trypanophobia and pregnancy?

[NakedFinger]

Ok, so my fiance and I are getting married this July, and plan on TTC not long after (we've been together so long, no need to wait

). I cant wait to have a baby, but there is one issue I am really concerned about....

I have an insane, irrational and uncontrollable fear of IV's, giving blood, and anything that involves a puncture directly into the vein, particularly where the inside of the arms bends (opposite the elbow, whatever you would call that). I feel like I am going to throw up just writing this, and my hands are now clammy. I have never been able to get blood work done. Any attempt has resulted in convulsions, fainting, tears, sweating, etc, and the one time I tried getting an IV put in before surgery I actually flipped out, took the rubber band wrapped about my arm off, and threw it at the anesthesiologist (poor guy). Every surgery I have ever had, they have had to put me to sleep with the mask before putting my IV in. Its insane, I know, but I cant help it.

The other day my brother was talking about giving blood, and I started loosing it. My mom said to me, "what are you going to do when you get pregnant?". And it occurred to me that I am going to have serious problems. Obviously, you have blood work done throughout a pregnancy (how often?) and will obviously have an IV placed when I am in labor. What am I going to do? Has anyone else had this problem and did you or are you getting through the pregnancy ok? Are there alternate methods for people with issues? I'm not concerned about myself, I will do whatever is necessary to take care of my child and make sure they are healthy. I am just worried that the insane reaction my body goes through when faced with this will cause an unhealthy strain on the baby.

 

[purrfectpear]

You may just have to suck it up if there is blood work during the pregnancy. I don''t remember having any done during mine (1983)?

I can tell you that if your labor is like the majority, by the time they want to put in an IV you won''t care if they arrive in the room with a carving knife, or tell you they are going to pull it out with a farm tractor. The pain of contractions are such that you just want the baby out - now, immediately, through any method they can use

I''m pretty sure the labor experience will trump any phobia you might have.

 

[icekid]

Well, I would guess that you can probably get through pregnancy without HAVING to have blood tests. No one can make you get them, though there are times when it might be helpful (genetic screening, glucose tests etc.)

I am in anesthesia myself... and we really only put kids to sleep first before putting in their IV

But you might be able to talk someone into giving you a little anti-anxiety medication in L&D before attempting the IV. Would that help at all? Especially if they put one in the hand? The place you were describing (near the elbow) is the antecubital fossa and I don''t typically place IVs there unless it''s difficult to find a vein more peripherally.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

I understand, completely. As someone with a very similar phobia, and a baby, I'd say there are ways of dealing with the problem.

I had never been happy with any invasive treatment / testing, but I didn't realise how bad it got until I had a suspected ectopic pregnancy. I could not bring myself to consent to giving a blood sample. I was told repeatedly by the medical staff that I was risking death by refusing the test and potential emergency surgery but I could not give consent. I think that is the difference between a fear and a phobia - the phobia is the worst thing imaginable, nothing else, even the real possibility of dying is as frightening. It isn't really something you can suck up and deal with, if it is a severe phobia rather than a fear or nervousness. With no disrespect, I don't think anyone who hasn't had a phobia (rather than a fear) will truly relate to this.

After that experience, I had cognitive behavioural therapy (and I'm not going to detail it here, NF, because I don't think it would help at this stage for you to know how that goes - suffice to say that I was in control of each step and progressed at my own pace). It took a little over a year, and I am now ok with invasive procedures, in that I have a much higher tolerance and can now cope without going into full phobia/ fear reaction that you describe.

I managed to give a blood sample during my pregnancy and I needed an emergency c-section, which I was able to cope with. I'd even go as far as to say I enjoyed it, in the end.

You're right - the reaction and stress that you would go through would not likely be healthy for you or your baby. I strongly advise that you find a good therapist who specialises in this type of problem and give yourself as much time as you need to work through it BEFORE TTC. I will say, I'll never be entirely happy about needles etc, but I'm at the anxious end of the normal spectrum now, rather than suffering from a phobia. It was something I had to do before I could decide to TTC again and probably something that I had to deal with anyway, because you never know when you might need treatment.

