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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Doctor-phobic DS (4) having MMR booster tomorrow - any tips?

20 replies

policywonk · 21/08/2007 18:57

It's going to kick off hugely. The practice have suggested rolling him in a blanket! Anyone else have any experience of this?

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Original poster

policywonk · 21/08/2007 19:18

Oh pleease

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jangly · 21/08/2007 19:21

I think I'd find another practice! Rolling him in a blanket would be very distressing. And what have they done to him to make him doctor phobic? Find a more child friendly doctor to start with. Then try bribing him.

LaylaandSethsmum · 21/08/2007 19:23

Prepare him as much as you can, be sympathetic but very firm and very much the one whos in charge he has to have the knowledge that this is going to happen regardless , don't promise huge rewards but if he does comply to a degree then reward him.
Also when you sit with him try sitting him facing you with his legs round your waist and his arms around you under yours, this way you can hold him very frimly and he also feels secure.
This comes from lots of practice giving these jabs
Good luck!!

FLIER · 21/08/2007 19:24

How bad is he? Would bribing him with a treat afterwards do any good or is he really that bad?

Original poster

policywonk · 21/08/2007 19:25

Oh, doctor-phobia stems from a few procedures he had to have done at hospital a while back (general anaesthetic, drip in for a few days, lots of injections) - before we moved here so no-one's fault really. He's just one of those kids who hate people mucking about with his body - hates haircuts, having feet measured, and so on.

Is rolling him in a blanket really very unusual? I know it sounds a bit inhumane (and is certain to exacerbate the problem), but can't see how else they're going to get it into him. Bribery won't work for this!

Can I just postpone the booster for a year or so and see whether he calms down? He starts school in September, don't want to take too many risks with measles/mumps.

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Original poster

policywonk · 21/08/2007 19:26

Oh thank you laylaandsethsmum, that sounds very helpful, will try that

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jangly · 21/08/2007 19:28

Yes, that does sound a much better way.

SofiaAmes · 21/08/2007 19:33

Ds is petrified of needles (inherited from dh) and I have had to physically drag him out from under the table at the gp's. I hand over the lollypop before the injection. It's much harder to cry/scream while your mouth is full. The larger rounder lollypops are the most effective. I have also resorted to blanket wrapping (to administer iv in hospital) and knee on chest ( for 2nd mmr). The blanket wrapping was done by the nurses at the hospital and I'm not fond of it. But depending on how strong your ds is, it might be the only way. At least this will be the last lot of injections for awhile!

Original poster

policywonk · 21/08/2007 19:35

Oh dear, knee on chest not sounding good.

Will buy an enormous lollipop on the way...

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flamingtoaster · 21/08/2007 19:45

My daughter was needle-phobic following three hospital admissions where she was on a drip for almost a week, having gone in so ill they had trouble finding anywhere to put the needle. For her pre-school injections I told her what was going to happen and that I would be lining chocolates up along the edge of the doctor's desk and she could eat all of the ones I lined up after the injection was done. As she usually only got one or two chocolates at a time she was totally torn between not wanting to go and the prospect of more chocolate at once than she had ever had! I said I would hold her very tightly (facing away from the doctor) and promised it would be over very quickly. Although very apprehensive she was fine. Good luck - I now how difficult this is!

Original poster

policywonk · 21/08/2007 20:27

Thank you flaming. Your poor DD must have been very ill.

Unforunately I am a bit of a rubbish mother on the sweets and treats front, so bribery would have to be on a truly stupendous scale to be effective.

Had a chat with DS about it before he went to bed, and he told me that so long as I don't take him to the doctor tomorrow, he won't try to kill me.

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FLIER · 22/08/2007 16:51

how did your ds get on, policywonk?

Original poster

policywonk · 22/08/2007 18:52

Oh, it was VERY irritating. I took Layla's approach and told him about it in a fairly matter-of-fact way, and he actually responded quite well and walked with me to the GP quite calmly (last time I had to take him there I had to carry him, kicking and screaming). Anyway, when we got there, it turned out they'd made a bleedin mistake with the appointment, and now we have to wait for another one. Aaaargh!

But thanks for asking.

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FLIER · 22/08/2007 18:55

what a shame and how very irritating for you and your ds.
My ds got his booster just last week and it was quite a shock for him, getting them in the arms, as of course any he had had previously had been on the hip.
Hope he's alright when he eventually get it.

onthefarm · 22/08/2007 19:47

For when you get your next appointment(!) - With my dd I wrapped up a dress I had bought her and sat in the drs with this massive pressie - she was fine - couldn't wait to have the injection so she could get her dress.

flamingtoaster · 22/08/2007 20:01

Glad you at least made progress with the walking there - with luck he might be OK next time. Good luck.

Original poster

policywonk · 22/08/2007 20:21

Thank you, ladies

That's a good one, onthefarm! He does love a prezzie.

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Monkeybar · 22/08/2007 20:34

Slightly irrelevant (sp?) but stick with me - I used to work in the animal behaviour field and attended quite a lot of talks by vets on the subject. They all agreed that the reason a lot of dogs are terrified of the vets is that they only go in the building when they're poorly, or in pain, or about to have something unpleasant happen to them. The advice was that it was a good idea to take the dog into the vets, if ever you were passing, and then give them a treat in there (or better still, have the receptionist or vet nurse give them a treat). That way, when they had to go in for treatment, they would have a 'bank' of positive experiences to help to counteract the bad one.
The point I'm trying to make (badly!) is that going today and your ds NOT having to have anything nasty done is probably a really good thiing in terms of how he feels about the doctors. Good luck for next time.

Original poster

policywonk · 22/08/2007 21:19

Thanks, monkeybar

I did think for a minute that you were advising me to take DS in there randomly and feed him sweets in the waiting room

Although I suppose that wouldn't be the worst idea if he was really hysterical about it...

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Reallytired · 22/08/2007 21:19

I did not tell my son he was going to be jabbed.

I bought my son a power rangers comic. I read him the stories. He didn't even notice the first jab. When he had the second jab he said "Thats not very nice to the nurse". I swiftly took the cheap toy of the front of the power ranger comic and it distracted him befoe he even cried.

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