yh James hated being on his back. In hospital they laid him on his side. So at night he laid on his side and sometimes during the day he napped on his front...which he still does. But he now likes to go to bed on his back x

[Hidden]

awwrrh! poor Lil thing

My Lil' one is only 4 wks old & she absolutely hates her hands being covered already so I understand the "dilemma" slightly.

Im sorry I can't give you much advice on this situation but I do believe it's just something they have'to grow out of & so the more he grows he'll gain more control of the way he swings his hands about.

xx

[cheekymonkey3791]

I think the HV's want us to have model babies! Well they're not haha. If mine was a model baby he wouldn't have just pooped his nappy during the feed I am giving him now to get him to nap having only just changed him pre feed to get him down! He's not napped yet since 1st thing, looks awfully tired, rubbing eyes, getting angry and stuffing hands in mouth and then feeding again and now passed out on boob....just like the HV book says....NOT clearly. Xx

[Hidden in reply to cheekymonkey3791]

Haha,

my lil Ceanna does this " usually at about 1am in the morning"

it wouldn't be so bad if i didn't need to be up & in the kitchen by 7am to get my son's breakfast so he can start getting ready to go to school

[cheekymonkey3791 in reply to Hidden]

I got him to bed for all of....umm 1 minute!! Xx

[Hidden]

I think they just think all babies are exactly the same! I agree! Think he will grow out of it when he learns how to control his limbs a bit more. He might be a bit young for this but maybe you could do some co-ordination "training" with him by dangling a toy he likes if front of him in his reach so he practices moving his arms in a more controlled speed? Xx

[joda in reply to Hidden]

He doesn't 'do toys' HV been trying to just get him interested in colours, and he is. Just not toy shaped lol. Might try with one of daddys work shirts, he likes those (and I've just been vomited on, nice lol) or a towel, he has a thing for towels... even by my standards hes odd x

[Hidden]

Hahaha he sounds like a monkey!! Hugo loves muzzies (muslins) dangling in front of him, he gets excited for some reason! Guess anything he reaches out for would do!! If he likes towels he might like a taggi? Xx

[Hidden]

Lol baby who is anti toy! Lol. Me might like coloured netting then, that material you make tutus out of. You can get loads of different bright colours and some shiny ones. James likes those, gets mesmerized and it'll save his daddy's work shirts haha!

[joda in reply to Hidden]

True but I've been trying to get him to buy new shirts for months! I mean who only has 3 work shirts? The same 3 for 3 years been through wash so often that even the stripey one looking plain!!! Could kill 2 birds with one very cute John shaped stone haha x

[Hidden in reply to joda]

Hahaha!! John knows what hes doing then lol. On a mission! X

[joda in reply to Hidden]

x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thts what we hav at baby group and Finley loves it on his face aswell as feathers x