colposcopy

flopsybunny

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Hi girls,

I have to have a colposcopy on thursday after my 3rd abnormal smear last september and I'm terrified about it! Will it risk the pregnancy? Has anyone else had one when pregnant?

They say that they will only be looking at the cervix, not doing a biopsy or anything but could it weaken the cervix at all? When I told them I. Didn't want it, they said they like to do it around this stage and again at 30 weeks. I'm not worried about that one but this one I am worried about. I have arranged to have the heartbeat checked at antenatal afterwards but I am just so so scared!

Xx
 
Oh dear; I guess it is something they need to do. I have had one, but not when pregnant. I would imagine the baby will be fine, otherwise they would not put you at risk. I can imagine how scared you might be, but I guess it it something they have to do and if you have pre cancerous cells, they need to check on them during the pregnancy to make sure they do not increase. I am imaging they could not operate or do any invasive treatment, but to prevent the cells worsening they probably need to check on them and maybe have som alternative treatment for someone in your situation. I am sorry you are having to go through this while pregnant, my doctor told me to not have my smear until after the baby!! I am so thinking of you it must be worrying, but I am sure they just want to have a check on you. Not sure this has helped, but I wish you all the best xx
 
Hey Hun,
I don't know much about this but I'm sure they wouldn't pug you at risk. I hope it's all ok! Big hugs and keep us updated!

X


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i dont anything sorry but wanted to wish you luck and at least they know you are preganant which is good th ouldn;t do anything to harm the baby, i had a smear test when i was very first pregannt with my 4th i did;t know i was pregnant and it came back inconclusive they said afterwards it ill be because i was pregnant and you shouldn;t have smears pregnant. I am presuming if they just looking at the cervix then that will be fine, i have had loads of swabs done when pregnnt becuase my waters roke at 22 weeks with my 3rd so had to have 2 a week from then on to look out for infection if in anyway they thought it could kick start labour or harm baby surely they would have just stuck to the blood tests which i had too which show first sign anyway. wishing you the best
 
I have rearranged it for just before my 20 week scan. I really don't want it until after I have the baby to be honest!

Xx
 
Its better to know now rather then later if anything is wrong hun, as if there I'd they can get ready to get it treated cnt they, as I'm sure you want to be around for baby! My mum hav cervical cancer and am lucky she's still hear
 
Hi hon, I've had 3 abnormal smears and 2 colposcopy appointments and I didn't go for any when pregnant as I was told they might get an inaccurate reading because of the preg hormone. I'm having my first smear in a year and 3 months tomorrow and hoping all is ok or at least not developed too much since then. I keep thinking that at least it is a slow developing thing so hopefully even if things have developed it won't have gone too far. X
 
ive had the treatment for the pre cancer cells and due to go back but as im pregnant they have said to go straight after the baby is born instead of when pregnant. I know that not much help but i would double check that it cant wait till after but i agree i dont think they would arrange the appointment if it was going to be a problem. x
 
Thanks girls. When I called to ask for a different appointment, the woman said she would speak to the nurse to arrange one for the end of the month (which was when I asked for one) and if the nurse said that it would be ok they would send an appointment through the post. She said if it was important for me to go in this week she would call back. Well, she didn't call back, so I guess they can't see it as being drastically urgent. If it was, she would have called back and told me to keep my appointment on Thursday wouldn't she??

xx
 
have u had the cells taken away for before or is this checking to see if you have them? xx
 
It will be my first colposcopy. I have had 3 smears over a period of 3/4 years, each has been abnormal. The leaflet they sent with the results said it was routine to perform a colposcopy after 3 abnormal smears. The last smear I had was the 24th September 2010.

xx
 
i just looked it up and they all say its safe in pregnancy hun so i wouldnt worry about it at all.. Hopefullly u get the all clear fingers crossed for you xxxx
 
I just worry that it will cause a problem with the pregnancy... I have booked an appointment to see my GP on Friday, hopefully he will put my mind at rest. He should have what kind of abnormal cells they are in his notes. I do think that if they were very worried, they would have told me to get in before now, and wouldn't be allowing me to put it off for more weeks.

xx
 
i got my abnormal smears then went to hospital and had the loop treatment to remove the cells 2 now and not had them back since my aunty had it to so dont stress bout it i use to smoke and so put it down to that
 
Thanks, I just cant help thinking about the Jade Goody horror. I'm only 23!

xx
 
gosh i k know eh but she never even went for smears remember
 
Thanks, I just cant help thinking about the Jade Goody horror. I'm only 23!

xx


exactly why you get yourself checked, there hospital proffesionals hun and they wnt put your baby at risk, but you have to come first so you can be mummy!!!
 
