My 10 year old wouldn't let the nurse have a finger prick at annual check up
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Anonymous
Not OP but my DD also has a major aversion to needles. We get flu and Covid vaccines annually but it's gotten progressively more difficult the last few years and this last year, she just cried and cried and the nurse and I had to essentially pin her down for them to do it. It was very stressful and I feel like none of the things we've tried (in collaboration with the pediatrician's office) to make it easier for her have helped, so I'd love to know what the pros do. |
Anonymous
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I lost my sh-t at the finger prick at age 6 and my mom never made me do it again. I lived to be a high schooler who did the prick for blood drives at school and an adult who had to get blood drawn frequently.
I wouldn’t die on the finger prick hill. A lot of nurses squeeze the finger really uncomfortably or use those little machines and I think it’s worse than a proper blood draw. Team 10 year old on this one. |
Anonymous
| Consequences. I would’ve forced it. |
Anonymous
| I would try ice or a lidocaine patch before and after. And ask if they can do something other than a finger, like a vein in the elbow. Fingers are extremely sensitive! |
Anonymous
+1 Same. 10 year old doesn’t get to make medical decisions out of fear. We would not have left without doing it. |
Anonymous
| Let her watch a show/look at your phone during. Distraction really does help. |
Anonymous
This. The burden of making medical decisions is not one we put on a 10 year old. It’s cruel. It also feeds anxiety when we accommodate it. Now your kid has a year to solidify their view of themselves as someone who doesn’t do scary things. We would go back and sit in the waiting room until they were ready. Nothing to do, not talking, just waiting. |
Anonymous
You’ve got to be kidding. |
Anonymous
| Don’t you get a yearly flu shot? |
Anonymous
OP here. No we don't get yearly flu shot. Our last appt was early spring time, so there was no point to get it. To those who suggested bribes, believe me I tried ( nothing worked). Going to the appt, I had no idea that they will do finger prick blood draw, it was a surprise to me, so we didn't talk about it, didn't prepare for it at all. To those who said to pin her down or force her. I tried and I couldn't believe how strong my child was, she literally hid her pinched hand in the sleeve of the sweatshirt and wouldn't let it out. Me and the nurse didn't want to wrestle with her. Driving back home from the appt, my daughter was still so distraught and didn't speak a word. Honestly, I felt for her. I was upset with myself that I couldn't do anything regarding this situation. |
Anonymous
| It's fine, it happens a lot. My daughter refused at her 9 year appointment, nobody made a big deal out of it (including her, there were no tears, because we weren't forcing her to do it) and we're going to try again this year. |
Anonymous
Um, what? You don't have to get your flu shot at your annual appointment, you get it in the fall. Our pediatrician sets aside flu shot appointments every season. I'm sure yours does too, but I guess if you're anti-vaxx, you're anti-vaxx and there's nothing we can do about it. |
Anonymous
This is the way to approach it. I have a fear of needles and it wasn’t until I had preeclampsia and HELPP syndrome that I got over it. |
Anonymous
It’s almost negligent not to get flu shots. You can walk into any Walgreens or CVS and get them- no appt needed. This doesn’t have to be done at the doctor during a scheduled visit. Perhaps having to do it yearly will help her get over her fear. I’d get yearly flu shots and skip the cholesterol check |
Anonymous
| She needs a wild animal exposure. The rapids prophylactic vaccine series will cure her phobia. Kidding. Half kidding. |