https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 16:22:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030998 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 10:16:44 +0000 winniebee 1030998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh I'm sorry :( I think the arm draw is SO much worse than shots! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030991 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 10:12:40 +0000 wheres_c 1030991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>aww poor A!<br /> In our case, it was worse for me watching than him....but we had an expert who found his vein the first time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030943 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:55:43 +0000 brownie 1030943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had to all the time when we were investigating his issues. Here is what I learned to do. I would swaddle him with only one arm out (this made it much easier for me to hold him). Then I would pull out my phone and start a video. Then I latch him on. This helped immensely and he would still cry but it wasn't as bad. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030933 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:52:15 +0000 2PeasinaPod 1030933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: I'm so sorry! I'm dreading this! We have to take LO just before his 1 year appointment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030927 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:50:53 +0000 mrskc 1030927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@purrpletulips: ours just does a finger prick at 9 months, but since his iron level was on the lower end, he wanted to get a blood draw. </p> <p>@MrsF: how awful! Poor baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030924 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:49:08 +0000 mrskc 1030924@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: every month?! how awful. We don't have a pediatric lab. I did drive all the way downtown to take him to a lab b/c the nurse at the peds office said it was the only one in town she would take her kids to. His level was at 10 at his 9 month check up. I think the ped just wanted to make sure it doesn't keep dropping. We've been giving him iron supplements since he still doesn't eat too many solid foods. </p> <p>@emg86: oh the sounds awful! poor baby and mama. My son kept trying to look back at me looking like he was saying help me mama. broke my heart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030922 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:48:11 +0000 lawbee11 1030922@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so sorry--that must've been awful. I was a mess when they pricked M's heel for blood at her 2-week checkup so I can only imagine how bad it'll be when they have to draw blood like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030904 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:38:17 +0000 regberadaisy 1030904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@purrpletulips: Mine did a finger prick at the office but when they found her levels to be really low that's when they sent us for blood work at a lab for confirmation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030903 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:37:55 +0000 MrsF 1030903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so sorry. M's blood draw at 9 months was horrible. They could never find a vein in her arms so they eventually had to squeeze blood out of her fingers. After needles in her arms and fingers she was just hysterical. I haven't heard her cry like that since the newborn colic days. We walked around outside for 20 minutes or so because I felt terrible strapping her in the car seat after all that. I literally sobbed as soon as we got out of the building. I hope you and A are done with needles for a long time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030899 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:35:48 +0000 purrpletulips 1030899@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So sorry you and LO had to go through this. Our pedi does them at the 1 year checkup but uses the foot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030896 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:35:09 +0000 Smurfette 1030896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>aww, poor guy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030887 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:31:47 +0000 emg86 1030887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh mama, I totally get ya :-( I had to take my 3.5 month old a couple of weeks ago--it was SO traumatic. They thought she was too young for her arm so they pricked her finger and kept squeezing it to get blood for 3 tubes. It was AWFUL, I've never seen her cry or scream like that and she kept looking at me like she was wondering why I wasn't helping her. Then another tech walked in and decided they could do her arm to make it easier...I was so pissed. When I tried to nurse her when it was done, she didn't even want to latch. It made me so sad. I told my husband he's dealing with that next time and I can wait in the waiting room to nurse her. I hope his levels are back up so you don't have to do it again! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030883 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:30:34 +0000 regberadaisy 1030883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: :( We had the same issue at 9 months. DH took her to a regular lab and they poked <i>both</i> sides and could not find a vein. So he left bc they are only allowed ot poke each side once. We called the ped and he wanted the blood draw done that day. So DH then took LO again to a pediatric lab, the phlebotomist at the pediatric lab got it right away. :( We pretty much had been taking LO for a blood draw almost every month since 9 months. :( She's now almost 16 months and we finally got a 9.3 at her 15 month appointment. At her 9 month she was around a 3. :(</p> <p>What was LO's levels at the doctor office?</p> <p>@luckypenny: DH had to watch them strap LO down for a chest xray around 11 months too! Poor guy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030876 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:27:38 +0000 hilsy85 1030876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>oh god I am not looking forward to this...this reminds me way too much of Leo's recent trip to the hospital and trying to put an IV in! I hope his levels are where they should be! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030875 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:25:58 +0000 luckypenny 1030875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So sorry you had to go through this! I had to hold DD down for an X-ray when she was 8 months and she was so scared :( hope levels are better this time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030874 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:25:17 +0000 sorrycharlie 1030874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ughh. our pedi does this at 1 year, 2 year, 3 year checkups. i am dreading it.</p> <p>eta - oops hit enter too early! Hope he's doing ok now! you deserve an expensive coffee or maybe a drink ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-arm-blood-draws-are-not-fun#post-1030867 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:21:59 +0000 mrskc 1030867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to take A to get a blood draw yesterday to get his iron levels checked. He was on the lower side at his 9 month check up and his Ped wanted a follow up one month later. </p> <p>oh you guys, it was awful. They put the little strap thingy on his arm and he started crying. She had to do it to the other arm too to see which had a better vein. She found one and when she went to poke him, he wiggled too much. She had the needle in his arm and was poking around trying to find the vein. :( I even asked her how experienced she was with infants before she started, and she told me she had been doing it for 18 years. </p> <p>She called someone in to help. They ended up having to draw blood from one of the veins from his wrist. Poor baby. He cried so hard, but once the blood was flowing, he was ok. I nursed him in the car when we were done and he was back to his normal self afterwards. I really hope his iron levels are up, because I don't want to put him through that again. </p> <p>Have you ever had to take your baby to get a blood draw from the arm? </p>