ABSTRACT
Dominic’s third month began with his immunisations. I had received a letter informing me of the time and date at our health centre. I went along presuming it was just us, but no, there seemed to be a surgery full of babies and toddlers, all of whom had been given the same time. We had to line up in the order of arrival outside the nurse’s room where the GP was waiting with the relevant jabs. I think the parents looked more worried than the innocent children and bit-by-bit my heart sank as each quiet child or baby came out howling. I had to hold his leg very still while he was ‘stabbed’. For the first time as a mother I really wanted the pain to be mine instead of my child’s. However, he was fine. It was me who felt a nervous wreck and I am not usually bothered by needles.
