Blood test stress

[Liverbird77]

Please don't laugh or call me pathetic. For the past, I would say five years, I've fainted at the sight of needles. This even happened, very embarrassingly, at my pils house when an injection was shown on TV. Does anyone have an strategies for getting through all the forthcoming blood tests? I am 8 weeks and I have both first midwife appt and serenity test in two weeks. Any help or advice gratefully accepted!

When I have mine I talk and don't shut up just to take my mind off it. It's literally not even 30 seconds and it's over and done with x

Thank you so much. I will try that!

Another needle phobic here.

I always tell whoever is taking my blood of my fears. 9 times out of 10, they are lovely and just talk absolute rubbish to you while they're doing it, to keep your mind off it.

That being said - I am also of the view that I'll be pushing a baby out my fandango in about 7 months, so I'm trying to minimise my needle fear now.

In December I had a full-on panic attack at a blood test, but am 20 weeks pregnant now and am finding I have just got used to it.

For me, it's not the needle, it's the pumping blood, so I find the blood pressure tests nearly as bad. I have found that telling them I don't like it beforehand (as you sit down) has really helped, and that the midwives have been really good at dealing with it. I had a bit of a rough one at one of my scans, but I think as long as you get an experienced nurse they are used to people being nervous. I just look away and try to concentrate on my breathing. It really is over with very quickly. Good luck!

Thanks everyone. Hopefully I will have a nice one!