Good luck - I'd love to hear how you get on if you decide to tackle your phobia.

Jen

 

[meresal]

I''m at 26 weeks, and I have had my blood taken 3 times from my arm (inside elbow), and my finger has been pricked once. When they take the blood, it is not like donating where you have to sit in the chair for 10-20 minutes, it is only 2-4 viles each time so it takes no more than 2 minutes.

I have never been asked if I was ok with it. I''m not sure if they are necessary or not... but I would assume that is obviously the best way for the doctors to determine your internal health thruout the pregnancy.

 

[lyra]

I would suggest therapy, if you can find someone you are comfortable with who treats phobias. I think of it as sort of a lifeskill to be able to easily endure these procedures. Something worthwhile to have for sure.

 

[Mara]

I don''t have any experience with this, but you might be surprised at your own resilience when you have to do things that have to do with the baby.

re: blood being drawn, I actually had to get a fair amt of blood drawn up until about 20 weeks of preg. They would take 4-5 vials at once and I think I went almost every 6 weeks for various types of testing and the like. I don''t recall exactly what it was all for but it was nothing ''out of the ordinary''....and anytime something seemed curious my Dr would order blood drawn (aka I remember I was having weird itchiness and one of the gals on here thought it might be something I can''t recall so my Dr ordered a blood test to check it).

After 20 weeks I think I have only given a few vials up, I can only really think of a few. Part of it will depend also on what type of testing you want to go through, aka first trimester and second screenings which I went through as well.

I wouldn''t worry too much about it now, because again you might be surprised, but if you know that you have this phobia, potentially start thinking about ways to relax or distract yourself OR even talk about it with your doctor ahead of time to see if they have any suggestions. Good luck!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Mara, if it''s truly a phobia then with respect, I don''t think you''d want to test resilience while pregnant. If the answer is I still can''t cope with this, then there is potentially a big problem ahead. Not trying to be smart, just as someone who has been there, I really don''t think this is a great option.

Talking ahead of time with your Dr is a very good plan, and having him / her assess the extent of the problem. If you need therapy, it can take a long time and I don''t know how well it would have gone for me if I knew I had a timeline (ie I''m going to be in labour in 9 months and counting...)

 

[cara]

Therapy. When something is interfering with important stuff you want in your life (TTC, pregnancy, baby), it is time to do something about it. Especially when you realize it is a problem and is not a healthy or minor thing.

While you can certainly research a number of ways to minimize blood draws during pregnancy and childbirth, there is no way to be certain that your pregnancy will be uncomplicated, and you could be risking your health or your baby''s health if you haven''t addressed your phobias beforehand. Horrible position to be in.

Mrs. Mitchell''s post seems totally on point here- and it is good that you are thinking ahead! Good luck addressing your phobia.

 

[MonkeyPie]

I agree with Mrs. Mitchell 100% - start talking with your doctor about it now to see what you can try before you even attempt getting pregnant. Knowing you will have to do it within a timeline or under pressure will definitely make things harder than they need to be.

FYI, I have had blood drawn three times since being pregnant (I am 30 weeks), but I didn''t have genetic testing. So once for a positive pregnancy test, once for all the initial testing (I forget what this is for), and once for blood sugar and such. I don''t think I will have anymore done, but I know there will be an IV at the end if necessary. So for your most basic testing, you will get poked at LEAST 4 times. If you opt for genetic testing or anything, the number goes up.

 

[packrat]

I only remember having the pregnancy panel done in the beginning and then the finger prick for the blood sugar test later, when I was pg w/London. With Trapper, I had several blood tests to make sure my levels were going up, since I''d had a miscarriage prior.

