Shots

I hate needles.  I do not look when a doctor needs to give me a shot or draw blood.  I loathe it when my son has to have blood drawn or get a shot.  It is hard to say exactly who is more upset when it is time for a needle to pierce my son's skin.

My son hates needles and must be physically restrained to prevent injury when a nurse brings a needle into the same room as him.  I remember the first time my baby was given an immunization.  He was calm, (only because he didn't know what was about to happen) he looked up at the nurse, eyes full of curiosity.  Then *jab jab jab* three shots in one go.  My son looked surprised then angry.  The level of rage visible in my infant was a sight to behold.  For his point of view, this was the worst thing that had ever happened to him.  He was laying there minding his own business when suddenly pain! In both legs!  (It was emotionally hard to witness.)  There was my son, who I love so much, in pain and I had pre-approved the ordeal.  I figured I was doing us all a favor by keeping him from contracting a perfectly preventable disease. And though I know I was doing the right thing, it still hurt to see it happen.  (I am a highly empathic person.)

His most recent encounter of this kind was, so far the easiest it's ever been to deal with.  He had fallen asleep in the car.  And rather than wake him up, only to then need to hold him down seemed like a bad idea.  So we let him stay asleep.  We carried him into the doctor's office still asleep from the car ride.  The needles were prepped, he was prepped and *jab* he was awake and not at all happy about it.  Fortunately for all of us, I had planned ahead.  We had a bottle of his favorite beverage (milk) ready and waiting for him, and the nurse had a lovely sticker to give him.  And just like that, all was forgiven.  He just wanted to be held, drink his milk, and play with his sticker.

I now understand why doctors offices have so many stickers to hand out to children.  Nothing calms a child down like a good distraction.  Yes what just happened might have stung and been scary, but look you have your very own sticker now, in fact since you were so brave you can have two stickers!  (And the child stops crying to the relief of all.)