Blood tests on children, how do they do it?

My lil Yasn has to have a blood test next week :(
Just how awful is it going to be? Do they take it from the same place as an adult blood test? I just can't see him holding still for it.
How long does it normally take?
I've tried to explain that it will hurt but if he's brave it will be over soon. DH thinks it's better to tell him it won't hurt much so he's not stressed before he gets there.
I'm not really sure which approach is best but I'm pretty sure that both of us telling him different things won't help.

DS1 had blood taken at 17 months at RCH they has him sitting on my knee and had me hold him how they told me too, with a toy to distract, then 1 nurse held his arm straight and down, while another took blood from cubital fossa (where blood taken on adults) Was very quick and he cryed for very short time, needed a few tubes. Simpsons band aid on!!

Good luck hope all ok

Sorry your little guy needs BT :(

Get an Emla patch from the chemist, you put it on about 20 minutes before, it really helps. You'll need to double check the site they will use though. Otherwise, I would shamelessly bribe with whatever you think will work, and have it in your bag to give immediately after the appt!!!!! And yeah, I certainly wouldn't dwell on it, but tell him maybe on the day what's happening, that it will hurt a little but will be very quick.

GL :)

ETA As Feeb said, they usually have two nurses, which makes it easier.

DS2 had to have one last year and I had to take him up to our hospital pathology lab for it as the one down the street wouldn't have the right gear to do children. Normally they do get you to put an Emla patch on, but we didn't have the time to wait around for it to work, so we did it without one and he was brilliant. She needed to take several vials of blood, but instead of using the vials themselves on the end of the canula type thingy, she just used a large 20ml syringe to draw out enough blood to fill all the vials. We layed him down on the bed, I held his arm straight and flat and she drew the blood. He got a ****load of stickers and a bravery certificate from her afterwards LOL so he was pretty happy with that.

The first time we had blood taken for Ms M, it wasn't a full on experience as M was prepared. I told her she would go into a room, a few nurses would be there & I would hold onto her and they would hold her arm & try to get blood from that. The blood would go into tubes and sometimes you feel a pinch at the beginning but she would get a chocolate when it was all finished for being so brave. When we got there I had to hold her head still and talk to her. It was hard.... very hard.... but it was over quickly.

The second and third times we were in hospital, it was hell... I wish I could say it was easier, and she got it etc etc... nope. She hates being held down and even when in hospital with suspected viral meningitis, it took us 3 nurses and 1 registrar to hold her down.

My Son Isaac who is just over 6 just had one last week. they were so great with him.. There is honestly not much you can say to him at home but just not show your anxiety.

We just said you are going in for a BT in a few days.. He asked what for and we said to see if they can work out why he keeps getting migraines. We also told him it would feel like a little pinch (which is true) and also told him cool stuff like how he will get to see his own blood. And then said I wonder if it will be green or pink :lol:

Also for Isaac they used like a canula thing but in the same spot adults get blood taken from. they said it is easier then holding a needle in place as they needed 4 vials full..

Good Luck, I hope he is good for you. Does he have a special blanket or toy he can take to make him feel braver?

No advice here just wanted to offer a big hug!! I hope everything is ok.

DD's had a few, and they will go from the arm like an adult, as they get older it is a lot easier, at 3 months they couldn't get blood out of DD's arms and had to do a heel ***** after I begged and pleaded them to do it from her heel (she was all skin and bones), but apparently once they leave hospital the normal clinics don't do heal *****s, eventually she had to because after 3 tries ont he arms and a lot of tears she had no choice - mind you it worked instantly :wall:.

But she has had a few more since, all from the arms, iwth me holding her and all her limbs, to stop her grabbing or pulling away and what I would recommened if possible is going through a pathology department at the local Childrens Hospital as they take blood from children everyday and we found the were a LOT better than your normal clinic, and definitely give the patch a shot we haven't done it before, but plan to next time, we just made sure we had something nice for DD afterwards, but a lot of the time she's had them she was sick and in hospital already, and not feeling so great, so just a nice big hug was enough :(

Big warm :hug: it can be a haorrible experience, but I sincerely hope it is quick smooth and gentle for Yasin :hug:

If you can plan ahead, get an emla patch from your chemist, turn up 45 minutes before he is due for the test, and ask them where to put it.

When the test is being done, you might find it easiest to sit him in your lap, facing outwards. Put one arm, around his body like you are giving him a cuddle (which will keep his arms down, or whichever arm they aren't using, anyway) and the other around his upper body or forehead, depending on how much he will struggle. Sing to him, talk to him quietly. Try hard not to cry, and I sympathise - I do this for a living and I had tears in my eyes when we had to get Molly tested. One nurse will probably hold the arm out straight while the other one takes the blood.

Oh, and the heel ***** thing - the reason they don't do it after the baby is a few months old is that the results don't come out right for some of the tests.

Mine had a blood test earlier this year, got all the coaching on what they were going to do, what she should do etc etc.

Unfortunately she decided several seconds *after* the needle went in and the doc was halfway through getting blood that the needle going in hurt, so she did an overdramatic jump complete with exaggerated facial expression, needle comes out, blood goes everywhere, doc goes into panic mode.

Started again on the other arm with me holding her down, worked this time.

Reminded me a bit of the time she got her nose cauterised - screamed the house down when the cauterising thingy was an inch from her nose but didn't even blink once it was actually in use. Needed two of us to hold her still and she hadn't even been touched. The doc looked like she was going to wring DD's neck.

So watch out for kids doing stuff you don't expect ...

Thank you everyone for answering.

He had it done this afternoon and he was a little star.
We got the emla patch and it worked a treat - he didn't flinch when it went in and he barely moved while they were doing it. The nurses doing it tried to distract him but he was way too interested in seeing his blood being bottled for the distraction to work.

Glad it went well :)

Glad it all went well