Severe Needle phobia - First test was today!

[Kayano]

I just wanted to post on here (sorta new) I have just had my first ever Midwife appointment (there is a debate going on with dr, midwife and ourselves as to if I am 5, 7 or 9 weeks pregnant)

Anyway, I have had severe needle phobia since I was 7 and have been going through psychology sessions to try and overcome this. I cry, shake, scream, flat out refused to get any needles what-so-ever for over 16 years.

So... they totally take your blood at Midwife appointments and I was totally unprepared, but... I did it! I am so proud of myself and have no one to tell yet!!! So please can I ask you put up with this 'Go me!' post. It took me two attempts and I cried for 2 hours but I feel really happy I did it :D

also... DH knows how bad this phobia is so bought me a pressie for being a 'brave girl' lol.

Have a big MN and a Well Done!
My DD1 hates needles and I'm very proud of her because she had all her cervical cancer jabs, without too much fuss.
I don't mind needles as long as I'm allowed to look, I get really tense if I don't know when they are going to do it.

If it was for anything other than pregnancy, honestly I wouln't have it.
Still not vaccinated for Meningitis :S

I have exactly the same thing. Well done for coping so well. At my booking appointment I was in pieces as I had terrible morning sickness too...it did not end well. To make matters worse they lost those blood results,not once, BUT TWICE so had to endure it twice more.
Does it help to have someone with you? To all but one blood test appt I have taken my mum or dp with me. Mw is fine with it she totally understands and congratulated me last week when I had to go on my own and she also said I was a brave girl too!!
Hope it gets better for you

Well done :)

oh well done!
I have a dreadful phobia of needles. Can't go near a doc without being covered in the numbing cream they give small children...

I had a massive needle phobia as well, then I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 21!! Nothing like a life or death situation to help with phobias! Although saying that I still have to psyche myself up for "proper" needles though.

I find needle phobias really strange, maybe i've been poked with that many i'm blase to them now, i have to inject myself with fragmin every day anyway while i'm pregnant. I think if you want to have a baby you kind of have to accept needles as part of the territory lol Wait till your 4 cms dilated and screaming for an epidural all of a sudden needles won't look so bad.

Well done you OP! Been there, done that, got a stupid t-shirt instead of having the blood test done

I'm afraid blood tests are a regular feature of pregnancy. If it helps, try asking your pharmacist for EMLA cream - it's a local anaesthetic that I've found takes the edge off the bit I hate most. You'll need the cream and a dressing called tegaderm, apply a small squidge of the cream over the vein in your arm and cover it with the dressing about 20 minutes before an appointment where you know you'll be having a test (midwife should give you warning). When you get to the appointment the area should be nice and numb, and you can leave it on for well over an hour. I've got some in my labour bag too for the (very real) eventuality that I'll need to be cannulated.

Once I had my epidural with my last pregnancy though the phobia disappeared for the most part - like something switched in my brain to say 'hey, you've had a needle in your spine, this dinky little blood test is NOTHING'. EMLA is just a security blanket for me now, that I'm not quite ready to give up yet :)