Pap smear's are evil!

[Marionette]

Rant Ahead:

So I had my first official OB visit yesterday. First off, it was in the wee 9:45 of the morning (that's way early for me, anyway), then they made me sit there for an hour in the waiting room with nothing to do but listen to another pregnant lady talk on her cell phone and watch my ankles swell up. Got in, did pee test, answered questions I'd already answered on the paperwork they sent me in the mail before coming for my very first visit, and got shuffled into another waiting room. Waited.. waited.. finally got stuck in an office.. only to wait some more. The doctor shows up, gives me the rundown and I get to have a physical, including breast exam, then a pap smear. If it wasn't traumatizing enough having an old man mush my boobies like pudding, that papsmear was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever had!! I hope I never have to have another one! Evil! With all the technological advances in medicine nowadays, you'd think they could come up with a method that didn't make you feel like a car getting jacked open. It hurt, I don't like it, and I want a hug from my mommy just thinking about it
Which is another thing, I've been so emotional lately, it's not even funny. I've almost burst into tears at work a dozen times the past two days over stupid stuff. I wish so badly I didn't have to work.. Thankfully I have today and tomorrow off so maybe I can recoup a bit.

After this doctor's visit, I'm starting to reconsider having an ob/gyn and maybe swapping to a midwife. All the nurses are really sweet at the office but it just made me feel like a side of beef getting shuffled around yesterday.

 

[Roxa]

I can second you on not liking pap smears... They are uncomfortable... Luckely for me I took brought my husband with me when I went to see the doc... I think the doc was more uncomfortable with my hubby being there than anything else...

 

[karla]

Sorry you had such a bad experience - not that it is ever pleasant. My docs really good about doing the pap smears and he's very patient and spends time talking with you. I feel fortunate for that, maybe if you switch drs. you would have a different experience. Is this the first pap you've ever had - that makes a difference too.

 

[Marionette]

Sorry you had such a bad experience - not that it is ever pleasant. My docs really good about doing the pap smears and he's very patient and spends time talking with you. I feel fortunate for that, maybe if you switch drs. you would have a different experience. Is this the first pap you've ever had - that makes a difference too.

Yes, this was my first one When I started going to this office/group, I'd thought I'd be going to see my mom's gyno. After seeing her for maybe 10 minutes the first visit, they seem to just toss you in with whoever has an opening when you make your appointment.

 

[jgonz]

IMO, you should try a midwife... My experiences with midwives have been Far superior to OBs (with the exception of my latest OB, who would be a midwife if he had been a woman. lol)

At least try a different office. That whole experience sounds So impersonal, and that's Not what you're going to need during a pregnancy.

 

[Singin4Him]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience but please don't let that stop you from getting them because they are very important! Maybe you should reconsider the OB you've chosen, mine is great! I don't mind going in for a pap at all, I hardly feel it and she's so quick about it. If you get an OB who is both patient and gentle your outlook will most likely change and it won't be that big of a deal. It sounds to me your OB just wasn't very gentle with you, if he's delivering your baby I would seriously consider changing to someone else.

 

[katelyn]

That is one thing I like about my midwives, they are very gentle in any of their exams. They make sure to warm up the speculum and tell you before they do anything so their touch doesn't catch you by surprise. Not only that, but having someone you feel at least semi-comfortable with will also make a difference in how an exam feels. Nervousness = tense muscles = more discomfort.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

PAP smears are notoriously misleading during pregnancy...

 

[HeKnowsMyName]

And go in for an EARLIER appointment. I found out that if I went in right when they opened up that I didn't have to wait so long.

 

[RoseofLima]

IMO, you should try a midwife... My experiences with midwives have been Far superior to OBs (with the exception of my latest OB, who would be a midwife if he had been a woman. lol)

At least try a different office. That whole experience sounds So impersonal, and that's Not what you're going to need during a pregnancy.

At a birth center in MD- there is a male CNM. All the women I knew who birthed with him in attendance, really liked him. He was a flight medic in the armed services, and then I guess felt called to become a CNM

 

[Athene]

PAP smears are notoriously misleading during pregnancy...

Would that be the reason why they don't do them in the UK during pregnancy?

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Would that be the reason why they don't do them in the UK during pregnancy?

Absolutely. Good old NICE

 

[Athene]

Absolutely. Good old NICE

Agreed.

I get the impression that our American friends have to undergo alot more tests during pregnancy then we do, I've only ever had an internal during pregnancy when I've thought that something wasn't quite right, like bleeding or an unusual discharge (which turned out to be a yeast infection) I've never had a breast exam.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

In the US, the standard practice is that if you have a dodgy smear during pregnancy, you are then up for them every 3 months for two years after the birth. That means you have five smears that you wouldn't have in the UK. $$$$$

 

[CrystalBrooke]

my first pap smear was my fist visit to the OB too, he talked to me beforehand and then while he was doing it he told me everything he was going to do before he did it...my husband (then boyfriend) was with me so it wasnt so uncomfortable...but yes hun you will need more, actually you need to get one done yearly..they're very important.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

but yes hun you will need more, actually you need to get one done yearly..they're very important.

They are important, but there is not really any benefit to having them annually vs having them every three years. Cervical anomalies are very slow to develop and there are many stages to cervical cancer.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

but wouldnt having them done yearly help to catch anything abnormal in it's earliest stage? not trying to argue just wondering of course if i can get out of getting one done yearly, i will most certainly do that lol

 

[Naomi4Christ]

but wouldnt having them done yearly help to catch anything abnormal in it's earliest stage? not trying to argue just wondering of course if i can get out of getting one done yearly, i will most certainly do that lol

Logic would say that, but unfortunately there are lots of errors in the reading of them - especially when the screeners are under pressure to process large volumes. This can lead to rather a lot of stress for the women involved as they go through a process of thinking they have a ticking bomb within them and then the stress of the repeat tests, or going straight to unnecessary colposcopies.

 

[gracefaith]

It seems like the 'cytobrushes' they use for pap smears now cause a lot more bleeding, pain and physical trauma. I was NOT happy about my last one and the Dr. blase attitude didn't help.

Next time I go, I'm going to demand a swab instead or refuse to get one.

 

[RoseofLima]

I dunno-- after all of the humiliation, pain, and stitches, etc. involved with vaginally giving birth to 6 full term babies...pap smears are barely even a blink on the radar for me.

I am very blessed to have an OB with whom I have ab excellent relationship- and who always ask permission to touch me, lets me know when and where I'll feel pressure, it's not bad at all.

I would rather have a false positive- and catch something wrong early- than not have regular pap smears and not find out something was wrong until it was very advanced. There are no real risks to weigh (like with mamograms), so for me the benefits absolutely outweigh the inconvenince.