To be dreading DD's preschool booster?

Delighted it went well OP! Well done for trusting your DH to get it done (that sounds patronising but I don't mean it to, I'm sure it was difficult).

Just as an FYI, if she had chickenpox before she was 1 she probably doesn't have immunity.

Ah well done, glad she’s ok! I always sent DH to the 3 year old jabs too 😄

I recommend getting the chicken pox jab if you want to avoid DD having 2 weeks of itchiness.

Mini pack of buttons worked for mine, forgot all about it by the time they'd finished them. No side effects but calpol before is a good idea.
Try not to make a big deal out of it or she'll pick up on your anxiety. Just say it'll hurt a bit but it's very quick and it's going to stop her getting sick in the future.
It would be much worse if she got measles/mumps etc.

The bing episode is great- DD (2.5) loves it and has asked several times when she can have a 'nacination'! 😂
She will be pleased to know her flu jab is booked for the end of the month.

I give these vaccines every day.

In my experience it’s best if children are prepared - those that don’t know what they’re coming for or have been misled by pretending they’re coming for something else don’t cope as well. Keep it simple and factual. “You need some medicine in your muscles before you go to big school next year to stop you getting poorly. It’s a bit stingy but when it’s all finished we’ll have a treat”.

I make a fuss of them for being brave and give them stickers and a certificate to colour in.

They don’t need Calpol first but might need it later today if they get a fever. Some kids get another little wave of side effects eg fever, glands up and rash in 10-14 days. All normal.

She has said she's getting help with her mental health, in the very first post.

I don't think springing the vaccinations on them is a good suggestion - as OP has said, DC notice when they're taken out of their routine and brought to the doctor. They also notice that objections hurt! Much much better to lightly prepare them.

I feel for you OP, I also struggle with anxiety around these things. I used numbing cream called emla for the preschool injections. You can get it over the counter. It worked incredibly well- my son was totally unbothered (and he's highly sensitive like me and screamed his head off at all previous vaccines). The chemist said they're old enough to have the numbing cream at this stage (it wouldn't be safe for a younger baby)

I agree with you that it should be mentioned. I know it would be a lot worse for my child if I took her into the doctors to be injected with no prior warning or explanation about what would happen!

please don't medicate your child unnecessarily

This.

I actually found that the easiest one. We prepared by watching the vaccination episode of Bing and taking a toy to hug (and a treat for after)

Both of mine breezed mine. Although I really don’t care as my friend had polio and walks with a stick so it’s a regular reminder why we need them. One of my close relatives had to leave her family as a 7 year old for a full year because she had TB. She still has emotional problems 70 years on.

I thought dd would cry but she didn’t even seem to notice the needle going on.she was chilling on her chocolate buttons. I had watched the bing video with her beforehand. She was ill afterwards though. She had a 40 degree temp ( but is prone to these) a couple of days later. Then another ten or so days later she ran a fever with vomiting again.

There’s an episode of Bing about vaccinations which you could watch with her before she goes.

The nurse will go through potential side effects with your DH so make sure he passes the info on.

Take or arrange a treat for afterwards.

Vaccines are a positive thing! And should be talked about in that way. I wouldn’t have even really mentioned it to your child. I hope you’re getting some mental health support

Neither of mine had any side effects either, even the one who had a bit of a rough time with the first dose of the MMR. Much easier aftermath than the baby ones!

With these ones it's all about lightly preparing them and then bigging them up for being brave after, sounds like your DH has that covered if you're not able to.

Honestly it will be fine. Nurse will go through the things to look out for with your DH and (from memory) it’s not that different to the baby jabs.

mine sailed through, was interested in all of it and didn’t cry. She knew there was chocolate cake waiting for her and she was thrilled with her sticker and being so brave. Don’t remember any symptoms after.

I did tell her it might hurt a bit but then it would be all over and she wouldn’t need another injection for ages. She was a bit nervous before we went in but then was fine when she met the nurse.

Good luck with yours and with your health anxiety xx

Be careful about the calpol. I know that for some
jabs they want to be sure the child doesn’t have a temperature and if they have calpol that doesn’t allow them to check and they therefore delay the vaccination. and im
assuming whilst you are dreading it, you also want to get it out of the way.

I have a fear of injections.
I winced a lot when they did my twins recently. Both kids coped absolutly fine.
there are no side effects for the child to worry about. And it’snot a painful procedure. It definitely sounds like it will be harder for you. Well done for working on trying to get your issue under control. That really is the only thing you need to focus on- how best to regulate yourself and model a positive attitude for your child so they don’t pick up your feelings. It was amazing when I saw my kids both grinning and proud of themselves at the end of the jabs for ‘being brave’

I agree that no calpol needed beforehand. My daughter had no side effects after. I was also nervous but more because my daughter hates anything like that eg plasters etc so I didn’t know how she would react! (I obviously didn’t show her I felt nervous). We did a little role play with her doctors kit in the morning, I told her it would probably hurt a bit and bought some chocolate buttons with me for after. Honestly it went so much better than I thought. Yes she cried but after 5 mins she was fine!