I Tripped and Fell down (But Didn't Hit My belly!)...any Reason to See the Doc?

Why don't you want to go in? Daycare issues, work issues......???? Unless you have a desperate need to not go in, I would. There are reasons the docs are covering their butts, because occasionally freak things happen. The risks aren't worth it.

You're probably ok. I fell in my 7 month down some steep stairs ( on my but) and was ok. It was scarey though.

Hey S.,

You have some strong advice for both sides! My personal experience is that at this point, you've probably been monitoring movements each day, right? So if everything is the same, then no big deal. If something is different, then go in. I mean, you didn't even hit your stomach, right?!?!

Also, someone said that if you lost your mucus plug you should go in because of risk of infection. Well, that's bad information. You're only at risk of infection if you're putting anything up into your vagina (such as the doctor's hands or monitoring equipment!). Otherwise your natural secretions keep you clean. You'll probably be in labor very soon if you're at this point, and if you went in for monitoring they might not let you come home!! Personally, I prefer to labor as much as possible in my dark, quiet, comfortable home than at the hospital where everyone is trying to "help" with interventions!

Blessings on you and baby!

Let's see...

Fell and sprained my ankle at 6 months. Landed on my side.

I fell again on campus (down a flight of stairs, pushed from behind by a bunch of idiots who were late to class) not long after that...but I was feeling sorry for myself right about then and don't have a good recollection of what time it was gestationally other than "midterms".

I fell at 32 weeks in the bathroom (full body flop...I'm not even sure how I landed because the next thing I knew I was standing up looking at my rather badly dislocated 4 fingers on my right hand) at my husband's grandmother's in Renton. Went to Valley ER...and made the decision after being monitored there in their maternity ward NEVER to have a baby at Valley. The ER was great fun though. No lie, 5 minutes after I was taken back, 30+ mental patients were brought in (bus crash from their residential home). They'd been off their meds for hours...& the staff at the facility wasn't answering the phone, so no one knew what meds to give them. Poor people. Pandemonium though. Quite literally naked people running down the aisles throwing tissue paper (like a toddler throws tissues to make it "snow". There was also a football injury (with the entire team and cheerleading squad in attendance plus miscellaneous parents & friends), and more people than I ever want to be around vomiting (food poisoning at a local german beer garden). At one point 4 hours in one of the nurses came to my curtain to "hide for just a few minutes" while she chanted "i love my job, I love my job." She then turned and asked me what I do? "Nursing School, focusing on emergecy & trauma." Actually made her choke, the half laugh/half sob, and give me a hug while swearing that it wasn't usually this bad. The maternity ward gets no slack cut to them though...they were in an entirely different part of the hospital. It was bad enough I actually filed several written complaints both with the hospital and supervisory organizations (asked my profs where to send them). The way those poor women giving birth were being treated...was...barbaric.

Oops..long story. Sorry.

I also fell about a week before my son was born (full on frontal belly flop onto the garage floor...pizza of course went flying out of the box & skittered across the concrete 20 feet away. I was stuck on the floor for about 3 hours, because my whole body spasmed from calves to neck. My husband was inside with company, and no one found me until they had to leave and they happened to go out the garage. Sniff. Nobody loves me, everybody hates me...I guess I'll go eat worms. Anyhow...I was so shaken up (and cold/cramped/miserable) I just went inside, showered the blood off, and went to sleep. Didn't even get the sand and gravel out of all the scrapes until the next day. I had a scheduled OB appointment the next day, where my midwife threatened to confine me to the hospital on bedrest until the baby was born if my placenta showed any signs of further ripping (I'm prone to placental abruptions). It was already about 50% torn away from the wall of my uterus at 6 months (about 25% torn away at 3 months)...but fortunately after the ultrasound, there had been no more ripping. So home I went for a week. <laughing> She actually walked me to my car and slapped a handicapped sign on it for the last week. As a high risk patient I was in there a lot, and she said she'd be darned if after all her hard work I pulled one more clutz maneuver and got run over by a car in a parking lot.

Oy.

I looks like you are getting conflicting responses, I know that doesnt help.
When I was 5 months pregnant with my 3rd I slipped on steps and landed on my butt. I didnt feel the need to go in and waited for my next appointment and told the Dr what happened. He wasnt concerned bec her movement was consistant and everything checked out fine (aside from a very sore tailbone). I only lost my plug with 2 out of 4 of my pregnancies. The last preg I went about a week without it.
Losing your plug is a sign of prelabor, and many women walk around dialated and no plug. Just be aware of any contractions and pressure, oh yes and leakage! I am assuming you are on a weekly visit with your OB so I would inform them of the fall at the visit. The way you fell I think everything is ok.
I hope this helps and puts your mind at ease!

