How to Handle a 15 Month Old Getting Blood Drawn -- Help?!

HI A.,

First I want you to know I worked as a ER RN for 15yrs so have some experience with this subject. Demand the person who is drawing the blood is comfortable with babies, they are very difficult. Second I highly recommend not being in the room, make them get a second person to hold or have your boyfriend. Why I say this is because you will come in and be the hero when it's done by picking him up and taking him away from the ones who hurt him. I know as a mom of 3 it's hard to leave your child during a stressful situation but it will make the staff more at ease and often the child because he won't pick up on your stress. Good luck!

Hi my name is A. and I worked as a phlebotomist for 7 years .A phlebotomist is someone that draws blood. I can tell you that it is very difficult to get bloof from a baby, but if you know what you are doing it can be quick and there will be minimal pain. You should ask to speak to the supervisor and let him/her know what happened last time, demand to have the most experienced phlebotomist, they should NOT be offended by this. Sometimes it is easier if the parent leaves the room, because then the child does not assosiate the parent with pain. Or you can stay anc compfort your child. I personally have always stayed and stayed next to my childrens head and compforted them. Just remember that you are the client and they are there to provide a service to you, so demind the most experienced person! I hope all goes well.
Sincerely, A.

A....
I'm so sorry you and your son had to go through this. First, make it known that, as you do, your son's veins are hard to find. Demand that a nurse who is experienced in pediatric blood draws is brought in. There is a huge difference between adult and pediatrics when it comes to taking blood.
If you cannot handle being in the room, take a friend or family member that your son is comfortable with to go with you. It's ok that you can't be there. As a nurse, I've gone for many of my friends/family. Sometimes it's easier for everyone.
Never let them make multiple attempts. If a nurse can't get it with 2 trys, they are done. It's ok to tell them you want someone else. Trust me, by the 2nd time, they don't want to be there any more than you want them there.

Good luck!

First, it is good to understand the impact we as mommies have on our babies. I think using your boyfriend may be a great idea. He (I hope) isn't as scared or upset about having blood drawn so your little one will not draw on his insecurities. I would even suggest not being in the room IF YOU CAN!!

I think my best piece of advice is to call ahead and ensure someone who has a lot of experience with drawing blood from babies is there. I had to deal with the same type of situation when mine was only 3 months old and while I am not afraid of needles or blood, it was hard to have to hold his little arm down so they could draw the blood.

Most importantly, if this is a test that needs to be done, it needs to be done. The short amount of discomfort your child will endure is worth it.

good luck!

We have a lot of experience in this. My poor son is a human pin cushion. And just recently a wonderful lab tech. gave me great advice.

First of all if you know your son has difficulty getting his blood drawn you should have the doc. refer you to the lab. They have more experience, that's what they do all day long.

Second let them know that it is difficult to find a vein in your son and if you can remember where they found on last time that would be good to.

Third, and the one that seemed to do the trick, make sure your son is warm and drinks a lot of water through out the day(Note: double check on the water with the doc bec. sometimes they have to be fasting and I don't know if that means water also).

My poor son was so hot in his jacket the last time I took him to get his blood drawn but I refused to let him take it off.
It took the tech. just 1 poke and we were done. We have never ever ever had only 1 poke!

Honestly, if your son is healthy & just getting routine tests, I wouldn't bother trying again. It's up to you if you're worried about what the test results might be, but I've skipped a routine blood test for my son before because he was so afraid of the needle, and I didn't think it was necessary to put him through it. You can always try again in 6 months or a year. And, like everyone else, I would not recommend going back to the same place they drew his blood the first time! Poor little guy!

C. : )

Oh A.!
How awful!!! I would have been in tears along with my baby - you must have been devastated. I would say that you need to explain to the office how traumatic the event was and exactly what happened - very calmly and not in an accusatory way. Tell them you don't ever want to go through that again, then request the most experienced person on staff when it comes to taking blood from a baby. Make sure that person knows that there was difficulty finding a vein so they don't do the same thing again.

I have vein issues when it comes to IV's and a senior nurse is always called for the procedure. Now I know to ask for one right away. I also had to have blood drawn from my dd four days in a row when she was released from the hospital due to jaundice. It was AMAZING the difference in the skill levels of the people taking her blood. One woman was awful (took forever, had to stab both feet), one was okay (one heel stab but took a while) and the one who was the most used to babies was awesome (one heel, super fast).

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask for what you and your child need. Going through that again would be unacceptable.

hello dear,
Im very sad of what happening to your little one,I myself had always experience hard time to find a firsteval they of course use a baby needle on me,and they don't poke me more than 3 times if with no result,they have to find a way if of course they're "professional" to find a vein,if i were you i won't consider going to the same place,because there are a lot of kids with the same situation,and believe me they find a way to get the blood through a vein and certainly not the way they did to your child,i will be pleased to advice you to go to the office that i go for my baby who's 23 month old,they are very professional,let me know if you are interested, i will give you all the information that you need.(it is also unprofessional and uneccaptable to leave the blood outside for such a long time)
sincerely,
S. A,

Dear A.,

Now, now, now, now, now, it is only a small stab, yes, that rummaging around to find the blood in his chubby little body was scary. They did it to me the other day, and it is not too bad, really. Good idea about taking Dad or boyfriend, he needs to know what is happening too.