I used to have a horrible time with needles and would be up all night worrying if I knew I had to have blood work done the next day. I did 3 courses of Accutane years ago, and you have to do tests every month..I won''t say it was a ton easier after that, but once I got pregnant, it was more a case of mind over matter.

Still, the experiences I''ve had w/blood draws and injections and iv''s and epidurals since I''ve been older, have helped me to not fear it as much. Sometimes it makes a difference who does it. I don''t watch, and I talk. Blah blah about whatever, so it helps to have someone doing it who talks too-go ahead and tell them you''re scared, so they know. The mind is pretty powerful-if you go into it with a mindset that you *can* do it, that makes a difference. When it''s been a long time since you''ve had something done, like blood drawn, your mind spends the whole time working you up into a lather about it so that by the time it comes time to do it again, you''re frantic.

When I went in to have Trapper, I was in a froth over the epidural, thinking I was going to have a panic attack. The nurses explained what was going on and I concentrated on what they wanted me to do, and then they''re like, okay lay down, you''re going to be numb-and I''d no clue she''d already given the epidural. I started to cry b/c it was such a relief.

Use your mind to your advantage! Think of those times as a few moments of discomfort on your journey to having a beautiful baby!

 

[taovandel]

At least you are thinking of this now. I would definitely get into therapy asap.

I had blood drawn a few times when pregnant and I definitely had an iv while in labor.

Each blood drawn was less than a minute really---the nurses are quick. The first appointment I had maybe 6 viles taken....then I had them done for the glucola test....I''m sure you could ask for the finger prick for that instead of drawing blood--not sure though. they also drew again after my labor to make sure I wasn''t anemic after giving birth.

And when in the hospital I had an IV put in for the entire time I was there in labor (It wasn''t removed until about 2 hours into recovery).

 

[DivaDiamond007]

I''m in the mind over matter camp on this one. I only had my blood drawn a few times during pregnancy, had an iv during delivery and also an epidural. I don''t like having my blood drawn, but the nurses are usually quick and I don''t watch.

After I was diagnosed with DVT I had my blood tested regularly due to a medication I was on and at first I would be nervous every time but eventually I got used to it so to speak and it wasn''t such a big deal anymore.

I agree that you should discuss this with your doc before getting preggo though. Good luck!

 

[Dandi]

Is the problem having blood taken from your cubital fossa particularly, or just in general? It certainly isn''t the only place blood can be taken from, but it''s generally one of the easiest and quickest. I recently cared for a lady who had a caesarian who was a terrible, terrible needle phobic, and the distraction of the entire affair, ie. contractions, soon to meet her baby etc, were enough to get her over a rather nasty hurdle, and she was pretty unfazed by the IV once her baby was born.

It isn''t insane, but I''m sure it''s something you can work through, particularly given the wonderful reward at the end! Just be sure that anyone involved in your care is aware of your fear and support is readily available. People in that area of practice are used to seeing it!

 

[msb700]

i TOTALLY get where ur coming from..TOTALLY! i am such a coward when it comes to needles..i actually fainted once when i was waiting in line for my turn to get blood work...i start to hyperventilate and start shaking uncontrollably...i despise them with such a vengeance!! The worst part are that my veins are SO hard to find...and when im scared, they disappear even more and they have to prod me once or twice or something and then i start loosing it rite there and then coz i can''t breathe..

first pregnancy...i had to go to the docs FIVE times for bloodwork..each time id flip out and my veins would do a total disappearing act and they send me home coz they can''t find the vein...SIXTH time they decided to opt pricking my fingers and getting the blood that way ( a very LOOONG process) which i didnt mind as long as no VEINS were involved...that didn''t work..SEVENTH time i had to suck it up and started breathing in and out had one of those stress balls with me that i squeezed the life out off and lo and behold the technician was so great that she managed to find my vein on the first try!

second pregnancy (currently preggo)...went to the doc for second check..midwife tells me they need blood work..i start flipping out that i wasn''t mentally prepared..she says listen dear..if u dont do it this time, ull do it next time and ull spend the time from now till then freaking out...so she put a little hot pack on both arms to make the veins protrude more...left it on for bout 30 mins..then i went to the technician and just kept repeating it in my head that i HAD to get this done..i REFUSE to go this seven times like i did the first time..everything was over and done with in less than 3 minutes flat..i could not have been MORE relived!

