1 year bloodwork

Can some moms shed some light b/c I am not happy right now. We took my daughter for her 1 yr check up last week and the poor thing was treated like a pin cushion with shots. Then we were told we hafta go to the lab for routine 1 year blood work.

Ok. I call and make the appointment assuming it is a finger prick and NO it is blood work from the arm. Oh and they said make sure she is hydrated bc it is easier. REALLY? I am going to get bloodwork on a 1 year old.

So I figured ok it is what it is. Well my girlfriend just came back from HER ped and her son who just turned 1 also only had to do a finger prick for bloodwork.

So I called MY PED and they said well we don't know what to tell you this is how we do it.
Am I wrong that I think a finger prick should be sufficient for 1 year old? Am I missing something? i am ready to switch peds over this b/c I am ticked off.

1 year bloodwork

Every ped is different and whatever their protocol is it is. I will say if you go somewhere good (Good Sam or the Stonybrook offsite lab) the arm is easier than the finger. They have to squeeze their finger for a while to get enough blood out and they scream the whole time. If you go somewhere good with kids it's a tiny pinch and then it's over.

I took my little 5 pound preemie to the SB offsite lab in setauket and they asked me to decide between a heel prick and the arm. I asked the woman's input bc she's the one who knows better and she explained how much easier it is to do the arm so that's what we did and it was nothing!

I took my older one to labcorp at a year and they tried 3 times and couldn't get the blood. Took her to Good Sam and it was done in no time. When she got her finger pricked she cried through the whole appointment.

1 year bloodwork

our ped required bloodwork from the arm too. They said they needed sufficient amount of blood to test it. I would go somewhere where they are really good with kids. I hear great things about St. Charles and Good Samaritan.

Message edited 6/1/2015 3:36:46 PM.

1 year bloodwork

I took my daughter last year and blood was taken from her arm, it was done so quick she didn't even have a time to cry. We went to Quest laboratory

Message edited 6/1/2015 3:25:01 PM.

Re: 1 year bloodwork

My ped doesn't do it, they write me a script to go to a lab. Since my insurance takes Quest I had to take my DS there. It wasn't pretty but they are good about drawing blood and it was done and over with quickly.

Re: 1 year bloodwork

For both my boys they also did the blood work from the arm. It was two separate Pediatricians too. When DS1 was 1 years old we were on LI and LOVED the Peds he went to. Went early Sat morning since I worked FT at the time to a Labcorp and they were fast and easy. DS did cry, but mostly from us holding him down. Didn't even put the needle in yet.
DS2 we had in NJ and a new Ped also asks for blood work at the 1 year well visit. I just thought it was the norm to do it that way.
Honestly... I think any needles stink and no one likes to see their LO crying in any pain, but the majority of the crying was having to hold them down. I don't think either needles are that big and really hurt, but you have to keep your LO still in either instance so of course they're going to cry. As soon as it was over he got was fine and got a sticker. Walked away like he totally forgot.
If you like your Ped a lot then trust his/her judgement and find a good lab that works well with LO's. Most labs are best with taking blood since it's second nature to them and they're done fast.

1 year bloodwork

My ped also requires enough blood to do sufficient testing. They do it from the arm at the office. My DS has thick skin. At his 12 and 15 month appts they couldnt feel a vein so they didnt prick him. At the 18 month appt they felt one and went for it. Was so happy to have it DONE. Im glad they never pricked him LOOKING for a vein. That would have annoyed me.

1 year bloodwork

Ugh I am so not happy about this but at least you girls are making me feel better about it all. Sigh. We have to go to North Shore Labs b/c our insurance doesn't take Quest. I hope we get someone gentle, our poor little babies.

Re: 1 year bloodwork

I was extremely upset like you were. I mean she was a BABY. a BABY. And they want to stick a needle in her chubby little arm?
No. I think not.