O.K. Now when you go back, and go back soon, just go in there like you know that everything will be o.k. If he starts crying just hold him a little bit tighter, so that the thing can get over quickly.

It isn't capital punishment, and he will have to learn that it is part of life so you might get started now. Your courage will give him courage.

No singing, that won't help, as you know by now.
Just get it done and over with and get out of there and go have an ice cream cone.

O.K.? Sorry about being so curt about this, but really, you have to get used to this sort of thing, you are the Mom, you know !

Kids seem to know what we are thinking, so think brave thoughts and trust the medical people, just watch closely so you will know what they are doing. O.K.?

C. N.

First thing is to find him a nurse that knows how to draw blood. I also had to take my daughter for tests when she was two and she has very small arms and small veins and they found hers on the first try. That sounds very painful and unnecessary. If they knew what they were doing then it would not take that much to get blood from him. i feel so bad, that's unfortunate. I know first hand how it feels to get stuck in your hand and that hurts for weeks afterwards.

And the fact that they left the blood spells unprofessional all over it. Take him elsewhere.....

My daughter was much older when she had to have blood drawn. But we found out that the butterfly needle was the wrong kind for her. So she has to have the regular needle like adults less poking around is needed. People who use the butterfly needle tend to think that just because the needle is smaller that its okay to just move it around inside the skin until they find the vein.
Also they could try to use a bigger vein like on top of the hand unless they need it from a specific spot on the body. Also you could ask that they make sure the needle works prior to using it on your son.
When I was a baby I had to have blood drawn and they ran out of room to stick me. Finally a doctor came in and grab the nurses hand and took the needle to the sink and tried to draw water into it and they found out that it was defective. My mom still tells this story whenever we go in for bloodtesting because I was so traumatized that it wasn't until I was an adult that I was able to manage me fear of needles. Now I can have blood drawn with no problem usually.
W. H

Does your son have a significant risk for lead poisoning? Do you live in a house built and painted before 1968? Does he tend to eat inanimate objects like paint chips, wood, dirt? Has he been exposed to any of the controversial toys in the news recently and if so has he chewed off the paint in question or just played with them? Does he eat candy made in Mexico (notoriously contains lead)? Do you travel with him to old houses? Has any of them been recently repainted? If none of these are true, he probably does not need the test at all. Every child does not need to be screened for lead poisoning. Weigh the risks and benefits and discuss things with your doctor before trying the test again.

My son has the same problem. The first time he had blood drawn it took them an hour to get 3 little viles. I feel your pain. I have one suggestion that has seemed to help my son, he is 11 months old. Keep him really warm before he goes in to be drawn. Wrap in a blanket and cuddle him. Even if they can't find the vein his hands will be nice and warm to have a good blood flow. As for them constantly poking and not getting anything my suggestion is you give them 2 chances to stick him and if it doesn't work you demand they take it from his finger. Like you saw before it does take longer but it is a little less stressful for all concerned. When my son goes into the lab they know that I only give them so many chances. Our little guys don't deserve the stress of a blood draw if they don't have to!! Good luck!!

Hi. After several nightmare blood drawing sessions with my then 8 month old, I found a children's lab to go to. They are great because they only deal with children. They have multiple phlebotomists there so you can hold your son and one of them holds the arm while the other takes the blood. It is really quick although my little one still cries. There is a childrens lab in Encino that I know of, or at Children's Hospital. There are probably others around too if you call the Encino office. Hope this helps.

Don't be afraid to be mean!!!!!!!! If you feel that the nurses are be excessive speak up and ask for help! Get some one esle to do it. It's normal for them to have some problem with little ones, but after awhile they just don't know when to ask for help! My daughter at 8 months had her blood drawn and sure enough the nurse did a little bit of fishing, but it was short and quick. I've learned with my sick nephew speak upa nd ask for someone else if you're not happy with the nurse you have!

Take him to the local hospital lab where they are experienced in drawing blood from kids and infants. Wherever you went did not sound like they had experience as they should not be plunging and/or searching(in both arms!). The phlebotomist's at the local hospital are trained and will hit the vein the first try.
Phlebotomist's are only allowed by law 2 tries. I would write a complaint to that lab regarding that person's skills (venapuncture & handling of drawn blood).After all your son went through, it is going to be hard for him to be trusting again for more tests. Make sure and let the new phlebotomist know about the past experience as well. Good luck.