IV going in ...well...i hated it...i wont lie to u..but like wat the others have said..by then u dont really care...do watever u want sorta attitude

i wish u all the best of luck and hope u find the strength in u to get this done...it will be hard ..especially hard the fist time....but hopefully ull be able to get thru this!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

msb700, you have veins like mine. They slither away from a needle.

As part of my therapy, I went through a phlebotomist training course with the NHS. I''m great at getting blood out of anxious people, though I say it myself.

Some handy hints - use a stress ball to clench and unclench your fist for as long as possible, it will help make veins more prominent. Being warm helps, wearing gloves for a while beforehand can be useful. Sometimes it helps if you are lying down, too.

If looking away helps you, then do it. I personally find that I have to watch like a hawk, because one of my anxiety triggers is being unable to see what''s happening - when I look away, I''ve lost ''control'' of the event.

NF, the relaxation and coping techniques that people have shared here will really help with anxiety, but you''d need to have treatment for the phobia before you can get to the merely anxious stage.

 

[rockpaperscissors67]

NF, I can kind of understand where you''re coming from because I have a lot of anxiety about getting blood taken.

Unfortunately, it''s unlikely that you can completely get out of blood work during pregnancy. Most OBs will insist that you at least have the initial screenings done and if you don''t, they''ll fire you as a patient. =( There are ways to limit the amount of blood you need to give, though.

You probably won''t need to have blood taken to confirm pregnancy and unless you have a couple of miscarriages, checking your HCG levels is optional. After the first round of bloodwork to check Rh compatibility, hepatitis status, HIV status, etc., the next thing you''ll be tested for is gestational diabetes. This is typically done by having you drink glucola and then having your blood drawn an hour later.

You might consider using a midwife because IME they''re much better about working with you to avoid things you don''t want. For example, my midwife doesn''t use the standard glucola test. I had to eat a McDonald''s pancake breakfast and drink orange juice, then an hour later, she just pricked my finger, rather than having any blood drawn. This was still pretty gross because I would never normally eat 3 pancakes with syrup, but I could tolerate that carb load better than the glucola.

You could consider having a homebirth, too, because that would mean no IV. I had a homebirth with my last child and am planning another one.

I did successfully refuse an IV during the hospital birth of #3, but it was a pain to argue with a nurse when I was in labor. Then with #4, also in a hospital, I tested positive for group B strep, so I had no choice about having an IV in order to have antibiotics (hospital/OB policy). This was one of the reasons why I chose a homebirth with a midwife for #5, and I was GBS+ again. My midwife uses oral antibiotics during labor for GBS+ patients, and this is a rather controversial area because it''s not proven that oral antibiotics are effective. This is an area that I''d suggest you research for yourself if you find that you''re GBS+.

Good luck!

 

[EricaR]

I have a friend that had the same problem and was known to pass out at the very first touch of a needle to skin. She went to a therapist and they suggested some sort of numbing cream to her. She would go in, put the numbing cream on her arm, look away and then the nurse/phlebotomist would tell her when they were done. It worked wonders for her.

 

[honey22]

I feel for you, any type of phobia can be traumatic and scary. Certainly not the kind of stress you want to be under while pregnant. I would second the idea for therapy, before you get preggo. What if you have complications etc during pregnancy, you could end up having a lot of blood tests, treatments etc. You don''t want to put yourself under that kind of stress, it wouldn''t be healthy for you or the baby.

If you see a good therapist now, with some work, you can move towards ridding yourself of your phobia for good. This is not something you can just ''suck up'' - a phobia is a serious condition you need to address. Good luck!