have problems when having blood tests?

My veins are REALLY bad, for example this morning they tried to take some bloods, the midwife tried once couldnt do it so went and got a doctor, he tried using a syringe and couldn't get a vein then spent ages trying to find another 'decent' vein (I'm talking half an hour with a band around the top of my arm, which was slowly turning blue ) and eventually got enough blood to fill the vile. When I passed out when Libby was a couple of weeks old, I got rushed to hospital and midwives and doctors tried 6 times to find a vein and in the end got some blood from my hand (ouch!!).

Just wondering if it's common really?

It's a good job I don't mind needles!!!

I'm not that bad, but they do struggle to find a decent vein and I think my left arm is worse than my right. I tend to bruise really badly afterwards as well.
My mum is the same too.

Yeah they struggle with mine they treid doing mine in hosp but couldnt i had to go to a different hospital to get it done another way i hate them so much too x my nan use to be really bad they use bruise her badly xx

I'm exactly the same. I ended up having one particular lady always take my blood when I was pregnant because she was the only one who could do it! I had loads of problems with it when I had Stephen because they had to put me on a drip and it took an hour and loads of attempts to do it! I also had to have a blood transfusion and iv antibiotics whilst there and when I left I looked like I'd been battered because of all the bruises from the attempts to get blood! Glad to hear it's not just me

I am the same too! They spend ages trying to find a decent vein and then ages actually getting the blood from me! And I bruise easily too! My mum and grandma are/were the same too!

xxx

I've always had 'wonderful' veins I used to have regular blood tests and have never had trouble but when I was pg they all seemed to have trouble finding a vein and even tempting the blood out. At my GTT they made a right mess of my arms

mine are liek that 2.. they normally go for the vein in my hand now where hosptial put a drip in .. they use a butterfly thing lol.. i sit there laughing at them trying

Ah that's OK then, the way the midwives/docs are I feel like some kind of freak!!! I bruise really badly as well, got 3 today x

i have spurty veins every time without fail i tell them, it will spit at u, be quick with that cap!! every time, they make a mess. except when they are going for my blood gases! why cant ANYONE iv every came across do it right! the last mob even numbed me up and still couldnt get them i still screamed like a big jessie! the student went, sorry i think i hit the bone!!!!! im ok with gettin bloods done but i do bruise sometimes. if its been a shitty nurse whos been a bit rough! refuse blood gases every time since that incident!

I had my blood taken every day of the last week of my pregnancy - they just used the same spot on the outside of my elbow or the inside of my left wrist as that is the only place you can get blood out of me (it's all minnnnnnnnnnne!), just keep telling them everytime, and if you are lucky they will listen to you - there is always someone who thinks they can just 'have a go' then end up hurting you though!

I nearly fainted when a student doctor tried to take blood when I went to hospital cause of the bleeding at the beginning of this pregnancy! He faffed it up that bad!! And a student midwife was trying to take the blood for my GTT the other week, actually resorted to wiggling the needle about to try and get enough blood!! Nightmare!

xxxx