Rectal temps reminded me of diaper changes!

As I got into my pre-teen years I began to loathe having my temperature taken rectally especially by the nurses at my doctor’s office. What I wanted more than anything at that age was to no longer be considered a child. In middle school I became infatuated with some older high school kids I knew and wanted to be cool like them. In my mind the furthest thing from being cool was being treated like a baby when having my temperature taken rectally by my mom or at the doctor’s office. We all knew that the older kids got oral temps and I found it absurd that by 12 I was still considered too young to have a thermometer in my mouth. Despite much pleading for oral temps my mom continued to infantilize me by forcing many rectal temperatures on me.

During one particular doctor visit when I was around 11 or 12, it became clear to me as to why I hated having my temperature taken rectally so much. While laying on the exam table about to have my temperature taken I suddenly realized that this felt way too much like a diaper change. In that moment I had a flashback to when my mom would change me as a baby and after that I couldn’t unsee the connection. When the nurse instructed me to undress mom would always assist me so it felt like she was undressing me. Laying on the exam table reminded me of laying on a changing table. When the nurse lowered my underwear to insert the thermometer it reminded me of mom removing my wet diaper. The nurse squeezing the tube of Surgilube lubricating jelly reminded me of mom squeezing the tube of Desitin diaper rash ointment. The nurse inserting and withdrawing the thermometer reminded me of mom wiping my anus. The nurse pulling my underwear up after my temperature was taken reminded me of mom putting a new diaper on me. There was also the excess Surgilube jelly between my butt cheeks afterwards which reminded me of the Desitin ointment on my buns after a diaper change. All of this made me hate getting rectal temps even more!

Never had a rectal temperature but would like to have one because people say it gives the right temperature

I never minded rectal temps. And a childhood friend told me he never minded Rectal temps either. In fact, he told me once he actually hated oral temps as the thermometers even when washed off still tasted of the disinfectant they were kept in at the doctor's office. I too never liked the taste of the oral thermometers. That's why I always let the doctor's nurse do rectal even when I was in my teens. When my friend and I played doctor as kids we never even thought of doing an oral temp play or real, only rectal temps.