I will never forget the first time I took my baby boy to the laboratory to perform blood tests on him. It was last weekend.
They called my baby into the nurse’s area. As soon as she put the needle on his arm he started crying in pain and terror while I was paying at the reception. I couldn’t take it. The receptionist was taking her time like it was slow motion, while I was desperate to comfort my little one. “He won’t stop screaming”, I said. As soon as I paid the tests I ran to my baby and tried to soothe him. His heart was racing, my husband was about to punch the nurse while she was squeezing my little one’s finger, because she couldn’t get enough blood to make a second tube and her face had zero compassion.
The monster in nurse costume gave up on trying to get more blood from my poor baby and I took him from my hubby’s arms. He was sobbing and crying intermitently because of the pain he went through. To our perspective, the pediatrician ordered too many tests for a one year old. But I didn’t ask how these tests would be performed before puting my son through so much agony.
Lesson: Ask your baby’s pediatrician all the details about lab tests or any other procedure (as I usually do when it comes to vaccines or any other concern I have about my little one’s development).
I felt guilty, of course. But had to move on and learned from this experience. If I had known in advance, I could’ve made the doctor give me separate lab test orders and taken my child to the lab in different occasions in order to take the blood tests smoothly.
After I gave them the urine sample, they said they probably had to repeat the blood tests if the amount they collected was not enough.
Really? Who’s not doing this in a long time? Me, of course. Because I will take him somewhere where babies are treated accordingly, and I will talk to his pediatrician to split the tests.
Hope you mamas out there reach this story before living this kind of nightmare with your little ones. Also, share it with your fellow mamas.
Hugs,
Edaliz
Mom Does It Better 