Updated Oct. 2024
Want to feel less alone in your food allergy journey? Join me by listening to my podcast! This podcast has reached top 130 in the US, and top 20 in Canada. You’ll get personal stories and experiences and feel a lot less alone!
Listen to this episode here or anywhere you get your podcasts:
I used to dread the yearly blood tests that our Allergist would request at our food allergy follow-ups. They seemed to cause so much stress for my girls and it was a struggle every year. I kept wondering how to calm a child for an allergy blood test so it would be easier. I now know how important it is to do some blood test prep to make the whole thing go smoothly.
That was until I learned an anxiety strategy from our Psychologist. This wasn’t a strategy for blood test prep specifically, BUT I was able to adjust it slightly and it changed EVERYTHING and made allergy blood tests calmer and easier.
Keep reading to learn these easy tips!
Blood Test Prep for Allergies
1. Honestly talk about what to expect at the blood test.
Explain that the allergy blood test feels like a little poke at first. It might feel uncomfortable and even hurt, BUT it will only last a second. Show them how long a second is, and ensure them they are strong enough to handle it. If you can be honest and take the initial surprise away, it makes a BIG difference.
The initial poke is often the most painful and surprising. As the blood is drawn, it usually takes a little while, but it isn’t painful, just uncomfortable. If your child is old enough to understand, you may want to talk about this. It can help to do “practice” blood draws with a stuffy or dolly. Seeing that their favorite stuffy can handle it makes it MUCH easier for them too.
2. Keep your child well-hydrated on the day of the allergy blood test.
Prep for an allergy blood test by drinking lots of fluids. Start at the beginning of the day, but especially get them to drink even more an hour before the test. Juice boxes, water, or whatever your child can drink will be helpful. Keeping hydrated makes those veins easier to see and find, which means things will go quicker and be less uncomfortable.
3. Right before and during the allergy blood test, try to engage your child’s five senses.
Our psychologist taught us that it’s very hard to be anxious when all of our senses are engaged. You can start this process as soon as you’re in the room, and just repeat it until the blood test is done. Here’s the grounding method she taught us with my adjustments for smaller kids.
Ask your child to find:
5 things you can see.
This might look like asking your child to show you 5 things that are ”blue” in the room or in a book that you bring.
4 things you can feel.
This might mean bringing 4 different textures and asking your child to touch each one.
3 things you can hear.
This might look like you whispering 3 words or sounds or songs and asking your child to repeat them.
2 things you can smell.
This might look like you bringing some scratch and sniff stickers so they can tell you what they smell like.
1 thing you can taste.
This might look like bringing a small taste of something they love to eat. If your child is old enough to slowly suck on sour candy, that is ideal. We use Sour Patch Kids! They are top allergen free and our Psychologist says that the sour flavor is especially good at engaging our sense of taste.
What do you think, will these 3 tips help prep your child for an allergy blood test? Let me know in the comments what you think and which tip you’ll try!
Did you know I have a low-cost series of workshops designed to help you with the biggest food allergy struggles?
90-Minute Variety Booster - Your Quick & Easy Way To Get More Allergy-Friendly Variety You & Your Kids Love
Get Over The Fear of Trying New Foods - Feel calm instead of nauseous so you can give your child the new foods your doctor recommended.
School Allergy Plan Template - Your detailed guide to keeping your child safe and included at school.
Food Allergy Travel - Our family has traveled worldwide with multiple severe food allergies. Learn my BEST tips and get all the planning checklists and planning templates you need for a trip with food allergies.
Dining Out With Food Allergies - Make dining out as safe as possible and feel confident knowing when it’s safe and when to leave.
Just go to the “GET HELP” page to learn more about all of these workshops!
Food Allergy Kid’s Empowerment Guide
On another note: As a Food Allergy Coach, I know that daycare/preschool and school is a scary transition for food allergy parents. Its never to early to get them ready! I’ve got a free resource that will help you prepare your child age 2-7 for more independence. This free guide is perfect. Sign up today!
