So, today I went for a long overdue smear, and have left worried!!!

[lanismum]

Today was my first ever smear , I had made an appointment to go in june, but discovered I was pregnant, miscarried in july, so finally went for the test today, the nurse at my surgery did the test, made me bleed quite a bit, normal?
Anyway, after the test she commented on my cervix, and said I had the cervix of a woman who has had a LOT of children I only have 2, 1 of which was delivered by c section, she also said my cervix being so open was why I had the miscarriage, yet when I was seen in A&E whilst pregnant, I was told it was closed and looked fine (obv it later opened as I did lose the baby, but it wasnt the cause iykwim), the nurse said to wait 6 months before getting pregnant again, she also said I would get preg very easily with my cervix being so open......so to take precautions.............has anyone else had their cervix commented on like this? I want to ttc again but am worried if I do a miscarriage will be inevitable?
I thought I would feel better after getting the smear done, but now I just feel worried!

[LittleMyDancing]

Hmmmmm - not sure she should have been quite so chatty and unprofessional. Is she a fertility/miscarriage expert? I doubt it.

Are you seeing anyone about ttc again, like a consultant? Maybe ask your GP for a referral so you can ask about these questions, as she's put them in your mind you're going to worry if you don't investigate.

But I'm at her being so personal.

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

Lanismum, I am very glad that you have had your smear test done, so a pat on the back for you.

As LMD says, she cannot really be a fertility expert, so I would take her comments with a pinch of salt. (perhaps she sensed you were nervous and so wittered on a bit ??)

It is normal to bleed a bit after a smear, pop on a pad and it should stop in the next day or so.

If not then off to the doctor.

[NorthernLurker]

*Hijack to say hi to Littlemy - hope you are doing well )

And to the poor op - Well if somebody has commented so much on the state of my cervix and I was feeling as vulnerable as you are I would probably have clobbered her with her own speculum - so well done for not doing that I think the best thing to do is ask the GP to refer you and be very clear with them why you need the referral - eg because the nurse has scared you. They can they refer you as needed and take it up with the nurse.

[lanismum]

Not as shocked as me! she also presumed I had had an abortion I explained 3 times I had a miscarriage, and that the baby was very much wanted, she also questioned me as to why I wanted another child so soon....?
I was told my miscarriage was just one of those things, bad luck ect and that I could start ttc again right away, which is what we did, nobody from the early preg unit or A&E mentioned anything about waiting 6 months.or my apparently open cervix!

[LittleMyDancing]

She was definitely speaking out of turn, am more and more at her. If you had had an abortion, you might very well have not wanted to discuss it with anyone, she was being very unprofessional.

I would follow NorthernLurker's advice and ask GP for a referral and explain why.

[lanismum]

Thanks for replies, think I will make an appointment with the dr just to make sure everythings ok, this nurse is known for being a bit away with the fairies, I think I will take my open cervix to the family planning clinic for future smears

[NorthernLurker]

To the OP - that is apalling tbh. Nobody needs to quiz you on your reproductive history for a smear anyway and it sounds like she was well out of turn!



(LittleMy - new job is great thanks and will think of you and dp tomorrow atyour scan.)

[Peachy]

Hope the trip to gp goes well- suspect it will. good luch with ttc


I was once told at a smear (gawd I should have name namechanged'

@oh no, what a pain, I'm going to have to go and find an extra big kit as your vagina is abnormally long,

yeah well love so is my dh so thats ok



pmsl

[ForeverOptimistic]

I was told that mine was very difficult to find and she asked if I had problems locating it before. Why would I be looking?

[LittleMyDancing]

Goodluck lanismum, am sure you'll be fine!

NorthernLurker - thank you! Will post results on April 09 thread, unless they're bad, in which case you may be able to hear the howls of anguish even up in the North....

[lanismum]

@ peachy, wonder why they feel the need to comment? I would have thought they have seen it all before, unless we are both REALLY odd

[Swedes]

lanismum - That nurse sounds totally unprofessional and horrible. I would go and see the GP as soon as you possibly can and tell him precisely what she said. I doubt she is an incompetent cervix expert or a fertility expert.

[LittleMyDancing]

Forever, you mean you don't locate your cervix on a regular basis? In which case, how do you know it's still there?

I got told mine was upside down.

[NorthernLurker]

D'y'know I've never been told anything about my cervix at all! Feel a bit left out tbh

[lanismum]

Come and get a smear test at my surgery, i'm sure she will find something to mention!

[NorthernLurker]

Thanks - I'll pass on that for now

Actually in all seriousness if somebody said something 'critical' about any part of my 'undercarriage' as it were I'm not sure I would ever be able to go back! I'm fairly robust about most things but that would upset me - you should definately make a bit of a fuss if you can bear to.

[lanismum]

I'm not sure I can face saying to my gp 'but she said I had a baggy cervix' but I will mention it I think, as I saw the funny side, and I am pretty sure my cervix is ok, it held my 2 dds in just fine, but, it might put somebody else off going for smears, which would not be good.

[SpacePuppy]

just a thought, don't know where you are in your cycle, but if you are ovulating or near ovulating your cervix will be high and "open"!.

[Claire236]

I was told that I was tight & that you'd never guess I'd had a baby when I had a smear once. I suppose that's a compliment but it's just a touch inappropriate.

[Swedes]

I actually have got an incompetent cervix. It wasn't diagnosed by a practise nurse.

[Swedes]

Why is it a compliment to have a tight cervix? Why?

[lanismum]

spacepuppy, I am roughly mid cycle, and did mention that could be the reason, and she said yeah it does open a bit, but not that much the shame!

Claire, I prefer your comment to mine

[smoggie]

I always get told "ooh your cervix is very high". Pre children one practice nurse rather flippantly said "ooh you'll probably have difficulty conceiving"!!! At my last one in Jan. she said "oooh, oooh, do you get pain during sex" ?Eh WTF? "If it becomes problematic come and see the GP".

Lanismum - I think your nurse was v unprofessional. I would get an appt with your GP to seek another opinion and also make it known to him/her the inappropriate comments that were made.

[NorthernLurker]

lanismum - compliments on your good attitude to this!

[Ozziegirly]

When I had my last smear the nurse said "you're very tense, are you planning on trying for a family soon?" which made me assume she thought I was this tense with my DH.

I muttered something non committal but felt like saying "I'm not tense with my husband but that's because his nob isn't metal, cold and we don't normally bonk in a draghty room with me in a paper gown, in my lunch hour".

So i think sometimes they just chatter for the sake of it.

I had to ask one nurse not to narrate what she was doing with the speculum.