To be dreading DD's preschool booster?

[dreamer24]

I have huge anxiety around parenting and particularly the idea of my child coming to any harm that I can't prevent (I'm working on it, it's a continuation of severe postnatal anxiety). DD is 3 and is booked in for her preschool vaccinations today. I'm planning on giving her calpol beforehand but are there any other side effects I need to be aware of so I can preempt them? Thank you

Take a small choclatey treat and be honest that it's likely to hurt but just fir a few seconds

I don't think you can pre-empt side effects can you? Either you get them or you don't. I personally wouldn't give medicine on the off chance DC might get something.

Thanks @KnickerlessFlannel - I've told her it will likely hurt but daddy will give her a cuddle etc (he is taking her because I can't bear it), I don't think she fully gets it at the moment to be honest. 😢

@CSanDiego maybe preempt was the wrong word. I'm thinking more just to have an awareness of possible side effects so I can look out for them and be prepared.

You are doing the right thing getting your child vaccinated. Don't dread it . Try to feel its a positive thing you're doing.
If you're wound up your kid will pick up on it. Get your big girl knickers on and go along with a no nonsense attitude. You can do it OP. Good luck.

Honestly its 5 seconds of her life. Neither of mine even cried.

I took DD for hers on Monday. Absolutely no need to give Calpol, it's not required.
DD was fine, then cried when they did the injection but only for a minute, we then went for an all day breakfast and she played for the rest of the day happily.
I'm not downplaying your anxiety as you can't help how you feel but it was honestly nothing.

From experience my daughter was completely fine. The nurse was brilliant with her and she was too excited about her certificate and sticker to care! I don't recall she had any symptoms either. Try take some deep breaths xx

I made a big thing about my son making sure I could not see what was happening so he had to cuddle me (so facing away from the nurse). He was more focused on that than what was happening. Just remember the whooping cough vaccine stings

Don't big it up. One quick mention and another reassurance before she goes in. That's enough. Otherwise she wi grow up with the anxiety too.

@MultiplaLight
That's why I'm not the one taking her, her dad is. He is very calm relaxed and collected so she won't pick up anything. The ones she had as a baby I had a panic attack and had to leave the room, thankfully she was with her dad. It's severe anxiety for me and as I said, I'm working on it. But I'm the meantime I wanted to be aware of any possible side effects to be vigilant for.

No side effects for either of mine; it was different to the baby ones in that way and my DC were upset for all of about 5 minutes, i gave them both a treat after.

@Tbskejue
Thank you. I am remembering the side effects from the baby ones and the advice to give calpol etc, hence my post about the preschool ones as I assumed they might be similar.

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!

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’

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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'm aware that vaccinations are a positive thing which is why she's having them. But at the same time I have crippling anxiety about anything that might cause her pain (linked to my own childhood trauma, and yes I'm working on it as I said in my OP). In the meantime I'm doing what I can to manage it including DH taking her instead of me and accessing therapy.

I disagree that she shouldn't be told about it. Her dad will be picking her up from nursery early to take her, she won't be expecting that or understand why, so we have prepared her.

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)

Thanks everyone for the Bing episode recommendation - I've sent a link to DH.

This.