A needle-phobic reader is worrying about an upcoming blood test. Midwife Genevieve has words of comfort.

Raisingkids member's problem
I am petrified of having my 28 week blood test done, to the point where I can't sleep and get very stressed (which can't be good for the baby). I have always been needle phobic but had a horrible experience at my 12 week Nuchal blood test (which resulted in the nurse being fired) so I am now even worse! Is the 28 week blood test completely necessary and can you tell me whether they only take one sample of blood as I was a bit shocked when they took five in one go at my booking in appointment?

Midwife Genevieve Kingston's Advice
I am sorry you had a bad experience with your first blood tests. I have yet to meet anybody who actually enjoys having their blood taken (just so you know you are definitely not alone). Usually midwives are pretty good at taking blood as they take them so often.

Sometimes it helps a little if you know what the tests are for.

At 28 weeks your red blood cell count will be checked to make sure you are not anaemic. Why? Anaemia means you have less red blood cells than you ought to have. Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body, helping to keep all your bits working. They also carry oxygen to the placenta (it all becomes a bit complicated so unless you really want me too, I won't explain that bit.)

If you don't have enough red blood cells, you won't be carrying sufficient oxygen. This means you will get tired much sooner than you should do as your body runs out of energy. It also increases the work load on the heart and can ultimately (if really severe and not treated) cause a heart attack. Whilst this last is not really likely, it is a risk.

It is also important to try to ensure your red blood cells are at the right level for labour. All women lose blood at delivery, but if your red blood cell count is low to start off with, it's much more dangerous than if your red cell count was somewhere near normal. So that's why your Haemoglobin (HB- red blood cell count ) is checked.

Your hospital may check your antibody status at 28 weeks. This is of real importance if you are rhesus negative. If you are rhesus negative, they need to ensure you haven't had any concealed bleeds and been exposed to the baby's blood group (which may be positive) . If this has happened and you have started producing antibodies , these can attack the baby's blood cells in an attempt to wipe out what it sees as an enemy (the baby's blood) which is obviously not a good situation. So it's a really important test. Some hospitals have started testng rhesus positive women for antibody production at 28 weeks as well as rhesus negative women. It is possible for a rhesus positive woman to develop antibodies in the same way as a rhesus negative woman; not as likely but still possible.

Unless you have any disorders eg diabetes, thyroid problems, it's unlikely that you would be tested for anything else at this stage.
You have the right to refuse any or all of the blood tests, but think really carefully about it first. Nobody will tell you it's pleasant having blood taken, but the information gained from these tests is for your benefit.

You could try taking a couple of paracetemol a couple of hours before the tests. You could also try taking the homeopathic remedy arnica. Both would help reduce the pain of the tests. Rescue remedy can help some women as well. It's quite likely to be your midwife who takes these bloods, but whoever it is, tell them that you are really apprehensive and that you had a bad experience.