Gosh, I totally sympathize with you. Your poor son! Yes, go elsewhere if you can. Also ask for a "butterfly" needle.... it's for kids/smaller veins. The needle is smaller...although a poke is a poke and any needle prick for a child is sore. But I ask for that myself as an adult. I prefer it. Ask for a nurse that is used to dealing with young children... they often will be more experienced at it and quicker, and will tell you how to help. Yes your boyfriend being there will help... help to distract him, and hold him down etc. Bring any comfort toys for your son, or anything that will focus him on anything else.... maybe something that makes music sounds etc. You will get good suggestion here, this is a great source for any parent! Good luck!
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

I had this exact same problem. Even had blood all over me because my son wouldn't stop squirming away. Can't blame him. I was shocked when I had my daughter in for the same test two weeks ago at our new ped. All they did was a small prick on her foot to get a very small amount of blood. That's it and they gave me the results about 3 minutes later. Which is what my sons old ped had told me they would do. I was shocked when the lab actually wanted to "draw" blood from him. I honestly think you should question your doctor and the lab on their method. And maybe take your baby to a different lab. I just don't think the "drawing" blood is necessary when my ped was able to do it with a small prick of the skin. By any chance was it Facey you were at???

For a month I had to take my son (9months) every day to get his blood taken and man do I know what your going through. All I can say is there was no cure for his crying atleast for him he was upset everytime. I made sure to give him apple juice and some stuff he really liked after words so that it made the trama last for a shorter period. One thing that does help is to make sure he has alot of water prior. Start 1st thing in the morning giving him water and keep giving him it all day. If hes not much of a water drinkier you can give him pedialite (sp?) and that helps too or Gatorade if nothing else works for your child. This will help when their trying to get a vein. Let me know if you need anything, always glad to help another mom in need. I just wish I would have known about this site when I was going through everything with him. My email is ____@____.com and I got 6 kids so most likely I've been through it and can let you know what I did and it may work for your sitution as well. K.

I'm horrified of needles because I had one break off in my arm when I was a child; right before surgery! My rule is (and it is the same for me or my children) you get one chance to draw blood and that is it. If you screw up, you aren't going again. I'll come back another day or go somewhere else with someone else to take my blood. I've found a great blood drawing place that works well for me. I've got small veins that are well hidden and they get it right every single time. I always go there. I would not let the lab that did that to your and your son do that again. I would also refuse to pay, that is unacceptable; especially for a child.

I'm so sorry for what you both went through. My daughter has had to get her blood drawn on a regular basis and it was always a horrible feeling to hold her down and let them draw blood as she looked at me for help. Finally, we came to a Dr. that actually prescribed a numbing cream for children with regular draws. I think it's called Emla. My daughter was a little older when we discovered it, but I was able to reassure her that her arm would be numb and she would be allright. She was fine after that. And I'm telling you we needed 3 people to hold her down before the miracle cream. Best of luck to you both, just remember you need to put the cream on about 30 minutes prior to the draw and wrap some plastic wrap around it. Hope this helps!

Well, first of all you have to report this to the hospital admin. Babies/Child's blood are so precious because they don't have that much. This is the reason why they need iron fortified formulas. Anyway, I had my son's blood drawn when he was 2 weeks old and it broke my heart. They did it about 3 times during his first month. I had another person come with me (my mother in-law), so I was holding him while they're drawing blood, then my mother in law talks or plays with my son and comforting him. Kids also tend to look forward to stickers or threats after. Good luck!

They need to have two techs in there and you or someone you trust. I would sit in the blood draw chair with my daughter in my lap. I would wrap one arm over one of her arms and the other one under her chest, with my hand coming up over the shoulder that my arm was over. Then I held tight so she could not move. One tech should be holding her free arm so she cant move it and then other tech should draw the blood.

We had to do both arms, it isnt fun.

Also, you should ask them for the supervisor to do the draw or someone who has experience with children. I am a very hard draw and they have now learned with me to just get the supervisor off the bat, because they tend to have more experience, so we can get the blood drawn.

Since your boyfriend is coming along, I would have him hold your son down if it bothers you that much. Or maybe you can hold your son and your boyfriend can hold his arm if they dont have two techs. There should be two techs though.

Hi A., I hope I am not to late in responding to your request. I suggest you take a lollypop with you when he starts to ury. I found that this worked with my little boy. He stopped crying as soon as he saw that lollypop. I hope this works and good luck. I know exactly how you are feeling.

Regards,
B.

My 13 month old just got blood drawn and my 4 year old gets routine draws, so I think I can help. Take you son to a blood draw center that specializes in pediatrics only. Drive to San Francisco or Oakland if you have to. I have Kaiser and also was really impressed with the pedi lab in Santa Rosa. Russel R. took blood from my son like it was nothing - they do it all the time. The folks in Oakland Kaiser are super too. Anyway, I couldn't tell from your post if you are from the bay area - if not, ask around to find the best pedi blood draw place in the area. I can assure you that a regular (non pedi) lab isn't going to do the best job - they just don't do it enough to be awesome at it. Best of luck.

As a critical care nurse/ emergency room nurse and prior to nursing I used to be phlebotomist for five years. And of course a mother of two boys now, there is still no simple answer. drawing blood on a lil one is very difficult. many factors included in the process. You have a complete stranger with a needle coming at your loved one, then you have the screaming child and many time adults/parents crying as your trying to do your job. the most important thing is to be honest with the kids and let them know yes this may hurt but this is what must be done. if after 2 unsuccessfull attempts for blood from one nurse then it is protocol almost everywhere they go to the next nurse to try. No nurse should try more than two attempts. If this is not workins as if a nurse from the pediatric area or nicu nurse can do it. They trully are the best!!!