I have an appointment to take my LO in for his 12 month blood work this Friday and am having a little anxiety about it. Do they usually do a finger stick or an arm draw? How did your LOs handle it? Ugh, I am just dreading this!
My DD had it a 9 months and it was an arm draw. She did great. We went to quest and the women who worked there were wonderful. DD sat on my lap and one of the workers sat next to me talking to her etc... while the other took her blood.
I guess it depends on how much blood they actually need to draw. We needed 3 vials for an allergy testing just recently. At first DS was okay. But then she had to move the needle because she caught a valve, and then he was p!ssed. My SO had to hold him, while i was helping keep his arm still. It was harder for me than for him. Afterwards he was flirting & cleaning with the broom until we left. Babies do tend to bruise with getting blood drawn, just so you aren't freaked out if you see bruising.
Good luck - and it'll be over before ya know it! It definitely is harder for the parent to see it be done.
Our doctors office does a heel prick but the nurse who does it was out on leave for a broken arm so we went to a Quest as well. I was a bit freaked when I realized it was an arm draw there but they were really good there and she did really well. I don't think she cried anymore than she did for her MMR shot and she recovered right away. I think it just sounds scarier than it really is.
We have to do this too. It is an arm draw. I am NOT looking forward to this. DD has very chubby arms and it is hard to find her vein. She has had to have an IV before and it was a nightmare. I am definitely not going to this appt. alone.
Ours was a blood draw. It sucked. The way we did it was with him in my lap and DH holding down his arm. I felt so bad, but it didn't take too long. Actually it took longer to find a vein than it did to actually draw the blood.
a routine blood draw for an infant??????? That is really bizaare, never heard of it (I'm a pediatric nurse)... obviously it must vary by state? What are they testing for? If it's just for hemoglobin that's a quick finger/heel stick, absolutely not necessary to do a blood draw! I can't imagine anything else they'd be looking for unless it was a special circumstance like genetic testing or something... weird
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a routine blood draw for an infant??????? That is really bizaare, never heard of it (I'm a pediatric nurse)... obviously it must vary by state? What are they testing for? If it's just for hemoglobin that's a quick finger/heel stick, absolutely not necessary to do a blood draw! I can't imagine anything else they'd be looking for unless it was a special circumstance like genetic testing or something... weird
Yes, lead-testing is a requirement in some states.
My DD had a blood draw at 12 months, but it was to test for a hereditary condition she might have inherited from me (she didn't, after all). It was the most horrific thing I have EVER experienced. They ended up strapping her to a table with velcro, and I have never in my life seen a child that frightened and upset. It makes me sick to my stomach every time I think about it. It was by far the worst day of my life.
Don't do it if there is no reason to. My pediatrician does not do routine bloodwork.
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Re: 12-month blood work?
At first DS was okay. But then she had to move the needle because she caught a valve, and then he was p!ssed. My SO had to hold him, while i was helping keep his arm still. It was harder for me than for him. Afterwards he was flirting & cleaning with the broom until we left.
Babies do tend to bruise with getting blood drawn, just so you aren't freaked out if you see bruising.
Good luck - and it'll be over before ya know it! It definitely is harder for the parent to see it be done.
Hemoglobin and lead levels...I believe it is routine but maybe it varies by pediatrician?
Momma Maven In The Making!
Yes, lead-testing is a requirement in some states.
My DD had a blood draw at 12 months, but it was to test for a hereditary condition she might have inherited from me (she didn't, after all). It was the most horrific thing I have EVER experienced. They ended up strapping her to a table with velcro, and I have never in my life seen a child that frightened and upset. It makes me sick to my stomach every time I think about it. It was by far the worst day of my life.
Don't do it if there is no reason to. My pediatrician does not do routine bloodwork.