Anyone else have to have blood drawn for their 9 month appt?

bsktbllqt11 · March 2011

I asked this on the 6-9 but I got a lot of people telling me their babies only had to get a finger prick, so I don't know if its an area thing? Anyone else have to go to a Quest or LabCorp for their 9 month appt?

idonthavethis · March 2011

Oh man I remember DH having to take LO to one of those places to have blood drawn but I don't remember exactly how old she was--if it wasn't nine months, it was maybe a few months after.

bsktbllqt11 · March 2011

idonthavethis:
Oh man I remember DH having to take LO to one of those places to have blood drawn but I don't remember exactly how old she was--if it wasn't nine months, it was maybe a few months after.

I made DH take off from work because I can't do it alone!

Cooper81 · March 2011

I had to take DS to be tested at about 4 weeks ( I can't remember why) to Quest. I had to hold my 4 week old on my lap while they put an IV needle in his arm for a large vial of blood. Worst thing ever for a very hormonal mom, I was bawling the entire time. Thankfully they let us sit in the room for a while and cuddle/nurse to calm down.

KathrynMD · March 2011

bsktbllqt11:
I asked this on the 6-9 but I got a lot of people telling me their babies only had to get a finger prick, so I don't know if its an area thing? Anyone else have to go to a Quest or LabCorp for their 9 month appt?

I think that might be a lead test?

I don't think we had to do it, but I know I had to answer questions about my zip code or something.

kelleymark82606 · March 2011

We had no pricks of any sorts at 9mo.

photo_nut · March 2011

We did, but DD had eating issues too, so they wanted to test her iron. They used a butterfly needle. We went to Quest. It's not fun, I'll be honest. I had to hold her across her chest so she didn't move. I think they went through her hand, too. One tip: make sure she drinks a lot beforehand, so that she is nice and hydrated. If she is dehydrated, it is harder for them to find a vein.

Lisa and Mickey · March 2011

KathrynMD:
bsktbllqt11:
I asked this on the 6-9 but I got a lot of people telling me their babies only had to get a finger prick, so I don't know if its an area thing? Anyone else have to go to a Quest or LabCorp for their 9 month appt?

I think that might be a lead test?

I don't think we had to do it, but I know I had to answer questions about my zip code or something.

Same here. DS did not have to get blood drawn, but SD did before she started school. She lived in Hawaii and California and we couldn't confirm she hadn't been exposed. I remember it having to do with zip codes too.

moonfaerie · March 2011

We had to take L for a blood draw at 12 months for a lead test, and it was the normal blood draw an adult would have. There are several zip codes that require lead tests for 1 and 2 year olds. It was one of the worst days of my life and I am actually tearing up now just thinking about it. I am not going to handle this fall very well when I have a one-year-old and two-year-old to get tested.

Here's a link to at-risk zip codes.

jcsntms06 · March 2011

Yes we had blood drawn at 9 months. We had to go to LabCorp. It wasn't to bad, but I took the hubby along, so he could hold her down.

shoeboxx · March 2011

We had to have blood drawn as well I believe at 9 months. The rooms were sort of small, so I walked out while H stayed in with LO...I couldn't do it. Crying

Megcheer2 · March 2011

I think that its the preference of some pediatricians to have this 9 month blood draw. The practice that we go to does it and at her 9 month appointment, I was given the slip and was told, by the doctor, to head to Quest or Labcorp. I know she said it was to check DD's iron level, but I can't remember if it was to check anything else either.

The interesting part is that when the nurse came in to do DD's immunization, I asked her about the blood draw and she said that she couldn't do it with her own child because she couldn't stand seeing her infant get a needle in his/her arm. I asked her if it was optional to do it and she backed off a little (I think she regretted telling me that she'd never done it) and she said something like, "Well, this is what I did, but you want to talk to the doctor about it."

Clearly, I know everything is "optional" and the doctor can't make us do anything, but I guess before I had this conversation with the nurse, I felt like it was something that I had to do. So I thought about it, and decided to not do it. I can't put her through that.

We will see at her 12 month appointment if the doctor brings it up with me.

I am fairly certain her iron levels are fine because she's on formula, which is iron-fortified, and the kid is growing like a weed.

jnealet · March 2011

We had to get it done at 9 months. It was lead and iron testing - E ended up being low on both counts, which was good for lead, bad for iron.

We went to LabCorp, I think and I made sure I chose one with pediatrics. It said you could go to any but I wanted one that handled children often because I didn't know what I was getting into.

It wasn't all that bad, I think I cried more than E. It was over pretty fast.

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Anyone else have to have blood drawn for their 9 month appt?

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