I’m the Baby Today
Read more about: Motherhood, Peanut Allergy
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Today I had to take my baby to the hospital to get her blood drawn. Although I chose to go to the hospital because the lab personnel are experienced drawing blood from babies, I felt anxious as I pushed her stroller through the doors of the hospital. I kept reminding myself she’s not sick, she just has a potentially fatal peanut allergy.
When I checked in at the desk, the receptionist asked curtly, without looking up,
“Date of birth?”
“January 17, 2007.”
She looked up when she realized I wasn’t the patient, and looked down at the stroller to see that my baby was.
“Oh.”
As I answered insurance questions, another employee came to the stroller and began smiling and talking to Turbo Tot. When I finished registering, this nice employee directed me where to go.
When I entered the room, the lab technician showed me where to sit and had me put Turbo Tot on my lap. Then she showed me how to restrain my baby. Next she rolled up my baby’s sleeve and began pressing on her arm to find the best vein. When she got out the needle, I looked away. When she stuck the needle in my baby’s arm, Turbo Tot began to writhe and lurch.
That’s when the tears came.
Mine, that is. While the tears streamed down my face, Turbo Tot just looked at the lab technician, after her initial attempts to free herself from my restraints.
The extremely proficient and sweet lab technician said,
“Wow! She didn’t even cry.”
Me, not so much.
As I walked past the nice employee who was playing with Turbo Tot earlier, she said, “It’s tough, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. She didn’t cry, but I did.”
I guess I’m the baby today.
Turbo Tot is the one with the cool rainbow band-aid who goes on a peanut parade.
Shannon Hutton draws on her experience working full-time, part-time and from home with three kids to blog about the universal challenge of achieving work-life balance. She also uses her Master's in Education and professional experience as a School Counselor to address parenting and school issues in her weekly 
Ooh, we went through this when my oldest was around 5. One of those scary high-fever viruses that should go away and didn’t. But my hospital wasn’t that hip about me holding onto my kiddo. No, they wanted to strap her down and let me leave the room. Um, they didn’t work out too well for them. Blood was drawn, but with my daughter firmly in my lap. Actually, I think we both did a little shouting.
Hope it’s all good news for your little one.
Man, my mom wouldn’t turn a hair if I had a shot. That was back in the sixties. “Pain’s a part of life,” she used to say. I’m not sure that’s not a better lesson (?) But I would rather have had a mommy like you, of course.
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Awwww, what a brave little girl!
Oh, I haven’t had to take any of the kids in yet to get blood drawn, but I have the feeling I’d be a basket case as well. I’m glad that Turbo Tot did such a good job - she looks very proud of her band-aid!
Oh what a sweetie! Look at her and that band-aid, so cute. She just didn’t know to be afraid.
I would have cried too. I cried when my kids got their first shots. Having blood drawn takes longer and you just feel like you’re betraying them somehow when you bring them to have it done.
You’ll be okay.
It won’t hurt much longer Mom. And it was necessary.
What a brave girl! I cry every time my daughter gets a shot. She’s 6 months old so that is pretty frequently. She has a blood test next time but they said it is just a prick in the heel. Eek. I hope your daughter doesn’t have a peanut allergy.
We’ve been through many a test with Amigo’s disabilities. I’ve learned to insist on being present. Now that he’s a teen, he handles just about anything well, and I hope the support we showed him when he was younger led in part to his confidence now.
she’s lovely. I really felt for you, feeling her pain!
I cry every time my babes are stuck. It’s harder on us than it is them.
I was getting all teary FOR you.
That is so difficult watching them go through something like that!
My son is 17 and I still get very emotional when they try to start an IV or do a blood draw. My daughter is 11 and I struggle to stay positive so she doesn’t get worried! I guess it never stops — but it sounds like your little one is a real trooper — and so is his mom!! Hope everything turns out ok!
I cried every time Dawson had to get a vaccination. I thought for sure I’d get over it, but I never did. I feel your pain!