My advice is to go and get checked. The stress over the tripping can harm the baby more than thetripping it-self. So, go and get checked, you will feel much better.

The question shouldn't be 'should you go for monitoring' but rather, 'Why wouldn't you go in for monitoring?'

You never know what you may have pulled, injured or torn from the impact. Better to be safe than sorry!

I wouldn't go in for falling but for losing your plug. With that gone you are at risk for infection. Aren't you having weekly appts anyway, I mean you really could deliver any time.

You are right that you probably ok but I feel like better safe than sorry...

You're probably fine since there was no bleeding or signs of trauma. If your baby is moving you'll feel reassured too. But, that said if you have any concern, it never hurts to double check, but our instincts are pretty amazing.

Since your mucus plug came out, you are further dilated, so you are getting close to delivering, not sure if the fall could be related or not, but I would expect that baby to come out in the next day to two weeks from now!

Make sure you mention the fall at your next appointment if you don't go in too.

My last pregnancy, I fell and landed on my hands and knees, but never came close to hitting my belly. Never thought anything about it until I mentioned it a week later to my midwife and she warned me about the placenta tearing away in such cases. Everything was fine in that case though. You just never know.

If you have lost your plug and are 2 cm dilated call your doc.

Congratulations on the new baby.

Any time you fall there is a possibility that the baby has endured trauma. By waiting and not seeking immediate care you are putting your life and your unborn child's life in jeopardy. Why risk it, just go!?

my guess is that if you feel like there was no problem, there wasn't. You probably know best. You can also do a kick count and stuff - since the real concern is that the baby wasn't injured.
But, you know, doctors like to cover their bases, and they are certainly recommending the conservative approach.

If your doctor wants you to come in I would. Worse thing they can tell you is nothing wrong. I'd err on the side of caution and go in. There is nothing wrong with being monitored for a while. I'm assuming they would do an NST test - no big deal.

I would always go in for falling. You never know if the fall caused the placenta to separate or something. By the time something feels wrong it might be too late. Your babies life is worth a quick trip to the doc, don't you think?

If you're stressing about it, it would be worth the trip to go in and check it out. We've all have our little trips and bumps that worry us and thankfully end up being nothing but there's no sense worrying about it when you can have the peace of mind to know for sure. You need all of the stress-free rest you can get these last two weeks.

Do you have insurance? If not, I'd ask your Dr. if he/she could avoid the expensive scans when monitoring at the appointment. My Dr. used to order up REALLY EXPENSIVE stuff and I know she didn't always have to. Luckily I had insurance.

Good Luck!

Hi S.,
I was vacuuming out the car to make it all nice and clean and get the car seat in just incase I went into labor early, tripped over the shop vac and landed hard on my hands and knees. I just rested for a little bit then felt better. I would say if you didn't hit your belly you are probably fine (but I'm not a doctor). BUT if you feel "not normal" or start having contractions or less movement from the baby I'd go get checked right away. BTW - I ended up having the baby 12 days "late" and he is 3 1/2 now.
Celena

You probably should have gone in and been checked out. It's not so much to check on that floating baby, but to see that you're not having an issue that would have caused you trip or to lose balance, like a blood pressure issue or something else. If you are due this month I would suspect you have weekly ob appts. It has been 5 days since you lost your plug, what day did you stumble? All coincidental reasons that you should go see the ob. It wasn't going to cost you any more as it's a prenatal visit and it would provide your ob with some piece of mind knowing what's going on with you. After all, you were concerned enough to give them a call. Go see your doc, just because.

I fell when I was about 7 mos down stairs skidded my knees and hands and landed slightly on my belly - it scared me more than anything...but I was fine. I think that if you are not bleeding and movement is still fine - you should be fine. I would ask your doctor/nurse what to be looking for if they are concerned and let them know how you are feeling. It's probably precautionary.

I love all the stories, but it plain and simple for me. If the doctors feel that you should come in and get checked out then you should. I don't even see why there is any question about it. Sorry to be so blunt but, THIS IS YOUR CHILD YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.