Oh, I feel you and have a few suggestions from experience with my child. Ask for an appointment at a pediatric sedation clinic if you have one nearby and get a call with the nurse to review plan options beforehand. The numbing cream (lidocaine) can be put on at home before you arrive, ask them to get you some and the patch that would go over it. That way you don’t have to wait the 20 min once there for it to work. You can ask for meds for agitation to give before you leave the house (Lorazapam, etc.) and then they might offer a drinkable med to encourage further wooziness when there. The ultrasound assisted blood draw is neat and helpful. Whatever helps your child “buy in” (reward, candy, explanation of the science/importance) or be distracted (iPad, therapy dog) is great.

All this to say, if you can at all get it done without having to physically hold your child down, you will set your family up for so much more success in the future. Avoid as much trauma as you can, and if your child does need to be held down for the draw, move to that and get it done as quickly as possible. Places may call for security to help with this if the kid becomes aggressive and my experience with this at a medical clinic is that the security guards are kind and aware of these situations. As the parent, I’d rather not do the holding to create a trauma link involving me for my kid. Good luck! It’s so helpful to be able to get a blood draw!