My 7 year old Daughter, is having s Blood Test. How can i make it easier for her ? PLEASE HELP ME?

Question

Taking 7 year old daughter - for Blood Test.

She really hates needles. And becomes hysterical around them.

How can i keep her calm ? She always freaks and screams.

Last time she needed an injection - it took 2 nurses to do it !!

Hate seeing her so upset and scared. lol.

Answer 1

try to not let her watch them draw the blood, that is more upsetting, ask her to recite her ABC's, the Pledge, or words from her spelling list from school while the needle is going in and while they draw the blood. She will try to answer your questions and it helps to take their minds off what is going on. If she tries to look make sure to get her attention with the questions you are asking her and try to keep her focus on you. I do this with my 7 year old and the last time she didn't even cry. Oh yeah, let her squeeze your hand that helps too.

Answer 2

Well I wish I had some advice for you. My kids actually FIGHT over who is going to have their shots first when they for a flu shot...so we're on opposite ends here...LOL

I've always remained calm from the get go with the kids when they were little. Maybe the pediatrician I have is really exceptional too. But none of my kids cried. Well one did, until he was old enough to realize the needles really didn't hurt, then he just stopped after that. LOL

I used to tell them it was like a little mosquito bite, and they have had lots of mosquito bites so if they just didn't look and took a big breath and let it out it would be all over.

Blood tests are a bit different though. The ribbon hurts more than the needle. So when the kids feel the squeeze from that they will start to panic and start crying.

So practice it at home with her so she will know what she will feel, and tell her the squeeze is the worst of all of it.

Eventually she won't panic anymore. You stay calm though and try to get her to focus on you and distract her by trying to make her laugh or something.

It will get easier with time. Good luck.

Answer 3

I went through the same thing when I was younger!!!! haha two nurses are nothing, once when i had a shot, it took 5 nurses and my mom to hold me down lol.....anyways im fine now because i have a little ritual that i do when i am going to be injected with needles (like a shot or blood test)

1. breathe deeply a couple times while you are waiting for the nurse to come in with the stuff

2. have your daughter think of something that makes her really happy (i always think of my parents getting me a horse)

3. have her look the ooposite way, if they are going to go into her left arm, tell her to look to the right and vice versa

4. ask the nurse to tell her when she is about to put the needle in, then tell your daughter to look away and think of the thing that she picked to think of earlier

i always ask the nurse to tell me when the blood is going into the tube so i can look back, but tif this will freak her out to then just don't let her look until everything is out of her arm, i personally just can't look when they are going into my arm, everything else is fine. GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Answer 4

I am a freak over needles. and when I needed surgery I really freaked out for weeks. In my research, I found that there is a cream you can get from the pharmacist called either NMLA or EMLA. It numbs the sight of the injection. But If she is as scared as I was, then no amount of numbing will help. I feel for her I do, but worrying about the needles is so much worse than the actual injection, I wish there was someway to relay that to her. If there was I would do it. Now, I still hate shots, but I don't panic, I just recite lines from my favorite movie, to take my mind off of it, so I can relax. If you choose the cream option, you may have to order it a day or two in advance, but they will get it for you. Bless her heart, I really understand it and I am 30.......something!!!

Answer 5

It might not be the "right" way, but I suggest telling her that she will get a treat she gets the test. Children are still scared and do not understand everything that is going on. Tell her you'll take her somewhere fun or buy her something. It might work.

If not, then calm her as much as you can. There are herbal nerve medications that you can purchase. There safe for kids and help them calm their nerves.

If both of those aren't helpful that I say just tell her good things and how everything will be fine. The older she gets, the easier it should get.

Answer 6

Don't harp on it before hand...that will only increase her anxiety about it. Just casually let her know the test will be coming up, then:

Have the nurse or phlebotomist draw YOUR blood first, while you behave in a calm manner. Allow your daughter to watch closely. Make certain she understands before hand that you BOTH will be having this done...so she is not surprised.

Answer 7

Talk you your doctor and ask if he can give you something to keep her calm. Im not a fan of giving drugs to children but sometimes the distress caused by procedures is worse for them! Also ask for some skin cream which numbs the area (ask the dr where they are likely to take the blood from) and use that for an hour before the test. On the wards we used to call it magic cream and the kids loved getting it;

Answer 8

when i had blood drawn as a kid, there was a picture on the wall that they had for the people to look at that was off to the side so you couldn't see what they were doing. that worked for me. just try distracting her in a way that will keep her from looking at the nurse working. mind over matter. if she isn't thinking about, or dwelling on what's happening, then it won't be so scary, and she will hardly even notice.

Good luck!!

Answer 9

Have your daughter bring a special doll or stuffed animal with her.
Don't talk about it too much in advance.In fact, don't tell her anything. Tell her you are going to the doctors and then tell her they need a little prick on her arm for just a moment.
The less she knows about it, the less time she has to work herself up before hand.
Talk to her during the blood draw about going to go get a soda or whatever she really likes right after the prick is over.
Good luck.

Answer 10

Before the blood test give her a brand new toy, let her chew on lollies or buy a cheap mp3 4 u but download favourite songs. If she chews on lollies, listens to music and is playing with her toy she won't care. Maybe tell her that she is alllowed to have an icecream afterwords or lunch or choose dinner. Good Luck :)