I don't have a needle phobia at all, so I need some help understanding. Does a teeny tiny needle prick really freak someone out more than passing a child through your birth canal? I know many people avoid the epidural because they are scared of needles...but like isn't unmedicated childbirth even more scary? It is way more painful than a tiny needle! Please explain, so I can understand LOL.
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Hahahha is this from my thread?? LOL
I have no idea what my fear comes from to tell you the truth. But like I just can't help it at all. My heart starts racing, I start getting really loopy/spacey, and then I just black out! I think I just get myself really worked up about it for some reason!
I went to give blood one time, and all I could think about was the needle going into my arm, and I was freaking out. I was so bad that when they were just pricking my finger to test my iron levels to make sure I could donate, I almost passed out!
For me it's totally something that I can't control at all. I wish I could because frankly it's a little embarressing! I went for an MRI and I needed contrast, and I told the nurse, look I'm probably going to pass out when you put the IV in, and she looks at me and she's like noooo I'm really good at this, you can trust me. And I'm just like, no really I'm telling you I really will pass out, I would prefer to be lying down. Again she reassured me that she could do it perfectly. A few seconds later I wake up laying on the floor! I remember the first thing I said too "told you so" and the nurse just rolled her eyes at me lol....
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For me, it took ages to get over my fear of needles. But now, since I have bloodwork so regularly, I'm used to them. That being said, I think I am more scared about the epidural and recovery than I am about giving birth (not pregnant, just speculating). Honestly, I don't really know how to explain, or why I feel that way. Maybe I've heard one too many horror stories about epidurals? Or maybe I'm picturing the epidural to be more like a really intense spinal tap, which I'm sure its not.
I dunno - not sure HOW to explain!
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@MrsBrewer: Ha yes, this is from your thread.
I guess it is just like any other phobia...it doesn't really have an explanation! I have an ungodly fear of meteors...and I can not explain why nor do I understand why no one else is as worried about them as I am. Ha.
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@highwire: Meteors? How so? I guess I'm really not even aware of them!
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@MrsBrewer: A huge one crashing into the Earth and wiping out all life as we know it. I know we have an atmosphere that can burn up small ones, but otherwise I just feel like we are a big open window and a meteor can just fly in anytime and kill us all! Ha.
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@highwire: Hey everyone has fears! I would be pretty afraid if I knew a meteor was coming to earth!
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It is a childhood fear - I was poked and prodded a lot for health reasons and I equate needles with sickness. When getting the flu shot makes me cry and so anxious that I ask to lie down. As for childbirth, to me it felt like a completely different thing than needles!
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@Rubies: Ah that makes sense. My main interaction with needles is donating blood, so my association is much more positive.
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I think most phobias are irrational, unless someone has had a negative experience and that's why the phobia develops (a phobia of water after almost drowning). I have a phobia of rats and spiders and roaches. I have never had a bad experience with any of those--they just freak me the eff out. Same goes for needle phobias, I assume.
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I haven't got a fear of needles in theory. My body doesn't like them though. When I give blood, I almost pass out. And yet, I can watch the needle go in, no problem. Epidurals are a different story. I've heard too many bad stories and if it's anything like the spinal tap my sister got, that's a huge needle. Almost passed out watching her get that needle.
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@lawbee11: Yeah, that's true.
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@highwire: An epidural is not exacly a teeny tiny needle prick, the size of the needle is HUGE and knowing it is going into your spinal area and knowing the risks of it can be a huge turn off. Even regular shots are scary enough. I hated my spinal for sure! It was horrible
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I don't have a needle phobia, but to me, the complications of childbirth are about the same whether or not you have an epidural (not the pain, just the chance of something going wrong). If you get an epi, as unlikely as it is, you now have the risk of something going wrong with that- the lingering back pain, doesn't work, the headache, etc. So it's another risk factor that you can avoid, if that makes sense.
But like I said, I don't have a phobia of it and I'm open to it, though I'd prefer not to have one. -
@Mrsbells: Yeah that's a good point also. I was going to edit my post to say something about how the epidural needle is not your average tiny prick...so maybe that changes people's attitudes about it.
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I am so incredibly terrified of needles that yes, I would much rather push out a child unmedicated than get a needle in my back. So when I had to have a c-section for #2 I was way more scared of the spinal block than anything else (especially since my back is ticklish beyond reason). For me it isn't even about pain, it is just the needle itself I cannot even put words to it I guess it just creeps me the heck out.
eta: I should add that I am known for throwing up or hyperventilating before getting shots or blood drawn... Oh and I passed out trying to donate blood. So it wasn't just the spinal lol. I can't even watch someone else get poked with a needle! lol
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@Foodnerd81: The debilitating possible headache afterwards is one of the things that turns me off from the whole idea of epidurals!
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@highwire: yeah I found a picture online, I think someone posted this here before or on WB. Plus mine wasnt just one shot it was atleast 2 or 3
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@Mrsbells: Haha oh God this is going to give some of the needle phobia ladies a heart attack!
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@highwire: lol !! the good thing is that if you really have to get it, you cant see them doing it so you can't freak out too much
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@Mrsbells: I think that needle should be placed along side a newborn baby crowning...and then it wouldn't look quite as scary! Ha.
