Further indoctrination / Mean mama
More research karma....
Jakob was, of course, due for his 4-month vaccinations. Upon hearing of yet another study - this one involving said 4-month shots - I signed him up for it. This research is meant to compare the pain responses of pre-term and full-term infants. Because, by LMP, Jakob was full-term (if barely), he was part of the latter group.
So on Friday morning, two researchers and a nurse arrived at our home. After setting up two video cameras and having me answer a bunch of questions while taking a saliva sample from Jakob, they had me sit on a chair and cuddle with Bärchen for some period of time. I also had to play with him on the floor, and get him to babble, before they had us sit still again for a while. Then the nurse swooped in, gave him two shots in his pudgy left thigh and one in his right, and the cameras filmed his response. Mine too, I suppose. Both of us cried. He wailed in pain, I sobbed with angst. Because they needed to take two more saliva samples, I was not permitted to breastfeed Jakob, although I knew that would have soothed him. In fact, I wasn't even allowed to give him a pacifier. I moved to the couch and cuddled and rocked him. Finally, he cried himself to sleep. A sound, deep, exhausted sleep. When the post-doc tried to take saliva samples, he clenched his mouth shut like a little clam. She managed to wedge the swab in between his lips, but I don't think she got much saliva. So, all that might have been for naught.
Oh, also to be filed under the 'never research a researcher' category, I refused to sign consent to allow them access to my hospital records. They wanted carte-blanche access. I wasn't even allowed to see my own files (yes, I asked), so I don't know what's in there for them to see. If they had said, "We want to know what drugs you were given during labour and delivery", for instance, I would have said yes, but I was not willing to give consent for general data-mining.
Just like with the two-month shots, I was pretty unhappy and Jakob did me proud. I wish I could have breastfed Jakob, either before or after the needles. He needed the shots; hopefully he contributed to some research.
Jakob was, of course, due for his 4-month vaccinations. Upon hearing of yet another study - this one involving said 4-month shots - I signed him up for it. This research is meant to compare the pain responses of pre-term and full-term infants. Because, by LMP, Jakob was full-term (if barely), he was part of the latter group.
So on Friday morning, two researchers and a nurse arrived at our home. After setting up two video cameras and having me answer a bunch of questions while taking a saliva sample from Jakob, they had me sit on a chair and cuddle with Bärchen for some period of time. I also had to play with him on the floor, and get him to babble, before they had us sit still again for a while. Then the nurse swooped in, gave him two shots in his pudgy left thigh and one in his right, and the cameras filmed his response. Mine too, I suppose. Both of us cried. He wailed in pain, I sobbed with angst. Because they needed to take two more saliva samples, I was not permitted to breastfeed Jakob, although I knew that would have soothed him. In fact, I wasn't even allowed to give him a pacifier. I moved to the couch and cuddled and rocked him. Finally, he cried himself to sleep. A sound, deep, exhausted sleep. When the post-doc tried to take saliva samples, he clenched his mouth shut like a little clam. She managed to wedge the swab in between his lips, but I don't think she got much saliva. So, all that might have been for naught.
Oh, also to be filed under the 'never research a researcher' category, I refused to sign consent to allow them access to my hospital records. They wanted carte-blanche access. I wasn't even allowed to see my own files (yes, I asked), so I don't know what's in there for them to see. If they had said, "We want to know what drugs you were given during labour and delivery", for instance, I would have said yes, but I was not willing to give consent for general data-mining.
Just like with the two-month shots, I was pretty unhappy and Jakob did me proud. I wish I could have breastfed Jakob, either before or after the needles. He needed the shots; hopefully he contributed to some research.
posted by Melanie A at 10:21 p.m.
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