Little ones seem to receive more needles in the first couple of years than they probably will in the rest of their lives (hopefully). At an age when they are the least able to understand what is going on it helps to have a trick or two up your sleeve to help facilitate this prickly time.
If you can keep your baby from actually seeing what is going on then you are halfway there. I can think of nothing scarier than a strange person approaching holding a pointy and dangerous looking object so don’t let them see that needle at all!
Here is a little trick we developed only the other day.
1. Put your baby on your knee facing away from the doctor while they are preparing the needle.
2. Start a game of “Peek -a- boo” using your hand to cover your babies eyes.
3. When you cover their eyes and say “where is baby?” you gently rub the place on the arm or leg where the needle is going to go.
4. You then uncover their eyes and say “there she is!” and both have a good laugh.
5. Do this at least 5 – 10 times.
6. When the doctor is ready you then repeat the procedure but instead of you rubbing the arm or leg, the doctor actually inserts the needle. By the time you say “there she is!” the needle is out and the injection is finished.
I don’t think she realized that she had even had a needle. There was no crying or screaming and she was calm through the rest of the doctors appointment. It certainly turned out to be a simple and excellent method for us to help take the stress out of vaccination day.
Where is baby..?