Extreme fear of doctors?

[Betyourbuttons]

Can someone please let me know if this is something they have experience with or if they have any advice regarding this...

My 21 month old is deathly afraid of doctors. As soon as we get to the doctor's office (can be different locations so not a specific location) he absolutely freaks out when being approached by doctors or medical personnel. I don't understand why, there has been no traumatic incident to have caused this but he absolutely can't handle being touched by doctors.

It's specifically them touching him. This has only developed after around 16 months. He clings to me for dear life and sobs and tries to hard to escape being touched by doctors and it breaks my heart to see him like this.

He is fine with close relatives touching him but obviously he's never really in any other situations where he is touched by strangers.

Does anyone have any advice or ideas on why this is happening and what to do? I'm dreading our next checkup because it feels like I'm sending him into a torture chamber.

There are lots of cute doctor cartoons with singing that might help desensitise him - DocMacstuffins on Disney+ and Kiki and MiuMiu on YouTube.

Also when they touch him are you holding him too? Because if he's in your arms that should help you feel safe.

Maybe also a toy medical kit or a doctor plush animal?

*help him feel safe

Has he medical issues if you're talking about his next check up etc?

16 months is the hardest age for that because they're too young to explain but old enough to know they don't like it and react.
I think ds was 16 months when he managed to push the new inexperienced registrar full length onto the floor while he was trying to listen to his chest.
Thankfully registrar took it in good part and by 20 months was one of ds' favourite people (constant ear infections so we saw a lot!) and he remained his favourite doctor until he moved practices about 5 years later. He's now into his teens and still talks about him sometimes.

If he has medical issues, it can be worth asking about play therapy next time you're going in.
Otherwise I'd just watch a few things on TV (there used to be a hospital episode of something special on CBBies I think for example) get him a doctor's set to play with when he's a bit older, and read some books. Ds found the Usborne goes to a hospital quite good, there's also a Topsy and Tim one too.