my first appt (booking visit)

I thought it was standard to have one pap smear and complete check up at
your first exam. Perhaps it is because you are so far along???

It is not standard in Australia. They do ask if you have had a pap
smear within the last 2 years.

I'd thought I'd probably have one during early pregnancy, and again I
thought I'd have one at the 6 week post natal check. I filled in on my
notes that I'd never had one and noone even seemed the slightest bit
concerned.

Anne Rogers wibbled

It is not standard in Australia. They do ask if you have had a
pap smear within the last 2 years.

I'd thought I'd probably have one during early pregnancy, and
again I thought I'd have one at the 6 week post natal check. I
filled in on my notes that I'd never had one and noone even seemed
the slightest bit concerned.

You're not significantly over 23, are you, IIRC? It's only when you get
to your late 20s and haven't had one that they start to get very antsy.
If you weren't sexually active before 18 or 20 then there's no real
panic about having one at this stage (3-5 years from first sexual
intercourse is the FP guideline IIRC). And they wouldn't offer it at
the 6 week check, the state of the cervix/vagina/uterus isn't conducive
to a good result according to my GP. He has recommended waiting until
12 weeks pp at the very least, and in fact I've booked mine for 16
weeks pp (since I have to go to Family Planning then anyway). According
to the u/s technician I saw at 6 weeks pp, endometriosis is also not
easily diagnosed that soon after birth, and one is recommended to wait
three months. I'd mention to them that you haven't had a smear next
time you go to either GP or FP, though, because you probably are due
one.

Jac

In message ,
Anne Rogers writes
I'd thought I'd probably have one during early pregnancy, and again I
thought I'd have one at the 6 week post natal check. I filled in on my
notes that I'd never had one and noone even seemed the slightest bit
concerned.

unless you have had smear problems, or symptoms suggesting smear needed,
it often isn't done in pregnancy or until 3 months post partm, as the
changes in pregnancy can give a borderline smear, and then causes more
concern than its worth. if you'd never had a smear before, were you over
20?
screening tests are the responsibility of the individual however, rather
than the screening service, so you can always ask. i had mine at 12
weeks preg as due, and i understood the possibility that it would come
back borderline. the practice were very happy to do it for me.
--
Helen Johnson

You're not significantly over 23, are you, IIRC? It's only when you get
to your late 20s and haven't had one that they start to get very antsy.
If you weren't sexually active before 18 or 20 then there's no real
panic about having one at this stage (3-5 years from first sexual
intercourse is the FP guideline IIRC). And they wouldn't offer it at
the 6 week check, the state of the cervix/vagina/uterus isn't conducive
to a good result according to my GP. He has recommended waiting until
12 weeks pp at the very least, and in fact I've booked mine for 16
weeks pp (since I have to go to Family Planning then anyway). According
to the u/s technician I saw at 6 weeks pp, endometriosis is also not
easily diagnosed that soon after birth, and one is recommended to wait
three months. I'd mention to them that you haven't had a smear next
time you go to either GP or FP, though, because you probably are due
one.

age spot on! plus I've only had one partner and we only got married just
over a year ago, which explains my GPs lack of concern. Looks like I don't
need one for another 2 years :-).

Hi there

My DH and I weren't too thrilled with the tech though. SHe was
incredibly abrupt and didn't have any bedside manner at all. Yeah, I
know, she's doing this to hundreds of women every day and can't be
bright and cheery with each of them, but hey, she could at least try.
SHe squirted the gel on me without warning and then told me off for my
laughing (I thought of you Carol Ann!). Sooooorrrrry, but it's not
every day I go in for a scan for my first child, I was nervous! Then
she got all ****y because I wasn't relaxed and my abdominal muscles were
tight. Geez, there was no pleasing her. Maybe if she had been nicer I
wouldn't have been so stressed. ANyway, it was so amazing to see this
little form of life moving around so much, its arms and legs were moving
around like crazy. My husband joked, "I guess she really is pregnant".
(as a scientist he had to see the proof himself) Did the tech even
crack a smile? No, of course not.

I guess we got really lucky with our tech - she was cheery and even
co-operated in holding the scan device in different positions so we could
take time to stare at our baby to be. She wasn't even mad that it was
stubborn as and took about 10 minutes of her giggling my tummy to get into
position. I agree it is so amazing to see that there's actually something
moving and growing in there.

After that we went to another floor where we waited to be seen by a
midwife. We waited and waited. I was weighed, had my bp taken and
provided a urine sample. At my GP's at the beginning of Aug. he told me
I was 55kg and when they weighed me on Mon. I was 53. Hmmmm I don't
feel as if I've lost weight. And the weirdest thing, while looking over
my papers the other day they wrote down that I weighed 50kg. Do they
normally just round it down? This seems incredibly inaccurate. At my
next appt I'll mention it. THis brings me to my next question, which I
think only ppl in the UK can answer for me. The midwife told me that
they wouldn't see me again until my 20th week! Really? Won't anybody
be monitoring my bp and weight gain during that time? This seems like a
really long time to go without someone checking up on me.

I lost weight too - over a stone but they don't seem concerned at all as
long as I am eating healthy. Apparently bubs takes priority in the
resources department so as long as I am not starving myself, its generally
o.k. I was told the 20 week thing as well (mind you I'm now 17 weeks and
have only just had my booking appointment because it took forever to
actually get the clinic to do what they are suppsoed to and see me(but that
is another story)). Seems like a long time but I guess at this stage, what
the baby is mostly doing is growing.

Birth care wise, and in relation to this post, I also have read some of the
other posts and have concerns about the care option hospital wise as in the
one we are in, most of the care is in the community but the midwives you
have at the birth are hospital based so you might not even meet them until
the big day. Needless so say DH and I are a bit concerned about that.
We're therefore investigating the doula option (as far as we can tell this
is an experienced birth person (either through some midwife training or lots
of babies who is there as a trained support person to tell you what the heck
is going on).

Has anyone else ever had one - what did they think,

Anyway, good luck with the rest.

Cheers
Lou