To refuse this blood test?

[BlairWaldorfsHeadband]

My hospital want to do a group and save. I’m a needle phobe, but hadnit done and it was a very upsetting experience.

The hospital then mislabelled the blood. So want me to repeat it.

Here’s the thing - they have my blood group on record. And blood groups don’t change. I know my blood group.

I’ve been treated quite ignorantly about my needle phobia by them and so, I don’t want to redo the test. It’s their fault they put the wrong label on it and they already have the info.

Aibu to just say no?

I’m going to ask for it to be done at my GPs for my own peace of mind. If the hospital choose to reject the results, that’s up to them. But at least I will know!

So you’re prepared to put yourself and your unborn child at risk?

I have anxiety too. I was extremely unwell during pregnancy. Could barely leave my bed some days.

I still would do absolutely anything to ensure the health and safety of my baby. No matter the implications for my own health.

I also don't believe anxiety is a disability.

And please don’t be so offensive as to conflate mental illness with being needle phobic. If you can overcome it at your GP, you can overcome it at hospital.

Read. The. Thread. I’ve me too ed my diagnoses

Do you know of any reason they won’t accept me having it done elsewhere? I’m happy to have it done with two specific people.

Probably just policy in certain areas so unfortunately no I couldn't tell you. From experience though it is GP surgeries who cock up taking group and saves the most (as they don't do them very often) so you're probably better off getting it done at the hospital. Some GP surgeries wont have the right forms/samples to do group and saves as they are more specialised and different to the routine lot of samples they do for most other things (suspect this is probably the reason.)

Those antibodies I mentioned are also important if you ever need a transfusion and why you have to have a new group and save every time you possibly might need a transfusion. It works in the exact same way except it's your antibodies attacking the donor blood instead of the baby and making you sick instead. That's why you can't go off a historic blood group as the antibodies may have changed since then meaning some blood may no longer be compatible for the patient.

So you’re prepared to put yourself and your unborn child at risk?

No. Because if the results show anything, I can then commence any treatment required. If, as I suspect, they do not show anything (statistically they likely won’t), I’ve avoided the additional stress of a procedure that causes me severe problems.

I’m going to ask for it to be done at my GPs for my own peace of mind. If the hospital choose to reject the results, that’s up to them. But at least I will know!

Surely your priority is yours and your baby's health. How will doing this help that at all?

Solasshole thank you again. Informative posts, told me exactly what I wanted to know.

And thank you to the person who told me to ask for the form and take it to the hospital unit.

Far more helpful than “get over it”.

Your blood group can (rarely) change from rhs positive to negative and in pregnancy you’re more likely to develop antibodies than a non pregnant person.

My hospital won’t do a blood transfusion. On anyone unless they have two samples on record. I imagine that’s national protocol. So if you’ve only one sample in the event of a major bleed following birth they won’t do a xmatch blood transfusion until they’ve got a sample from you, that’s got to the lab, being tested and then blood issued and back to labour ward. Could take 30 mins. You can lose a litre a minute. You could have Oneg during that 30 mins but then you’re at increased risk of developing antibodies and then lifelong implications if you do.

"I suspect this may be what the problem is.

I’m going to ask for it to be done at my GPs for my own peace of mind. If the hospital choose to reject the results, that’s up to them. But at least I will know!"

I mean this kindly - but this is a waste of time given what you've said about your mental health and struggle with blood tests - you'll be putting yourself through it for no gain! The blood test won't help the hospital providing your care in labour be able to give you the correct blood if you need it - the issue isn't budgets, but that the GP has their system and usual data protection around this, which is almost always different to the hospitals system. It's not the hospital being awkward in that regards - blood transfusion needs to see the result, they can't access your GP records!

Did you miss the part about needing up to date ones in case a blood transfusion is needed? LeslieKnope knows her stuff.

Go to your GP, ask for a cover letter explaining why, and take the results from your person of choice to the hospital.

Or take someone with you to be there as support and just do it. I had to, many others have to.

Goodness- mental health issues and disability or not -you come across as a really difficult person on here.

I'd assume they insist on their department taking the sample, as they want to also verify they're treating who they expect to treat, not some random with the same name, or someone's sister who lives abroad.

Alongside screening for antibodies you've developed which could influence what blood you can't be given. This helps the medical team make sure, in the event of needing a transfusion, the right person gets the right kind of blood for them.

I'm sorry OP but you are coming across as a bit of a diva. I am happy to have it done under the right circumstances. You are talking about your life and the life of your unborn baby ffs. Get it done. Explain the situation and meet them halfway.

Hope it all goes ok OP, do ask if you can double check the samples next time to make sure they're correct. Although imo everyone should do this every time for any blood that's taken especially when the nurse/phlebotamist has crappy handwriting, its quite irritating have to reject samples because someones handwriting is shite

Second asking for the form and going to the phlebotomy department , its a win win , you get the blood taken by someone who you trust and the department that wants the blood taking get the results.

Why did you post OP? Did you just fancy the argument?

Yep I’m going to ask for the form and see if they can do it that way.

Last time they were far better with it, I had a midwife who would do it each time for me and she was really understanding and never made me feel guilty or stupid for having anxiety.

This time they couldn’t give a crap.

The person who said anxiety isn’t a disability also, you probably don’t have severe anxiety then.

I have made suicide attempts in the past due to it, I can’t work full time, sometimes I struggle to leave my house. It’s very much disabling.

Some people luckily don’t have it quite so severely. I’m an unfortunate case that’s also quite treatment resistant. My DP and family and friends are wonderful supports but it really doesn’t help when people start saying “get over it”. If I could I would have years ago, it isn’t fun.

How far along in the pregnancy are you? You will probably need a few blood tests along the way can you combine it with the next one you need?
For example when I had a glucose test they also took the 28 week bloods at the same time.
Honestly you might be seeing a lot of needles! My hospital puts a cannula in anyone high risk as soon as you go in for labour and they do blood tests when you are admitted to. I lost count of the amount of blood tests I had.
I also hate needles and can be a bit awkward to get blood from, I don't let anyone try more than once!

I know how dreadful needle phobia is, honestly. I’ve had a terrible needle phobia since I was about 4. Since then I’ve had some horrific related experiences, including the disastrous spinal for my emergency c section - so bad I’m never having any more children - and an injury that needed more than 70 stitches. These haven’t done much to help!

Unfortunately no matter how much I try to control it, there are circumstances where you just can’t and it has to be done. Speak to your midwife again, ask if there’s anything they can do to help make it easier for you.

think labour may be a bit more difficult than a needle phobia

SinkGirl my anxieties stem from childhood too. It’s horrible isn’t it? I’m sorry that happened to you.

I’m going to take the form to the hospital blood department, and see if that’s any better.

I don't understand why people with 'needle phobia' get pregnant. You know it's going to involve needles. YABU

I don't understand why people with 'needle phobia' get pregnant.

Why the quotation marks, do you doubt it’s a genuine anxiety?

And because we want children, like everyone else...

@LeftRightCentre

Maybe because they'd like to have a family?

Just an idea...

Also lets not put these ' around the words needle phobia - its a real thing.