Needle Phobia
Anna contacted me when she was preparing for pregnancy. She described herself as needle phobic from childhood and was keen to conquer this fear so that she could approach pregnancy feeling calm rather than overwhelmed with anxiety.
Anna’s needle phobia was rooted in two memories, a vaccination experience at school and a routine blood test a few years later. She recalls being told off for making such a fuss by the school nurse and years later, fleeing a blood clinic for a routine test before the nurse had a chance to take any blood.
Needle phobia is incredibly common and I regularly treat women who are extremely anxious at the thought of coping with needles for fertility tests, IVF treatment, antenatal blood tests, Anti-D injections. It also tends to surface when women start considering labour and feel very anxious at the thought of a cannula insertion for an IV or the most unsettling procedure for needle phobic’s - the preparation of an epidural site for labour pain relief.
Whilst needle phobia is common, what causes the phobic response can vary from person to person. It is often seeded in childhood during those dreaded vaccinations and booster jab experiences but needle phobia can equally manifest after an experience later in life which felt traumatic.
The source of fear can be the expectation of pain from a needle or the thought of a needle piercing the skin. For some women they feel queasy at the sight of blood or when faced with the smell of a clinical environment. Others feel anxious and panicky in the presence of an intimidating or insensitive nurse.
In Anna’s case, we needed to dissolve feelings of intimidation, feeling trapped and anger towards the school nurse who humiliated her in front of her classmates. Anna also held feelings of shame and embarrassment about how she handled the visit to the blood clinic years later and was fearful of a repeat performance with another intimidating nurse.
As we dissolved these emotions, Anna started to look visibly relaxed. She found her mind wandering to the matter of a long overdue dental visit which she now felt comfortable about arranging.
Clarity about what was underpinning Anna’s needle phobia enabled her to separate the procedure, which really wasn’t the problem in the end, from the matter of how comfortable she felt with the person taking charge of the procedure. So we looked at how she could take steps in the future to ensure she was comfortable and able to communicate her fears with the nurse or midwife working with her.
To be sure we had covered all potential issues relating to pregnancy, labour and birth we discussed how Anna could mentally prepare for blood tests and injections, and cope with an IV induction or epidural should either be necessary during the labour.
This common phobia can present an unnecessary hurdle for women wanting a baby. Like all phobias, it can remain dormant until thoughts or events trigger reactions which result in emotional overwhelm.
Anna cleared her phobia in a single therapy session and went on to enjoy a relaxed pregnancy. She joined me later in pregnancy with her husband, to learn HypnoBirthing®, a great toolkit for a more confident and relaxed approach to birthing.
Anna enjoyed a straightforward hospital birth and whilst she admits that she wouldn’t choose to be at the front of the queue for a blood test or a vaccination, she is now able to cope with needles and has managed to remain calm and together when her son had his first round of vaccinations.
If you would like to find out how I can help you to clear your fears and phobias, visit my Pure Therapy Programme and HypnoBirthing® pages. Alternatively, use the form below to drop me a line or call and speak with me directly on 01276 21386.
Conception & Birth Services
Pure Therapy Programme Brief therapy to dissolve your fears, phobias, anxieties and any emotional trauma. This programme focuses on calming your mind, restoring your confidence and self-esteem, giving you back a sense of control in your life as well as the clarity to make important decisions.
Essential Support Programme Regular, short check-in sessions by phone to keep you calm, relaxed, optimistic and positively focused between significant milestones from conception to birth. The therapeutic toolkit enables sabotaging emotional wobbles to be dissolved in an instant.
HypnoBirthing® Classes The ultimate in birth preparation classes to teach both you and your partner how to use hypnotic relaxation skills, special breathing techniques and endorphin releasing massage to manage the physical demands of labour and feel calm, relaxed and confident during the birth.
Parent Coaching Programme No baby arrives with a manual and few parents have endless hours to devour a ‘how to’ book. Parent coaching is a supportive route to helping you create your own practical solutions to whatever parenting challenges you are facing, in time sensitive short sessions.