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3rd Trimester
3 hr glucose test - finger stick or butterfly needle?
so, i have my 3 hr glucose test tomorrow morning which i am absolutely NOT looking forward to. when i got my 1 hr done, they wanted to draw blood from my arm (and normal people would have let them) but i said noooo way. i never get anxiety, but when i see a needle, and know that is going in me, i FREAK out. i mean like seizures, throwing up, bad freak out. so anywho - they allowed me to do the 1 hr with a finger stick, and just didnt do the RLR syphillis test they would usually do with a vial of blood (i know i dont have syphillis anyways).
heres my question... was anyone able to do the 3 hr test with just finger pricks, or did you all have to have the butterfly needle and they just tapped it 4 times? i'm REALLY hoping for a finger prick, or they are going to have a pregnant looney bin on their hands 
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Re: 3 hr glucose test - finger stick or butterfly needle?
They drew blood 4 times with 4 different needles. They can not leave in a butterfly needle 1. its dangerous 2. its not sanitary. I am not sure if they will do a finger prick but prepare yourself for 4 blood draws. One way to help is not think about it and not look at it. I have had many people get freaked out over needles and I have some that would freak out worse than you. I had them lay down gave them a cool cloth for their face and had them breath deep, afterwards they said it wasnt as bad as they thought.
at the least you will need a butterfly type. how did you make it throught the entire pregnancy without needles. even the first test they did when i was pregnant they took 14 vials of blood.
what r u going to do in the hospital? IV? epidural?pictocen if needed?
well... i've only had blood taken one time at 7 weeks, and they did the majority of all my blood work then bc they know about my situation. that time it ended up in a 35 second seizure and i threw up all over myself and the lab tech, and i didnt even know where i was afterwards!
i'm actually pretty worried about what will happen in the hospital. i guess ill just have to suck it up, or they can figure out a plan b. who knows?
i also was stuck 4 times WITH A HUGE NEEDLE i might add. they ran out of butterfly needles (who does that!??!?)
i also thought that it might be a finger prick-- but i was sadly mistaken
lol
twitter: @aliciamariel
I asked for finger pricks because I thought 4 needles was too much. They said it had to be needles.
While I've never had a seizure I have had fainting spells when getting blood drawn. It almost always takes more than one attempt to get the needle in. My 3 hr involved 6 needles, because one tech was inexperienced.
When you go ask for the most experienced tech, and explain your issue. The music is a good idea. I have started to do better by talking all the way through the experience. Sometimes I have someone come with me. Even DD has been with me. And if not I just talk to the techs about random stuff.
Distraction is key!
Have you ever talked to your doctor about this? If you are having panic attacks when you have a needle then you have a problem that could probably be addressed with a mild sedative. I'm not sure if there is anything you can take while pg, but my mom recently had some issues while getting her breathing machine for sleep apnea. She had panic attacks whenever they put the mask on because she is claustrophobic. But she needed the machine. So her doctor gave her one sedative and she made it through the test. After that she was fine when she brought the machine home.
A lot of people hate needles, but a violent reaction, like the one you describe could probably be dealt with.