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I think it's just most of us by the time we are in our 20s/30s have had enough unfortunate experiences with shots/giving blood/etc that the anticipation of the sensation of a needle is no fun! On the other hand, first time mothers don't exactly know what to expect from childbirth so we can't really compare them
Fear based on previous experiences can be stronger than fear of the unknown, I think!
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@Mrsbells: Ahhh!! That's HUGE!!! No epi.....EVER!! LOL
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@JoJoGirl: Another good point! Thanks.
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@highwire: Haha, although from what I've heard the crowning and actualy pushing isnt as bad as the contractions
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It is a huge needle but don't forget, there's a local anesthetic given beforehand and that IS a teeny tiny needle, so you never even feel the epi needle going in. I loved my epidural - best thing ever!
Then again, I'm an avid blood donor and have no issue with needles. My sister though has a horrible needle phobia though and I just don't get it.
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@Mrsbells: Wow, that picture is definitely helping to keep my baby fever in check!
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i hate needles(don't really know why either) but i LOVED my epidural lol it was amazing. the local made it so i didn't feel a thing
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I used to have a needle phobia but once I started going through fertility testing and treatment I got over it very quickly! Mine started when I went to donate blood in high school. I almost passed out in the chair. They had to lay me down on the floor with my feet above my head and I guess I was a lovely shade of white. Then I had to get a cortisone shot in my shoulder... yeah almost passed out there too. When I had my pre-op done for my tonsils I completely passed out. All three incidents were within a year of each other. Needless to say, I avoided needles for a very long time after that!
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I think it's kind of funny when people are like, "I hate needles!" Because I always think, "Well no one loves them, right?"
I don't mind needles, I just hate VEINS. Veins are so gross and make me sick to think of the needle actually puncturing it. I could NEVER be a phlebotomist! I always tell them that I don't know how they look at gross veins all day!
As long as I look away when they stick the needle in the vein (BARF!), I'm good.
I think getting loads of needle experience gets you more used to it as well. So someone with a needle phobia just genuinely may not have had a lot of experience with them. I have to get my TSH levels checked every few months, and also when we were TTC I got stuck a ton with all the bloodwork we did, so it got me more used to it, I guess.
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@jholler25: "As long as I look away when they stick the needle in the vein (BARF!), I'm good." Haha! I'm the same. I mean I don't love needles, but they don't make me hyperventilate or anything. I just look away when they are doing the deed.
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So now I have a question, is the epidural that much different than the spinal block? When I got mine they did the local anesthetic shot first but I most certainly felt the needle go in when they were doing the spinal block and it hurt really bad.
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I always wondered this!! At my hospital they give you an IV even if you don't get an epidural. I wonder if this is standard elsewhere too. Either way I didn't feel it and I didn't see it and I didn't have any complications from it (thankfully.)
@Cyndistar3 At my birth class they showed a diagram..the spinal just basically goes in further. I don't think it's supposed to hurt though??
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@sweetkate: you're giving me so much hope right now! I have all out fainted once at the doctors, and I've come super close a bunch of other times. I even left without getting my blood drawn after they missed the first time and I got all clammy and fainty. I want more than anything to get over it, but haven't been able to yet.
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Needle phobia isn't a pain thing, it's a psychological thing. Where do people get that idea from? I honestly don't know why exactly I have the phobia, but it's not because of the way the shot feels!
I do have a pretty terrible memory of my brother's newborn shots. I was 10 and had to hold his legs down while the damn incompetent nurse jabbed him again and again, as he screamed and squirmed. But I had the phobia before that happened.
Needles vs. having a baby...not remotely comparable.
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I'm more concerned with the potential complications or unwanted effects of an epidural than the needle itself.
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As someone whose veins are beyond bad, I have trust issues when it comes to health care professionals and needles. They can find my veins no problem, but they collapse as soon as the needle is in and all it takes is one overzealous nurse and I've got a needle clear through a vein and into the meat of my arm/hand/joint of my wrist/ankle. My entire left arm can't be used for IVs anymore because an ER nurse blew out essentially all my veins in February (regardless of how many times I tell techs or nurses this, they still have to try that arm five or so times before they believe me). I've had the pressure cuff jacked up all the way and stabbed, hot compresses and stabbed, vacuum tubes, bloodwork that took over 20 stabs and had to be completed by an ICU nurse (four more tries later) and have been chastised for the quality of my veins. Also, on the odd occasion they get the line in, I bleed all over the floor every.freakin'.time. So for me it's kind of more than a "poke with a tiny needle and it's over" scenario.
Epidurals freak me out for another reason though- they carry the risk of freakin' paralyzing me. No way Jose!
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@Rachel: I had so much bloodwork done for fertility testing that I had to get over it pretty quickly. Then I ended up having to give myself injections! Talk about overcoming your fear
@JessicaMcB: Wow! That really sucks. I hate it when nurses don't listen to you. Why even ask!
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@Foodnerd81: yes! this is EXACTLY how i feel about epis and i why i want to go for an unmedicated birth. i chalked it up to a control issue (and it is in part) but your explanation is spot on.
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that picture is scary, but you don't even see the needle! I had the epi last week and all I saw was the anesthesiologist come in. I didn't even notice the "beesting" local because my contractions were obviously stronger than the pain of a teeny needle. I didn't feel the epidural go in at all (was surprised when they said I was done) and it didn't hurt coming out either. The tape being pulled off my back was worse!
Fear based on previous experiences can be stronger than fear of the unknown, I think!
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