Make vaccinations less stressful for kids (and you)
Plus, the one product I swear by for soothing breastfeeding soreness.
As a parent your gut instinct is to do everything in your power to protect your children from pain, so when my son’s characteristic smile contorted and he let out the saddest cry he'd ever emitted as the nurse gave him an injection, I felt so, so guilty.
But even in that moment, I knew what I was feeling was nothing compared to the guilt I would have felt if my son had contracted one of the preventable, but potentially devastating, conditions he was being vaccinated against. Or if he were to pass on an illness to a more vulnerable child who was unable to have the vaccination.
I was left wondering whether immunisation appointments had to be such an upsetting experience and I vowed to be better prepared the next time around. So I did a bit of research and asked other mums and dads if they’d found any ways to make jabs less stressful for babies and children - and by extension for parents too.
Scroll down for their words of wisdom:
Photo by CDC on Unsplash
Babies
If in doubt, get ’em out
You may have already been advised that breastfeeding can help distract babies from the pain of injections - and the evidence for this is not just anecdotal. A study published in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews in 2016, found that babies aged between one month and a year cry less while having injections if they are breastfed at the same time.
Do bear in mind that this study did not find that breastfeeding completely prevented babies from crying - rather, the researchers found that on average, breastfed babies cried for 38 seconds less than babies who were not breastfed during the appointment.
Give the performance of a lifetime
“I saw a video of a paediatrician giving shots to a baby (old enough to sit up but didn't speak yet). He made it into a tickle/poke/pinch game which had the baby giggling and it didn't realise it even had a shot,” says Mollie Millington.
The video is quite something to watch. You may be lucky enough to encounter a doctor or nurse who is similarly talented at distracting children, but if not, you could sing a song your child knows and do a dance to distract them.
Be mindful of your own nerves
“Although you may be horrified by the thought of your baby being given a needle, don’t show it. Babies pick up on your mood and can become anxious if you’re showing signs of stress,” Jo Wheatley, Netmums associate editor told HuffPost UK.
Dress for less stress
Make sure your baby is as warm as possible, as our skin tends to be more sensitive when we’re cold and a 2012 study found that babies who were warmed before their jabs stopped crying and grimacing earlier than babies who were given a sugar pill or dummy and even those who were breastfed. In fact, nearly a quarter of the warmed babies did not cry at all.
If you wrap your baby up in layers, just make sure it is still easy to access their arms and thighs - as you don’t want to be struggling to undress them during the appointment.
Children
Honesty is the best policy
“Be truthful,” advises Cecily Henderson, co-founder of plastic-free kids’ shop PomPom. “Explain you are going to the doctors. In the room, explain what will happen before it happens. Explain there will be a little pinch but Dr X needs to to keep them healthy/well. Keep the child on your lap. Be reassuring, loving, confident you are doing the right thing.”
It’s important to get the balance right when explaining what injections feel like. Don’t downplay it and pretend that they won’t feel a thing or your child might feel like they were lied to, but you also don’t want to make it seem scary. The NHS advises saying: "you may feel a sharp scratch that will go away very fast".
This doesn’t have to suck (but it helps)
The calming power of sucking doesn’t only work for breastfeeding babies, which is why Sophia Procter, founder of kids’ plate brand MunchyPlay, says she always has “a lollipop to hand” during vaccination appointments.
Busy brains won’t focus on discomfort
“I got my child to count up from one out loud with me when he was just learning to count, starting at the point just before the jab, which seemed to help,” says psychologist Dr Helen McCarthy. “We never got to 10 before it was all over. Maybe it was the concentration required that helped distract his attention.”
Warm up those vocal cords once more
Singing is not just a good distraction technique for babies. A scientific study in 2016 found that children who were encouraged to sing and play instruments during a routine immunisation visit were less stressed and better able to cope with the procedure than those who didn’t and – importantly – their parents were less stressed, too.
“Although it certainly won’t eliminate a child’s pain or distress, using music to distract them could help them focus less on the pain, which can improve their perception of getting shots,” said study author Olivia Yinger from the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
Can You Help With A Little Thing?
An upcoming issue of The Little Things will focus on how to get baby poo stains out of towels, clothes and sheets (and other parenting laundry hacks). Have you discovered any tips for making the never-ending laundry pile less of a nightmare? If so, you can let me know by replying to this email. Thank you :)
Little Loves
Anyone who knows me will have done a knowing nod as they scrolled past the picture for these Multi-Mam Compresses (£11.22, Amazon) as I can (and often do) wax lyrical about them for hours on end. So to save space I am just going to direct your attention to this ode in their honour I wrote for The Strategist UK: I Give These Soothing Compresses to Every Breastfeeding Mum I Know
Little Lowdown
“I remember hearing my baby's heartbeat for the first time and bursting into tears. It was at that moment I realised just how much I loved this little person growing inside of me,” four women shared their experience of early pregnancy scans with me for this feature on Women’s Health UK, which aims to answer any questions you may have about having a scan before 12 weeks.
It’s that time of year again - when the ONS releases the annual list of the top baby names in the country. If you’re currently looking for inspiration you can get the lowdown on the most popular names in this article by Caroline Allen on Yahoo, or if you want to have a nosey at whether your child’s name has made it into the top 100 since 1904 you can use the interactive tool here.
For parents feeling anxious about trying to help children ease back into a routine with school, child psychologist Dr Tina Rae has shared on Twitter a couple of helpful guides to things to do the night before and on school mornings.
“Five is the age parents say their child changes from being truly ‘little’ to a mini adult, with opinions and strong interests all of their own.” With that in mind, I asked 13 experts — from play psychologists to parenting writers and toy makers — to recommend the best gifts for 5-year-olds from STEM toys to dolls and outdoor toys in this article on The Strategist UK.
About Me
I’m Ellen Wallwork, a sleep-deprived mum-of-one, incessant worrier and freelance journalist. I’ve been writing about parenting for more years than I care to remember and previously launched the Parents section on HuffPost UK. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (but be warned, I’m not a prolific poster).
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Disclaimer: This newsletter does not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The use of any information contained in this newsletter is solely at your own risk.