to refuse bloodtests when pregnant?

[estar]

I am fourteen weeks into my third pregnancy and am already dreading them. I've not had the conversation with my doctor yet but thought I'd find out whether people think it's worth pushing or not.

Last pregnancy, they seemed to take them for fun - I'd go and they'd say 'ooo, you've not had a bloodtest in a while' and I'd say 'yes, I did one two weeks ago'. They'd look at their forms and say 'well, it's not on here, it must have got lost' and send me for another one! This seemed to happen regularly and, maybe I'm a wimp, but they distress me so much. I go really dizzy and feel faint after having them and feel sick (and I'm already being sick enough thanx) Quite often as they're doing it my veins collapse and so they get other people in and keep trying for ages and ages, tapping me and prodding me and squeezing my arm more and more - I'm shuddering just thinking about it.

Obviously, if I was showing any ominous symptoms of illness, then I would consent to one, but I am taking extra iron at the moment and don't feel anaemic. Does anybody know what else they check for on regular blood tests?

I'm the same as you, hate blood test with a passion and refused the ones that I'd had before such as hiv, blood group etc as I'd been tested in previous pregnancies. I was preparing to refuse any more when I had pregnancy problems (waters broke at 22 weeks) and from then on I had at least weekly blood tests I never got used to them though. Also had to have steroid injecions for the baby's lungs.

I was the same, I had no blood tests in my first pregnancy at all, turned out I was being very silly indeed as I lost alot of blood could have needed a transfusion, they could not confirm my blood group even though it was listed on my notes. I was needle phobic, its just not worth the risks.

They're a pretty important way of making sure that you, and therefore the baby, are well. They check for anaemia, thyroid problems, diabetes, and your blood count is important to establish that your blood is clotting properly.

You don't need to be showing symptoms for there to be a problem, and most things are easier to treat the sooner you catch them.

It's not only for your sake that they do blood tests; many of the things they check for can affect the baby too.

So not unreasonable to hate blood tests ... but maybe you need to think a bit more before you decide not to have them.

Oh and I have small veins and they always had to try 2 or 3 times to get blood out, it just wouldn't flow. Always bruised as well.

I have always had problems with blood tests, and when pregnant with dd2 had to have blood taken from my hand as they were really struggling to get it from my arm. Having said that, i never thought about refusing them as didn't want to take the risk.

I have always had problems with blood tests, and when pregnant with dd2 had to have blood taken from my hand as they were really struggling to get it from my arm. Having said that, i never thought about refusing them as didn't want to take the risk.

I always had the blood tests I needed for my health and the baby but I refused all the triple test ones and redoing hiv etc

Have you tried relaxation techniques, deep breathing etc? And always tell person taking bloods that you have a prob with it. get midwife to put needle phobic on notes. IMO you do need the health check ones, can spot lots of things. triple tests etc is diff matter, perhaps decision to have them or not should not be made based on hating blood tests though, more on personal stance iyswim.

estar, sorry to hear you are struggling with this. I'm not phobic, but I don't give blood up easily, so I would request that they took it from my hand instead, which normally was easier to get first time. Could you ask for numbing cream to use, would that help? Then maybe you can turn away and do some deep breathing and try to not to think about it at all.

I spent the last 3 months of my pregnancy in hosp and had DAILY blood tests. About 2 months in they even asked me if I would allow a trainee to take blood, as she had never tried it on a 'living' person before!

Prior to this I didn't really like needles, but am now totally blase (sp?) about them.

For a month before I was admitted my midwife was sending me to the hosp every other day, positive that I had pre-eclampsia, but by the time I got there my blood pressure would be normal etc so the hosp would send me home.

Eventually they took a blood test and based on a slight anomoly (no idea what) they admitted me for the weekend. Good job they did. On the Sat I remember having a pain in my chest, and thinking it was the baby lying on a nerve - then nothing, until I woke up in ICU 4 hours later all wired up (and naked, which P'd me off no end!). I then stayed in hosp until they induced me at 35.3

Had they not taken the blood test I would be dead, it's as simple as that. I would have been alone at home, no-one to check on me. So my twopennoth, for what it's worth, is a few minutes of discomfort made the difference between me living and dying, so of course I think it is worth having them.

I know you don't feel unwell, or have any concerns etc, but truthfully neither did I (except the water retention, and I just thought that was what ALL mums to be had).

mamad what was wrong with you????

Oh god mamad, how scary. Were you secretly a bit more worried about the fact you were lying there in the nuddy than the fact you were in ICU? I would be!

BTw, I had blood pressure problems too and frequent blood tests and hospital admission for a couple of weeks, and now my veins just collapse as soon as I walk in a doctors surgery. They couldn't even get a drip in when I wanted my epidural and so I had to go without [hmmm].

