How to prepare for your baby's blood test

A how-to post! This is actually not a how-to post because nothing on earth can prepare you for your baby getting a blood test. Babies should not have their blood tested. Ever. 

Last Thursday we had to take Dashiell in to get his second blood test. His first blood test was done when he was three weeks old by the most capable nurse I ever did see. She was calm and steady and used the tiniest of butterfly needles to swiftly jab our little baby. 

His second blood test was the most horrendous thing I've ever seen and I will never forget the experience for as long as I live. When we arrived at pathology we met with a few nurses. Within three seconds I secretly wished that there were more nurses behind the counter because these people just didn't seem capable. They told us we could only get it done when two nurses were available, one to hold baby down, one to take blood. We were also told that 'a fair amount of blood' was needed and that I should 'feed him really well' beforehand. 

Alarm bells. 

The blood test went a little something like - nurse pins down baby, baby screams, Mum tries frantically to distract baby, second nurse jabs baby with larger needle, needle misses vein, baby screams louder, nurse fishes around under baby's skin to try and find vein, baby thrashes around and screams a scream no mother ever wants to hear, Mum sees vein about to collapse, yells at Nurse to stop, ten minutes pass by, only half the amount of blood is collected, baby takes 30 minutes to calm down, Mum is never the same. 

SO!

If your baby needs a blood test, first of all, I am sorry. There's no way it will be a pleasant experience. Second of all, now that I have been through this horror; here are a few tips. 

• Trust your Mum instinct. If you don't feel like you're in capable hands, turn around and go home. Find another pathology lab, a different nurse and make sure you feel comfortable with the people taking your baby's blood. 
• Dress your baby really warm and cozy. Apparently it's easier to take blood when baby is super warm. 
• Feed them right before hand but have some milk/your boobies ready to go for after because this might be one of those times when only milk can calm them.
• Stay calm. Which, you know, is ridiculous for me to say seeing as though I shook like a leaf for hours after but it is important that baby knows the world isn't ending. The bigger picture is that the blood test is needed and they won't remember a thing an hour later. 
• Be confident and feel comfortable telling the nurse it's time to stop. If it isn't going to plan and you feel like something is off, don't be afraid to call it off. I'm one of those people who listens to doctors and nurses and mostly does whatever they recommend. However! If they're pushing you to keep going but you know your baby has had enough, just call it how it is and hightail it out of there. 
• Don't make any other plans for the day and get it done in the morning. We made the mistake of getting it done in the afternoon after a morning of shopping. Don't make that mistake! Make sure you and baby are as relaxed and well rested as possible and then go ahead and spend the rest of the day cuddling and smooching and nursing and watching netflix. 

I don't think I have any more wisdom to offer... Except maybe to just be the best parent you can be. If you can't stand to hold your baby down and have to step out of the room, don't feel guilty. If you can't stand to watch the needle, don't feel guilty about that either. Just do your best and your baby will love you anyway. 

Good luck! smooch your babies! Pictures of Dash in a sink cause I can!