I put it off for over a year. My DD was happy and healthy and to be honest I felt no need for another test. I really don't trust the medical profesion to begin with and feel they are just out for money.
But I digress

We went to our 2 year old well visit and I told the Dr I hadn't done the 1 year old blood work. They weren't pushy about it, just said to try to go.

Finally DH got fed up with me and took her on his own. He knows I freak out about these things and I just wouldn't handle it well.

He took her to the lab at Good Sam Hospital- I hear they specialize in babies and kids.

He said before she could flinch it was over.

Try to find a lab that specializes in pediatric blood draws.

And for the record we waited until after 2 and nothing bad happened. Miraculously. She lived.

Message edited 6/1/2015 4:43:45 PM.

Re: 1 year bloodwork

I was really nervous about this but it always goes okay overall. I let my one year old eat mini m&ms during it and he didn't even care. My 3 year old freaked out but the lab helps with this and honestly he just doesn't like anything new or different. His reaction is the same at a new park I don't know what they test for exactly but I assume it's important.

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Re: 1 year bloodwork

1 year bloodwork

Must depend on the ped bc all she got was a heel prick. They tested for lead right there while we were waiting and since her levels were fine, we didn't need to go elsewhere for further testing.

I'm curious though. What else do they test for?

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1 year bloodwork

My ped gave us the option of drawing blood or a finger stick on the spot for $30. We did the fingerstick, even if it was $100. But we did have to do some blood for DD shortly thereafter and we took her to Quest near my place, and they have a pediatric phelobtimist during certain hours, and I took her during those hours, and it went really well. Literally the blood draw took seconds.. she was efficient, quick and very kind. I think I cried more than DD.

1 year bloodwork

My ped does the fingerprick but I have heard of other peds doing the bloodwork from the arm in a lab.

1 year bloodwork

My ped does it from the arm. I wasn't upset about it because I knew it had to be done. My dd cried but they did fast, 1 pinch done.

She got a shot that day, but only 1. I only allow 1 at a time.

How many shots did they do that your saying she was poked like a pin cushion? I would be more upset that they are giving so many shots in 1 visit, just not good overall for their body.

1 year bloodwork

My DS has had it from the arm at 1, 2 and two weeks later. Go to a lab that deals with kids and it really isn;t that bad.

It has to be done. I just always looked at it as it is what it is.

1 year bloodwork

DS got a fingerprick and several shots at his one year appt. he never cries when he gets shots, but he does cry when they squeeze his finger to get the blood to come out.

Re: 1 year bloodwork

My daughter had two small tubes of blood drawn from her arm for her one year old blood work. She sat on my lap-- one phlebotomist held her arm and a second one drew her blood. She cried a little but it was over very quickly. My dd pediatrician ordered a CBC and a lead level. I never heard of having a CBC done from a finger or heel prick.
If you are otherwise happy with your pediatrician I would not switch over this--honestly it was much less traumatic then the vaccinations.

Re: 1 year bloodwork

Ours was from the arm too. The worst part was holdng her down and tying the band around her arm. The blood draw itself was quick. I made sure to do it on a weekend so she sat on dhs lap and I looked away. She was fine 5 seconds after.

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Re: 1 year bloodwork

My dr doesn't do it in the office. She gave me a script and I went to Good Sam. They did it from the arm. It was so fast and got it on the 1st try. He was crying but he was crying before anything even happened.

1 year bloodwork

My ped draws in the office but it was horrible. It took the nurse so long. I'm going to ask to go a lab next time where they are better at drawing blood!

Re: 1 year bloodwork

My ped requested blood work at DS's one year check up. By the time we got to it, it was closer to 15 months and we made it a family event because DS was getting his blood taken and I was getting mine taken to confirm my pregnancy with #2 It also helped that my mom works at the lab so there was another friendly face to distract DS. He didn't cry at all and was probably more squirmy having the tourniquet on his arm than the actual needle stick. I was thankful that it ended up being quick and rather painless. I hope you have a similarly easy experience!