I had pre-eclampsia. My blood pressure on that Saturday went from 120/60 to 225/125 which could have caused a stroke. I had the minor signs - small degree of protein in my wee, water retention, 'sparkles' in my eyes, etc, but as my blood pressure kept dropping back to normal, they didn't think it was that serious.

After my attack (I always say I 'flipped out' because it doesn't sound as seriuos)
They kept me on a magnesium drip for the next 3 months, and 4 diff tablets plus an egg every day!!

I also had to wee in a bucket for 24 hrs once a week to check protein levels, and get weighed daily - I put on over 30lbs.

When they finally induced me it was because my BP had gone back up (it climbed steadily thru the 3 months) and they couldn't give me any more drugs - I was at the max, and in any case d had stopped growing at 30 weeks (another symptom). The day I had her I had been at 215/110 for 48 hrs.

Everything is fine and dandy with no lasting effects now tho'

You really should get them done.

I'm needle phobic myself, and i have very bad veins, only two of which will ever give up any blood.

I refused to let my midwife take blood, and instead insisted the ladies in the Blood Test (phlebotomy?) clinic did it instead.

They spend all day doing it and were quick, professional and completely no nonsense.

Yep, I was mortified to be naked, all my flabby bits on show (but luckily they put me back on a normal ward after 24hrs). At that stage I didn't even know I why I was there - I didn't remember any of it (thank God, coz actually it sounded hellish scary when my room-mate told me what had happened!)

that is scary if ever there was a need for blood tests then this is it..

i have to say i refused the hiv test with dd i had it with ds and i refused it 2yrs later the questions i got made me very cross

Kaishay I always had mine taken by the blood test people but they still found it hard to get anything and left me bruised. I still had them done because I had to but I never got used to it.

Yikes, MamaD!

Was it your first pregnancy? I would never have considered not having tests first time round, or even last time as it was dts, but I'm thinking there's not much chance of diabetes and stuff now if I got thru the last ones okay....

You're not unreasonable - it's your baby and your decision. Maybe get the first ones and then you have a reference point for when you have the baby. But it is up to you.

I had to have blood tests every month for the whole of my pregnancy, because I had no imunity to toxoplasmosis, and also a very very low thyroid level which they needed to monitor. If they hadn't tested me each time, they never would have found out that I had caught toxo at 8 months, and thus had to have an emergency (well, very early and unplanned) c section. I and the baby were immediately put onto antibiotics. If I'd had no tests, they wouldnt have seen this, and my DS would never have been treated for toxo. He is fine now, but if untreated, he would go blind or have severely damamged eyesight by his early 20s. So yes, I think you're unreasonable, they're really important and need to be done. I am not a fan of needles myself, but have just had to get on with it. maybe speak to teh nurse when you get yours done so she treats you slowly and with a bit more care.

I've only had routine blood tests at booking in and then at one point later in the pregnancy.

estar,

yes, my first (and only.......so far (!)) pregnancy - so it was a v scary time all round (exacerbated by the fact that I was in a foreign country, no family to call on, husband away, language probs etc)

I have been told that I will be 'watched closely' should I choose to have another, but it has been made V clear that one Pre-ec pregnancy does not make me more likely to have another (although a cousin has had it 3 times - but not until the last month each time).

There is no reason why you could not have pre-ec even with no problems from 1st two, so I would always err on the side of caution and have the tests.

To parrot another poster - can you ask them to take the blood from your hand? I found this was easier and less painful - more of a scratch than a pin prick.

It might be worth raising your concerns with the midwife. Say that you have a fear of needles, and would like to limit the number of tests taken. For example, I didn't wish to have the triple test, so I didn't have to go in for that. So far I've only had the original diagnostic test and the series they take at your booking in appointment. I'm 27+3 now. It might also be worth asking if you can schedule those tests you do need to have to be taken by an anaesthetist if there's one about. Sounds rude, but they are bloody good when it comes to veins.

Good luck

Agnes

Definitely try and get to the phlebotomy nurses when you have to have blood taken, (I'm dreadful with needles, have fainted lots of times and have 'delicate' veins appraently) and the nurses who do it all day long are brilliant at it. Sometimes you'll drop on a midwife who's also excellent but some of them think they're great at it and aren't. I mean, how would they know how much pain they're causing?!

I had a bad experinec in A&E with a cack-handed nurse, she couldn't get much out of me and i refused to let her try again. Turned out my pregnancy was ectopic and had to have lots more blood tests and two lines put in (which were fine) and diagnosis was delayed because I hadn't let her take any more when i should have asked for someone else to do it.