Pre School Booster

[mm23292]

Having had to cancel my 3yr olds pre school booster appointment due to many hospital admissions and illnesses over the past few months, despite the fact she had another one of her 'unknown origin' fevers of 40 the night before, we decided it was best to go ahead for fear they would never get done, and she starts school in September. However, dd had other ideas, having had a few scary hospital experiences, and one last month, where she managed to pull the cannula from her arm and covered herself with blood, she has developed an abject fear of needles and despite all assurances, bribes, cajoling you name it, we had to give up. She became completely deranged and distressed and I felt quite the incompetent mother, when the two nurses asked me if I could make another appointment and have somebody else bring her next time, as I clearly wasn't getting anywhere. When I asked if this was a common problem with administering the pre school booster, they looked resignedly at each other, and sighed, no, not really! Ok, I know my eldest daughter was the obedient dream, held her arm out herself, and actually watched the whole process with calm fascination, whereas my 3yr old, has never coped with these things, even as a tiny baby, she could sense the presence of the needle, and would go bananas. Has anyone else had this problem?

[aliportico]

I waited with all of mine until they were about 5, and more able to be reasoned with about it. Dd2 still had hysterics though, and it is a horrible feeling. At one point the nurse told her to stop being silly, otherwise Mummy would go outside and the nurse would do it without me - "No, that won't be happening". I managed to hold her still and she did get it done that day. Actually dd1 wasn't much better either and although dd2 has grown up to be fairly stoic, dd1 is still a drama llama. But I was still confident it went better than it would have done two years earlier!

I know at the time I had checked the age range - their first injections definitely last longer than 3 years, they've just ended up doing them so early as the school-starting age has got younger and younger.

My sympathies, sounds like a horrible experience. and sounds like your 3 yo has had a really tough time lately - perhaps a break from nurses etc will help. Hope she's doing ok now.

[KS10]

My sympathies, sounds like a horrible experience. and sounds like your 3 yo has had a really tough time lately - perhaps a break from nurses etc will help. Hope she's doing ok now.

Exactly what I was thinking. Poor thing!

[Snowdrops]

Oh dear, I've had this so many times over the years with my eldest dd (32, special needs).

Sometimes I do wish nursing staff would have more compassion. Some of them across the years have been truly fantastic, but others have no patience at all. Even the dentists differ and we've ended up using the gas and air to calm her down (sadly that didn't work and it ended up being a GA to get the work done).

I can't really offer any advice, especially with a dd so young as yours. All I offer is sympathy, to both of you, and say stand your ground when they're being bullish (but I can tell you do).

[ginx]

For ds's pre-school booster, we had two nurses, one injected each arm and it was extremely quick. Over before he had time to object, followed by a lolly shoved in his mouth. Dd1 age 11 refused to have an injection (against cervical cancer). School phoned me and I had to go and sit with her, she was shaking and we had to wait for fifteen minutes before she said it could be done. I think she'll always be like that.

mm23292, sound a horrid experience. I don't know what the answer is. Cannulas hurt going in, coming out. I suppose you can't reason with your 3 year old and it's upsetting for us mums watching helplessly. I don't know what the answer is.

Have you used numbing cream? I think you can buy Emla over the counter, you put it on an hour before and the area should be numb.

Sorry I can't help more.

[scarlett]

I don't think there will be an easy answer for this, as she is obviously traumatised by her numerous experiences with needles etc. I feel quite cross with the nurse..how will it help someone else taking her? She needs you and the usual reassurance and sweet isn't going to cut the mustard with your dd. If she was on my ward, we would use a play therapist which helps enormously, although sometimes there are situations when it just has to be done...a sick child needing iv medication urgently for example. However, you could leave the booster for the time being. Could you mention this next time you have a clinic appointment?

[moved]

Dd escaped when she had hers done. I had to almost sit on her to hold her down after we caught her. The nurse was really upset and very kind. She had stitches in her hip when she was 7 and got shouted at for being silly. No anaesthetic, typical French medic!

She now has regular blood tests and was almost ok with her hpv. The phlebotomist a at the hospital still lie her flat though as she goes white to grey each time. She's 15 now and able to rationalise but still finds needles terrifying!

[Tinkers]

I had a big issue with needles until some years ago I was invited to go on safari. I nearly said no for fear of all the vaccinations I would need.
The nurse turned out to be the daughter in law of my parents' neighbours, so I knew her. She was lovely and gentle. She was also determined that I would and should have everything, after all that I no longer have any issues.

She said most people have issues because the nurses say before hand "This won't hurt", when actually what they shouldn't lie and should say "This will hurt a bit".

I took my own DD for her pre school boosters and had already explained it would hurt a little but it wouldn't last very long and everyone has them. The nurse lied and told her it wouldn't hurt, I corrected her and said it would a little. My DD is the sort that needs to know what is going to happen, warts 'n' all.

[um]

When my dd had her first baby immunisations, ds2 was so incensed by what he perceived as an attack on his sister (in which I was apparently complicit) that he bit the nurse very hard on the bottom in the middle of it all. She was not happy

On a slightly more helpful level, can they not use the anaesthetic cream (euphemistically referred to as 'magic' cream) before putting the immunisation in, if she has such a terrible fear? My ds3 has this when he has blood tests and he doesn't feel anything.

[mm23292]

So sounds like this ought to be more familiar territory than this nurse was letting on! Like you say Scarlett, as her Mum, I should be able to offer the usual reassurances, and if this nurse was a little less intimidating, I am sure the outcome would have been so much different. She didn't actually 'engage' with my daughter at all, she didn't look at her or speak to her, just seemed impatient to get it over with! At least she didn't get the bottom bite treatment, that would be funny!
She has had magic cream for things like blood tests and cannulas, and I think it takes half an hour or so to work, and having said that, she still gets distressed, so I am sure it is more to do with her irrational fear than the pain of the needle itself. Oh well, I am less bothered now, having allowed that nurse's impatience to make me feel rather inadequate, and the fact that this was her 5th appointment for these jabs, (she was ill or in hospital for the others) I shall bide my time booking the next!