Preparing 3 yr old for hospital operation

[mum03]

My ds is going into hospital this Friday,for a very small op. I would like to prepare him for the whole process of going under aneasthetic, but not sure how to without worrying him. Any Ideas? Or should I not tell him in advance? What would you do?

I explained to mine that he'd go in his pj's and have a sleep in a big hospital bed. They let me carry him in and hold him whilst they held the gas mask over his face until he dropped off. You could try taking a favourite book in for this bit.

I took some mini-boxes of his favourite cereal and milk for after, and cartons of juice.

Ooh, its horrid for us, I was in bits, but he handled it just fine - infact he was amazing, better than any adult. Dealt with it better than I did, in fact.

DS had a minor op at 3.5. He knew what it was for and wanted to know chapter & verse.

I told him they were going to give him medicine to make him go to sleep, and that it wouldn't hurt - also that he would be able to ask the doctors any questions he wanted to.

The staff where great. They explained it all to him really well, and his bear went with him - and bear came back with a plaster in the same place as DS and a bandage on his paw like DS's drip hand. They kept him talking in the anethestic room until he went to sleep.

The only thing he complained about in the whole process was the nurse taking off the plaster which held his drip in place!

There's a great Usborne book about going to hospital which I got from the library when DD1 was going to have a GA. It became one of her favourite books for a while and I had to get it renewed at the library.

She was only in for the day and had a great time playing before the op. For the anaesthetic, OH held her on his lap and read to her whilst the anaesthetist held the mask under her nose till she went under. I was in bits, but OH was fine. She was extremely disoriented and distressed when she came round for about 20 mins or so, but after that, continued to have a great time until she was discharged.

Good luck. Hope it goes ok.

Get him to watch Me Too, as well, Dr Juno(SP?) is dd1's favourite, she now wants to become a dr.

Might be worth checking what they plan to do - how old is your DS? DS didn't have a mask on until after he was asleep - they gave him stuff in the back of his hand to put him to sleep (hand having been numbed in advance with "magic cream") - if it's anything like DS's op, you can call and check with the staff on the ward before you go in, so that you know what to tell him.

i got he book an usbourne first experiences one
ds loved it
3 year olds donot react well to aneaeythtics so be prepared for hom to be uite vioelnt as he comes around

( see the others have posted abotu when they come around) ds3 was liek the HUlk

Cod - didn't know that - DS came round, turned over, and went back to sleep