Fear of needles?

[songbird516]

Yes I have vasovagal sycope and end to pass out if I'm not Very distracted. I can credit this to first getting me interested in natural birth! No way was I letting a needle that big close to me if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

I am not much help though, because with my first I avoided needles by declining most prenatal tests and getting to the hospital too late for them to even try a heplock, and the second time I opted for a homebirth where of course I was hoping that needles weren't necessary, and they weren't. I've had two vaginal births with no cervical exams or needles, so that makes me very happy!

[Harmony96]

Originally Posted by songbird516 Yes I have vasovagal sycope and tend to pass out if I'm not Very distracted. I can credit this to first getting me interested in natural birth! No way was I letting a needle that big close to me if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

Yeah, that. I used to get lightheaded with ANY medical skin puncture at all, whether it was an IV line or to draw blood or injections or even just a finger poke to test iron or whatever. It was to the point where I'd tell whoever was poking me that I would need to lie down, and that I would get pale (pale past the point of being white. I'd turn blue-ish), and I'd stay that way for about 5-10 minutes and then be fine. There were a couple of times that I got my blood pressure measured during an episode, and it was 50/22 one time, and 60-something/30-something another time.

With all my IVs for my hospital births, someone from anesthesia had to put them in (not necessarily an actual anesthesiologist, but someone from that department), giving me a shot of lidocaine first. My issue was that my veins were "valvey" lol, so the tube would only go in so far and then get stuck at a valve.

Now, though, needles don't bother me at ALL. I'm even to the point where I can even WATCH the needle go in, and stay vertical (in a chair as opposed to on a bed) and everything. My BP stays normal and I no longer get lightheaded. What cured me? A 24-day hospital stay where I had multiple blood draws daily. I lost official count before they put in my PICC line and didn't have to puncture me anymore, but it was easily near 50 draws over the whole time I was in there. Now, I don't recommend a hospital stay to cure someone of a fear of needles but it's what happened with me, and I seriously thought I would never be "cured."

I chose a homebirth for my second baby in hopes of avoiding needles, but ironically, my homebirth/prenatal care had exactly the same number of blood draws that my hospital birth/prenatal care did.

[nettepoet]

Originally Posted by Kiliki I had this exact thing happen with my one hospital birth. They exploded the veins in the tops of both hands, one wrist, and my forearm. The last resort was to call a pediatric anesthesiologist, next step would have been a line in my NECK.... ugh. and, I am a person who cries from having blood drawn. So you can just imagine the hysteria. My way of dealing with it has been to opt for homebith everytime since that experience. Obviously this is not a choice for everyone, though. Are you able to decline the IV?

LOL - i couldve written this post myself!! i had a hospital birth with no IV and no epidural bc of my fear of needles, and the second time i just stayed home and did a waterbirth so i could avoid the hassle. i have passed out before bc of blood squirting on me, and anytime i have to have a blood test i have to be treated like a baby. flat on my back, hubby holding my hand and distracting me, butterfly needles.

to the OP- definitely ask for a butterfly needle. also, some docs will let you skip the IV, just ask!

[lilannies mama]

Sing it sister I'd rather be hit over the head with a ball bat. They had to get the anthestiologist to put my Iv in to. I told him he got one shot of he missed I guess I'd just be going home lol he got it though. Then to beat it all I had to be put on magnesium & that night had to have an emergency c-section & my blood drawn every day after for 8 days. Are you kidding me? It was awful even after going through all of that I still get faint getting blood drawn I'm such a wimp. My poor baby was in nicu with needles & ivs & feeding tubes coming from every where & here I was being a Whiney baby. All I can say is my baby's one tough chick!( she hates doctors now though)