I have decided - am 100 per cent going to my appointment at the end of the month. Thanks for all the good advice girls!

Xx
 
hello...firstly sorry for the essay! i think it's a good idea to speak to your doctor and ask him/her for copies of or the actual abnormal results from your previous smears. were they abnormal or borderline? If they were abnormal do you know what grade they were? And ask them if it is ABSOLUTELY neccessary to have the colp whilst you are pregnant. You can also ask whether your abnormal result indicated any sign of the hpv virus at all.

By being so aware of your results you are doing EXACTLY the right thing and going for the colposcopy is also the right thing to do but i am under the impression that it is safe to postpone the colposcopy until after pregnancy.

I had a colposcopy in June this year and am due to go back in June next year but i will only just have had the baby in May so they have moved it to August next year instead now.

I had 1 x borderline smear, then a normal one, then another borderline and after becoming so worried that i had cervical cancer they referred me for the colposcopy. My mum died of cervical cancer when she was 35 and so did her mother (in her thirtys also).

My doctor explained that the results (borderline, CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, CIN4) can take several years to develop into actual pre-cancerous cells and she advised to go ahead and try for a baby even before i had my colposcopy results! She said borderline or abnormal are SOOO close to being normal that even having an infection or being run down may affect the results and give you a borderline/abnoral result. I also felt more at ease when she checked my lab report and said there was no sign of the HPV virus in any of my borline results.

I was so relieved to have that colposcopy which showed everything was normal that the relief was immense and it was only after this we felt comfortable to start trying for a baby. I had been reassured by many different proffesionals that there was no way that cervical cancer could develop so quickly that the length of a pregnancy could affect it.

Everyone i have spoken to has said it is completely safe to leave smears, colposcopys, EVEN TREATMENT for pre-cancerous cells until after the baby has been born. The cytologist at my doctors (who remembers my mum) assured me that she has even had ladies who have fallen pregnant, then received their smear results saying they need treatment and even THEY have been told it's ok to wait til after the baby born.

However on the other hand, having had a colposcopy, i know that it is quite a simple , painless procedure and that the "colposcope" is simply a massive magnifying glass through which they "look" at your cervix. They also painted on a simple iodine solution to my cervix (again completely painless) and they are able to "see" if there are any abnormalities. So i can sort of see how they would say it is harmless to the baby but i would still be nervous of the procedure like yourself! But remember they are only going to LOOK at it (no biopsys etc).

i completley understand your worry and i thought it was a really good idea of yours to have the colp just before your scan and then you can be reassured by the scan that it has not affected the baby at all. but i also think that by speaking to the doctor and explaining your fears they might be able to reassure you it is fine to wait until after the birth. Ask them to explain the findings on all of your lab reports, whether you were tested for HPVand def find out what "grade" the abnormal cells were.

you are doing EXACTLY the right thing by being so aware of your results and keeping up to date with your smears / colposcopys. I have been reassured over and over again by my doctor and the cytologist from the lab that by being SO aware of your results that anything that is detected is almost 100% treatable. It is those people who do not keep up to date with smears etc or who have never had one who are the most in danger.

Good luck with whatever you decide , but if you decide not to go for the colposcopy whilst pregnant then ring up now and get yourself booked in for it for 3 months after the baby is born. Whatever decision you make will be the right one - you are doing the right thing by thinking carefully about what is safe for both you and the baby. Good luck with whatever you decide to do and don't worry about the procedure itself whenever you have it.... in particular after childbirth it will seem like a walk in the park! It really is completely painless... take care x x x
 
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