blood tests!!HELP

[mrsgee]

my dd has been called for yet another blood test, she is 3. this is the 3rd one in the last 1 1/2 months. her blood does not flow quickly through the tube and therefore takes a very long time to get a small amount. it is also quite a traumatic time with her crying and telling me to make them take the needle out and stop hurting her. has anyone had this problem ? if so how did you deal with it and has anyone got any ideas to make it better, or is it something we are just going to have to go through

it might help a little bit to speed things up if you make sure your DD has plenty of water before she has the test - being a touch dehydrated can make it more difficult to take blood.

sorry can't think of anything else of use, hopefully someone else will have more experience.

thank you will try that.
anyone else got any ideas

Arrange some special treat for immediately afterwards and focus her attention on that whilst they do the test?

make sure she is warm, hot water bootle and gloves, the heat brings the veins to the surface and makes them nice and full.

see if there is a play specialist around to distract your dd, if there isnt one, you can try taking in a favourite book, also see if she can have ametop/emla cream applied before the test, this will numb her skin and hopefully make the test a lot easier. also, depending on the type of test shes having, and on the amount needed, children can sometimes have a fingerprick to obtain a blood sample, though this is only possible if its a very small amount, but its worth checking as its sometimes an easier way of getting blood out of a small child.

thanks for all that will try the heat. there was a play therapist and dd was havnt any of it, we also did the cream for the second one,so i dont know if she now just has a fear about it. they need to take three tubes of blood, it just takes forever as the blood doesnt flow quick