Blood test - good experiences

[ejclementine]

I've got my booking in appointment and a blood test today. I'm needle phobic and worrying rudiculously about the blood test. I can't remember what it's like to have one - would love to read positive stories to help me from running out of the room when the time comes.

The midwives who've done my blood tests have have all been fantastic & the only pain I've felt was the tiny scratch at the beginning.

They take a few voles of blood at 8 weeks but it's over in less than 30 seconds. What works for me is: looking away, & focusing on an object in the room..

I used to be very worried by needles too but they don't bother me so much now. I always make a conscious effort to relax and I look the other way so that I do not have to see the needle.

I wouldn't say I had 'good' experiences (it isn't exactly fun!) but my experiences throughout pregnancy have been neutral, in that they barely hurt at all and were over very quickly. It just feels like a small pin prick.

I think it helps to tell the person that is taking the blood that you are needle phobic.

Good luck to you and congratulations on your pregnancy!

Vials*
Oops, posted too soon!
Congrats on your pregnancy & good luck for today :)

Definitely tell the midwife that you're phobic they are generally very understanding. For me it's not the pain (which really is just a tiny scratch) it's the thought of the needle in my arm that freaks me out. They let me lie down, and I turn my head away and try to disassociate myself from my arm and chat inanely.....it's over in a minute. Poor you, I do sympathise! But it'll be much better than you expect.

Thanks everyone. I'm just like you Daisy - it's hard for me to give them my arm knowing what's about to happen. I also hate the not knowing when it's coming, yet I can't look to see what's happening. I'll let her know I'm scared and babble on to try and distract myself. Thanks for your help.

Blood tests during pregnancy are much easier than normal as you have loads more blood and your veins are closer to the skin. They used to have problems with me but now its a doddle and take about 2 seconds. If you don't look I'd bet you'd barely even know they were doing it!

Thank you, that's great to know. This is really helping me to keep calm.

Hey op,

I'm blood phobic rather than needle & told the midwife who was very understanding. She let me lie down & pick the arm she drew from and talked to me throughout so I wasn't thinking about it. Then she quickly hid the vials. First time I've never felt faint

I hate it. I hate it so much. I really really hate it, and my reward for going through it (and posts above saying it is quicker/easier in pregnancy are right!) was to find that I have some stupid rare negative blood group that I never knew about and so I get to have another needle for the rhesus stuff... sigh.....

the best way to deal with it I found was to ask to lie down, turn to face the wall, close your eyes, and just don't think about what the nurse is doing. that way, even if you do feel a bit odd, you are already lying down.

you'll be fine, it's a tiny thing in the scheme of getting to have your lovely baby, but fingers crossed for you anyway!

Remember to be well hydrated as that makes it even easier for them to do the deed. Good luck!

I hate needles and I've had to have blood tests every 2 months for the past 2 years before I got pregnant! I always explain to the phlebotomist that I hate needles and I won't faint, scream or kick, I just can't watch. That usually sets it up to be a good experience - I've even been given the needles they use for children before. I also know that I have a 'good' arm, so I always offer that up as well. It's grim, I still don't enjoy it, but it's usually over quickly.

Definitely look away and keep talking. I hate needles too but have never felt a thing. MWs are pretty good at that stuff. Don't worry .

I was just going to post about being hydrated. I made that mistake and she was going to give up but luckily found a vein.
Keep hydrated and she also told me being warm helps.

I don't really mind needles, but I'm no good with blood, and I know at some point afterwards (usually 5 or 10 minutes), I will get really faint. I warned the midwife that I tend to get dizzy and faint, and I'd be better lying down. Usually I find blood tests painful, it feels like a hard pinch the whole time, but this time I hardly felt anything. I had drunk a lot of water to help with the scan, and like a pp said, you have more blood in your body during pregnancy. My DH was in the room too, so the 3 of us were talking and laughing. It did take a little while as I needed some extra vials taken, but it was still probably only 2 or 3 minutes total, if that. I did go dizzy after, but I knew it was going to happen, I'd warned the MW, and so we were prepared. She also apologised and said there would probably be a fair bruise, as she'd had to take so much, but there was no pain after and a small red patch over the vein for a day or so afterwards, but not a huge purple bruise like I'd been expecting!.

