To find smear tests so painful?

[Aliveinwanderland]

I've always found them painful but today was the first one since giving birth 4 months ago. I figured if a 7lb baby can come out of there surely a speculum going in can't hurt?! I was very wrong! I screamed the place down, even after the nurse had swapped to the smaller one. Why on earth do I find them so painful?

[Mrsglitterfairy]

Maybe you get nervous beforehand and tense up? Try and take lots of deep breaths and relax

[Screwinthetuna]

I do too, like someone inserting glass in my vagina. Fun

[PutTheBunnyBackInTheBox]

I think everyone is different due to differences in size etc. I have a tilted womb so it takes a lot of foraging and it can be quite uncomfortable.

I'm assuming there's no infection there (this would make it painful) as they would have picked up on that and sex would hurt too. Did the nurse not mention anything?

[Mari50]

Nobody can possibly say YABU, I have to admit I have never had any issue, even when I was presented with a speculum that looked like something from the dark ages. It isn't the most pleasant experience though. Since having my waters broken by midwife which felt like the equivalent of having someone do the dishes in my uterus I doubt anything will phase me.
Take a cocodamol before hand to help you relax x

[SarcasmMode]

I agree.

Smear was fucking awful.

Giving birth was fucking awful but not surprising when 6lb 15oz comes out but there's something about a smear that's just so stingy.

[welovepancakes]

You're not alone. I hate them too. I get a prescription for diazepam, which helps a little. Also, you can ask for the smallest speculum (the one they use for virgins). It's necessary and I would never dare miss a smear, but I hate them with a passion

[Fluffy24]

Are you BF? When you're BF your oestrogen levels go down making you less stretchy down there, hurts like buggery.

[SummerSazz]

I apparently have a tilted uterus - 2 CS's so this hadn't been raised before I asked why the hell it was always so painful

[TizzyDongue]

Have you ever been told you have a titled cervix? Well titled uterus - forgotten the proper word. Retro something. This can cause painful smears.

[SummerSazz]

Or cervix or something tilted lol.

[Aliveinwanderland]

Yes I'm BF and haven't had sex since before baby was born. I'm extreme sleep deprived and just haven't fancied it. Today has put me off even more now!

[FlaviaAlbia]

Is it always the same person? The practice nurse who does them at my Dr's is a sadist and after a particularly bad one I book an appt with the GP instead. My GP manages to do it without pain so it is just her...

[notanothernamechangebabes]

I had an 8lb 4oz baby 6 months ago. Never had a problem with smears before, and gave birth with no pain relief, so was feeling like QUEEN OF THE CERVIX FAFFING

Then I had a colposcopy with 2 punch biopsies this week

And fainted

How the cervically mighty have fallen!

[dudsville]

I've never had a comfortable one. Apparently my cervix hides and they often use the speculum to try to move it.

[Chasingsquirrels]

I had one this morning, she went in with the smallest first and then said it was no good and tried the next size and that was fine.
She actually said it all looked okay although would obviously need to wait for the results - I've never had anyone say that before.
Thankfully I just find it mildly uncomfortable at the time and for a hour or so afterwards.
Must be awful for it to actually hurt

[Jaguarana]

If you have a retroverted or tilted uterus (as I do) smear tests are much less uncomfortable if you make your hands into fists and put them under your bum to raise it up a bit and change the angle of your cervix. This was a tip from the practice nurse at our surgery, and it works.

[Fluffy24]

I think the low oestrogen also reduces your sex drive do it might not just be tiredness, when you stop BF everything should go back to normal. I understand it's similar to what happens after menopause.

Google vulvodynia (SP?). Some oestrogen cream might be the answer - not sure if this would have any effect on your milk production though, but perhaps not if only used 'locally'.

[Fluffy24]

Was it a burning/stretching type pain?

[Aliveinwanderland]

Yes very burny!

No-one ever mentioned tilted anything before. I have had several internal ultrasounds and a HSG test which was nothing compared to this smear test!

[Fluffy24]

I had the burny thing and it was hormone/oestrogen related rather than anything tilted, smears before and since have been fine, just the one when I was BF being a problem. I yelled!

[BertieBotts]

I found internal examinations excruciating when I was pregnant/in labour with DS. Ever since then though it's always been absolutely fine, I've dreaded it and then it hasn't hurt at all - and I am very wussy sensitive to pain in general. I have a tilted uterus and it doesn't seem to make a difference for me.

The person may well make a difference! Also when I breathe and sort of consciously relax the muscles down there it helps. Perhaps I wasn't doing that originally?

[changedmynn123]

If it's any consultation it took my poor GP 5 attempts the last time, even she admitted she'd been worrying (I have a complex fanjo and trauma issues..)

I find a couple of cocodamol/tramadol, taking a breather if needed (GP let me sit up each time to calm down before trying again) and focusing on keeping breathing/jaw relaxed helps a lot. Seemingly it's hard to have a relaxed fanjo if you're tense elsewhere.

I also won't let the practice nurses go within 20 feet of me, but that's just me - I prefer GP as I know she's done obs and Gynae rotation and trust her more than the nurses (even though they're probably far more experienced with smears).

[ShaniaTwang]

I was able to do my own last time, that was total game changer for me - IE, I laid back, used the plastic speculum and then uses the swab really gently. It was great. I was in control and it didn't hurt . All the best