[KMH]

Claire had her one-year appointment today. She weighs 20 pounds 7 ounces and is 30.5 inches long...she grew more than 3 inches since her 9 month appointment!! DH and I thought she was getting tall, but I had no idea! Her pediatrician said she looks super-healthy, so that made me a proud Mama

Here's my warning for you...the ped said I should have her hemoglobin tested just to make sure she wasn't anemic. Claire doesn't eat a lot of fortified cereals or anything, so I agreed, thinking it would be a finger-stick. NOPE...we got back there and they wanted to take blood from her arm I didn't know what to do, and I stupidly let them try. Well, it was a complete disaster...the nurse couldn't find a vein and Claire was bawling with huge tears streaming down her face...it is making me tear up again just to think about the look on her little face. I told the nurse to stop and we left. I felt like a horrible Mama for letting them do that to her

What makes me more mad, though, is that I called my sister (who is an RN) and told her about it, and she said they CAN do it with a finger stick!! Claire had to go through that horrible nurse jabbing her in the arm for nothing! Hopefully if you ladies read this, your kids won't have to go through what Claire did today...poor baby.

[Irish_Wristwatch]

poor Claire ive never heard of them checking iron at the one year check. It wasnt even offered to us at his check today

I hope shes feeling better now

[inyourhonor]

Wow, my son Dane had his hemoglobin checked and he had the finger prick. He was less then 2.5 then but still! Its so much easier that way. I don't let them bring needles close like that unless its absolutely needed. Poor Claire

[Rochelle7]

Heidi had her's checked at the 9 m/o c/u and they did a heel prick. I just assumed that was standard.

I'm so sorry Claire went through that

[.Jessica.]

yay for growing so well...she is very tall.

Im so sorry that they did that to her. I wonder why they wouldnt just do the finger prick...save them time and hassel you would think. Poor little baby girl. I hope she is ok now and happy

Dont be hard on yourself. You are only trying to do your best for Claire and if they said they need it then what are you suppose to do?
Its their bad not yours. You are a great mommy

[mshah]

Glad to hear Omair's future girlfriend is doing so well!!!

Thanks for the warning, I also thought it'd just be a finger prick. I asked our ped at the 9 month and he said he doesn't check the levels unless asked by the mom. I was thinking about maybe doing it, but now I'm not so sure!!! Poor baby girl!

[Magicaledelishus]

Let me play the devil's advocate....

The reason most of the time they won't do a heel prick at this age is because they are trying to gather at least 2ml (it's more than you might think!) because they'll centrifuge it down and use the plasma to run labs. If they're running just hematocrit (PCV/TP) then they need two HCT tubes which is less than a ml of whole blood...
My point? In order to obtain 2ml of whole blood (about 0.7ml of plasma when spun down on average) they need to get it quickly or it will clot. Sometimes it's okay for it to clot before spinning, depending on the labs. But they don't want the clotting to happen because it can lyse cells and make it difficult to read. Especially if they're making blood smears for a CBC.
Soooo, this might be why some doctors choose to have their nurses draw from the inner arm. Although! A good nurse is very capable of venipuncuture and can hit the vein confidently within 2 pokes. We have a two poke rule at my work (And I work with animals) if you miss after 2 pokes you pass it off. I would hope someone in a lab would be able to hit majority of all veins since that is all the do all day. If you go to a doctor's office who has their nurses draw blood, I'd suggest asking to go down to the lab to have it done since that is ALL they do.

Sorry little Claire... Your experience should have been much more positive than that

[rachel_anne]

Poor girl!

Holden had to have bloodwork done at his 9month appointment, I figured it would be a heel stick but it was actual veinipuncture. He cried and I felt horrible, but at the same time it was for his well being and I could tell the girls who did it felt horrible drawing blood from a screaming baby

[KMH]

Originally Posted by mshah

Glad to hear Omair's future girlfriend is doing so well!!!

We have a two poke rule at my work (And I work with animals) if you miss after 2 pokes you pass it off. I would hope someone in a lab would be able to hit majority of all veins since that is all the do all day. If you go to a doctor's office who has their nurses draw blood, I'd suggest asking to go down to the lab to have it done since that is ALL they do.

You are absolutely right...that is what made this even worse. I WAS at the lab, and the nurse/tech seemed completely incompetent. She just kept stabbing the needle in and out of Claire's arm until I told her to stop. Then she said "I'll let her catch her breath and then we'll try in the other arm." No way was I going to let her try again!

Claire is no worse for the wear...she also got two shots today, and this evening she is her usual happy self. Thank goodness they have short memories

[Trish36]

poor Claire...hope she's okay!

[mommydiva]

Poor girl. Glad she is doing well and better now.

I hate having my blood drawn because my veins like to hide as they go to stick the needle in and I become a pin cushion for many people. I couldn't imagine have Rosie go through that.

[~*~AIMEE~*~]

Poor Baby!!! And Poor Mommy! None of my kids have ever had this done, finger stick, heal prick, or otherwise...Yuck, I hope they don't try. Now I'm nervous.

Not to hijack the post, but hadley had to spend a week in Hospital because she had a fever, they weren't sure what cause it, but they admitted us. She had to get a spinal tap, then they but the iv in her hand, they started trying in the ER, I think 4 people tried before they decided to send her upstairs to peds. Then instead of letting the guy the ER told me needed to do it, some other HOO HA decided to give it a try and kept poking her, then they were just about to try in her head when the guy came in and got it first try....So each of the 4 people poked her about 2-3 times, plus the lady who decided she wanted to give it a go (probably to prove to the other guy she could get it she tried 3 times. I was sobbing! Again, I am sorry for your experience and sorry to threadjack.

[amhk]

Oh, poor Claire! I am glad she is doing fine now and thanks for the warning! I wonder if Kinley will get the same test done at her appt?

[TeresaSuperMama]

Poor baby. I've worked as a phlebotomist and I tell you I don't have much patience for people using my kids as pin cushions. Unfortunately there are people that are really good at it and people that are really bad.

[birdblue]

Poor baby and poor mama! Sorry you had to experience such a difficult thing.

[sunshyne57]

Glad she had a great appointment! That's so sad about the needle though. Poor baby I know at our doctor's, they do blood work all in the lab and for little babies they just do finger pricks.

Actually my 5.5 year old just got her first needle in her arm recently and had blood drawn. I think that was harder on me than her!

[Jeanie915]

Poor Claire! Hallie had to have her's checked today and they did a finger prick.

[Celine]

I just wanted to say thanks for posting your experience. It was so helpful. I was more prepared for our 1 yr appt. and declined the blood draw for the iron test. Sorry baby Claire had to go through it though.

[rainbow_brite19]

I didn't know this was an old post until just now but I have to say poor Claire! I am also glad you shared because I will be saying a big NO THANKS to the iron test unless I know for sure it is a finger prick... I can not imagine seeing my baby go through that, he cried when the Dr tried to look in his mouth last week! (thrush).

[MamaAnna]

I'm so sorry. The iron draw is required here and they always, always do it in the arm. I hate them for it.