It's not fun, no-one likes blood tests, but it's not usually too bad. Tell whoever is taking the sample of your fears, like others have said, keep hydrated and warm, it makes it easier to find a vein. Midwives especially are really good at taking blood, as it's something all pregnant women have to have done, and a lot of us aren't too good about it! They are usually very chatty and are able to put you at your ease, so good luck, and I hope it all goes well for you :)

Everytime I get a blood test I now tell them to tell me when its about to go in (I too don't like to look) but once the needles in I'm fine about watching, etc..
God I'm so used to needles now all I don't think I'm phobic anymore! Haha

I'm the same. I tell them I can't stand needles and they're very understanding. I've sat on the floor before but usually I look away, say something in my head on loop (alphabet backwards, counting in 2s backwards and forwards etc) and oddly find tapping my feet/legs up and down quickly helps. Makes me feel something that's not my arm maybe?
Midwives are so quick about it and much better than doctors in my experience.

I'm needle phobic. I have managed to get through the blood tests and shots associated with one pregnancy and 31 weeks of a second.

I always take off my glasses and turn my head as far as it will go in the direction where the needle is not. Everybody who has done a blood draw on me has been sympathetic and willing to tell me when it is safe to look. I suppose they have an incentive to do so- they don't want to deal with me freaking out, crying, fainting, throwing up, or what have you, any more than I want those things to happen. I always have blood drawn from my left arm (I'm right-handed), as I tend to tense up and shake, so I'm more likely to be sore afterward.

You're not alone, not even close. There are estimates that about 10% of the population has a needle phobia. You're probably not the only needle-phobe that the person who draws your blood will have to deal with that day. There is a genetic link to needle phobia. In my case, it's quite obvious- my dad and my sister have both fainted from seeing needles. It's not a character flaw, and anyone who says or insinuates otherwise does not know what they are talking about.

I'm hugely needle phobic, and put off having my booking in bloods until I was 13 weeks as I just kept having a breakdown over it. Since then I've had to have 7 blood tests...eek! I'm only 30 weeks and still more to do :( I have shocking veins too, and it takes several attempts, so I know how scary it can be.

The one thing that has helped me though, is Emla cream. The hospital recommended it to me, and I get it on prescription now through my GP (for free as well with my maternity excemption card). I put it on an hour beforehand, and it totally numbs the area. Then when it comes to doing the test, I turn away, and ask them not to tell me when it's going in, and usually I don't feel a thing. I feel very faint afterwards though, so ice cold water helps with that to perk me up again.

I know I may be a little late with that advice now, so I hope it went well, but if you need any bloods done in the future, I would seriously recommend giving the Emla cream a go. It's still scary, but it takes the edge off the whole thing.

I feel for you. It's especially horrible as the first set of blood tests are fasting, so your blood pressure is already low!!!

I had mine done a week or so ago (we get them earlier here), and I managed to faint at reception when she was asking us questions before anything had even happened. I got carted off to a side room, had my legs pulled up, my back put down and something cold on my head, then they left me for a while.

AND i had to get TWO tests! One in each arm!!!

I have to say though that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Normally they tell you when they are about to put the needle in - I've never had a test where they didn't.

I think it makes a huge difference if you have a phlebotomist doing it, or just a gp. Phlebotomists are incredible. Honestly, it makes a huge difference.

PS, remember to bring something to eat afterwards!!

How did it go?!

Hi everybody- thanks so much for all of your experiences. I burst into tears as soon as she mentioned taking blood (much to my oh's surprise, even though I told him I was phobic). I cried through the whole thing but I think it would have been okay had she not had such a tough time finding my veins. So I had both arms tried but she got there in the end. Thanks so much for the Elma cream recommendation - I'll look into that before the next one. Glad it's all done, and now I know what to expect I should handle it better in future.

*Emla cream

I'm sorry it was still hard, the worst part seems to be when they struggle to find veins Hopefully this experience won't make it harder next time, and that cream sounds like a life-saver. Good luck in the future [hugs]

oh my goodness im sooo scared to have a blood test made it 22 years not having one and the thought of having one makes me feel faint! im a total needle phobe aswell.. do you have to have one? where can i buy this emla cream? is this what they use before getting a tattoo aswell?