I was so nervous.
I knew we needed to get allergy testing done for my daughter, but I was concerned it would hurt her. I didn’t know what to expect; I just thought there would be lots of needles and pain for my daughter.
In reality, it went way, way better than expected.
Here’s what the skin test was like for us:
We talked with the doctor about the skin tests they were planning to do, and any we wanted to add. Then the nurse brought us into the skin testing room.
There was a TV on with kids channels, and chairs for my mom and I to sit in. Natalie laid on her belly in her diaper, so they could do the skin testing on her back. She didn’t even flinch when they gently poked her. It seemed to barely hurt, and they did all the pokes at one time. The hard part is when they put the allergen on your back and you start to react to that. It doesn’t hurt, but it ITCHES.
The nurse said I could gently blow on her back to help ease the itching, which I did while my mom entertained her with toys and books (and the TV of course). She had to stay still on her tummy for ten minutes. Then the nurse came back in and measured how big of a reaction she had to each allergen.
I was glad she had a full belly and had recently woken up from her nap when we got her tested. That helped a lot. But she did amazing and it didn’t bother her nearly as much as I expected.
If your child is going in for skin testing, I hope that can ease your fears as well! Of course, talk with your allergist and/or pediatrician to know what to expect. But I’m hoping it’ll be better than expected for you as well!
XOXO,
That Allergy Mama
That Allergy Mama 