Blood test experiences please

[sammythemummy]

GP is sending dd1 (ASD)for a blood test to check for food allergies due to ongoing GI issues.

I've tried explaining that the nurse will be taking some blood from her which was met with not MY blood, she's not!

I'm dreading the whole experience as she can be very very stubborn and she's an escaper when anxious.

Anything that has worked with your child? Does the numbing cream actually work?

Dd (autism) hates blood tests. I don't talk about it anymore if one is coming up.she just gets worked up. we just do it there and then (they usually use some numbing cream but we still need 2 adults to hold her down). we have blood tests very rarely and this works best in our case (wouldn't probably work of blood tests are regular).

We've had to have a few for DD (Aspergers) problem with numbing cream (it does work) is that it needs a good half hour to an hour to work, which just prolongs the situation in my experience.

When we last had one done, it was done with a freeze spray, which was instant. The team that did it, was in the children's outpatients bit, so lots of experience, they had a nice room, and a portable DVD player. DD chose a DVD and sat chest to chest with me, they distracted her with the DVD and once the spray was done, they did it so quick, she couldn't believe it was over.

I'd promised her a trip to the shop at the hospital and she could pick something after. This also helped, as I could remind her of it at the time.

Just taken both of ours to the local childrens hospital as coeliacs. DD asd just too anxious and refused point blank, DS nervous but went in with me, very slick team, freeze spray book needle in and done in 30 secs. But I did offer a bribe to both which I find helps enourmously

Ds has had to have a lot of blood tests, it is always horrible, but after one particularly awful occasion, we realised that this is what works for him, and now insist on this.

No numbing cream - ds has sensory issues, hates things like sun cream, plus he knows something is going to happen when the cream is on, and it just prolongs the anxiety

Find best, most confident nurse in the building

....plus one other!

Don't bother with trying for distraction (it has NEVER worked in the past!)

Warm up potential areas for blood to be taken (so veins are more prominent) I usually have a warmed up beanie bear, or have taken an instant heat hand warmer for this in the past

Hold ds on my lap, facing outwards with my arms wrapped around him.

Get very confident and brusque nurse to do it as quickly as possible!!

Obviously all children are different, some children may find the play experts and distractions really helpful, others might be fine with the numbing cream. But this has worked out to be the best way for us.

Are you going to a peads clinic? If so phone them and let them know and they should be able to have a play specialist there to help. Our hopsital has them as standard in all the peads blood clinics.

Yes, agree with Sirzy, even though we haven't had any success with the play specialists, we do ring ahead or write out on a card what works best with ds (I have actually printed out a card which I keep in my hospital bag, because we had such a battle with one nurse taking blood from ds!)

Not ASD here so my ds reaction may not be relevant (nurses tried to distract with a book but my iPad really did the job). But I felt squeamish and light headed and had to sit down and ask for water. I am normally fine and wasn't nervous or anything so I don't know what happened there but did feel a bad mummy for not supporting my ds who didn't notice as the iPad was far more interesting.

My dd has no language, it wasn't two bad. Sat, held arm, lollipop within sixty seconds. Only bad bit was allergic reaction to cream!

My DS loves technology so one of the nurses managed to distract him with the IPad while the other one worked on him and he was surprisingly alright afterwards.

DH took him to hospital the following time and I gave him clear instructions beforehand on how to distract him with the iPad. He didn't bother and DS became as pale as a sheet and was sick shortly afterwards.

So distraction did work for us.

I didn't tell my ds. He went with his older brother and screamed for two hours afterwards.

It wasn't pleasant, more numbing creamed needed I think. Lots of chocolate afterwards. However my eldest and asd boys were absolutely fine with it! The 3 year old watched it all

Thank you so much,

Yes we will be going to the children's outpatients floor so I would imagine they have toys/books etc.

Tbh I think I'M a lot more anxious than she is!

Do they provide IPad or should I be bringing it?

So the plan is:
-Bribe with a trip to her favour place (Argos).
-bring hot water bottle to get her veins ready.
-lollipop

Take everything you think she will need. My hospital has toys but they are mostly pre schooler ones

Take your own iPad and headphones if you've got any.

DS young and pre verbal, ASD, but I was really impressed with the numbing cream but yes, you are waiting around an hour before for it to work so whether you think that might make it worse? Our letter gave you a choice, turn up an hour before if you want the cream. Our room had a TV with cartoons on but there was still ALOT of wriggling! Good luck x

You may be able to get the cream from your gp, if you wanted to put the cream on at home so ready numbed when you get there.

The freeze spray worked for us - we said it was like Elsa from Frozen would use! Bribed with chips from MacDonalds afterwards.

Ipad and distraction didn't work for us - in the end we had to let DD see what was happening as she was getting more worked up not knowing.

Deep breaths and remember that it doesnt take too long - even if it is awful for a short while.

Good luck!

Well we're at the waiting room now.

Deep breath

That was fun! According to dd :)

Phew!

Nurses were brilliant, all ready and excellent at distracting.

You can also buy Emla cream from the pharmacy. We found Emla cream causes a rash. Ametop cream has not caused a rash so far, but we have never tried to buy it OTC.