cancelling smear

[afreshstartplease]

Aibu to be considering cancelling the smear I have booked this week?
It's my first one and I'm nearly 27

Scared

I was very nervous when I had my smear and the nurse was lovely. It won't hurt. Please don't cancel it!

I don't understand it either. You have to lose some inhibitions through childbirth, no choice, did the Doctor not examine you to see how dilated you were? How can you be so worked up about this, it's bizarre and I'm sorry but it's a bit attention seeking I feel.

I found it no more embarrassing than a bra fitting to be honest, and much much quicker. It didnt hurt either.

Just grit your teeth and do it- you'll wonder why you were so worried!

Dont cancel!

I was 24 when i was last pregnant and i ended up having monthly colposcopies during my pregnancy as they thought they could see a tumour, which turned out to be nothing but the first colposcopy showed abnormalities anyway, so they had to keep a very close eye. Thankfully post birth the changes sorted themselves and now at 27 ive just gone to yearly smear tests. My recent smear was utterly uneventful, i didnt feel anything after the speculum went in.

Attention seeking?

I've seen far more likely attention seeking threads on mn really

Honestly

I came for a talking too not to be accused of attention seeking

If i wanted attention I could think up something much juicier than being nervous of a smear

YABU I'm afraid.

I put off having my first (was about 27) but it was absolutely fine.

Thankfully mine have always been clear - due one this month but I'm pregnant so will have it as soon as a I can.

I know so many people that have had smears come back with issues though [all bar one has been nothing serious - but lots of my friend have has colposcopy's / been put on yearly smears]

Don't put it off, it's a preventative measure / early detection for anything nasty.

Don't cancel. I'm a big wimp and I am absolutely fine with a smear, and mine takes a little more fiddling because my cervix is always tipped right back. It is so quick and not painful in the slightest.

Thankyou to those who have been helpful and reassuring and provided kicks to my arse without being twatish

I shouldn't have posted on this thread, and I apologise for the attention seeking comment. I have an op coming up - far more invasive, painful and long. So one minute of a smear seems like nothing, as you can imagine.

Some of the replies here are just downright rude and wholly unnecessary. And that's coming from someone who regularly harrasses my friends to ensure they are up to date. If the OP is nervous, then isn't it better to nicely describe the procedure and put her at her ease? People react differently to different things, I'm fine with gynae stuff or the dentist, but I was totally freaking out needing a procedure on my eye recently. Having a go isn't going help!

Please don't cancel. Yes, it's not fun and feels embarrassing but it could save your life.

If you forever cancel them who knows what might happen. Better to have smears every 3 years than realise something really is wrong and at best have 6 monthly colposcopies, at worse cancer. I had regular smears and they spotted cell changes which probably saved my life. FWIW I used to cry at smears and my friend drove me to my first colposcopy because I was terrified, and off my head on diazepam.

Promise yourself a treat afterwards. You will be fine.

Rousette sorry to hear about your op

Sorry...the ridiculous hand holding comment got up my nose

Wear a loose longish skirt so you can just lift it up round your hips. No need to be half naked. I don't like them either but after childbirth I don't find them painful anymore.

Please don't cancel. They are so important and really quite uneventful. I'm another one with a friend who has had abnormalities detected so it's not just something that happens to other people.

I am 40+3 with my first baby and starting to feel a bit nervous about the whole "this thing's got to come out really soon and is pretty big". But I'll make a deal with you... I won't cancel giving birth if you promise not to cancel your smear

I carry out smears for a living. Its really normal to feel a bit nervous before your first one. You'll be just fine.
Do you want me to go through what happens so you have an idea what to expect?

Oh ffs, what nastiness. The reason people fear and avoid the smear is usually because subconsciously they fear DYING and the uncertainty of doing a test where you might have an inconclusive result/all the worry etc. I'd say it's very, very common to feel frightened of it, the same way I felt terrified of all three of my twenty week scans. Avoidance is just an anxiety behaviour, and the key to it, OP, is to just accept that uncertainty feels uncomfortable but it will pass as long as you go. Not going won't make any cervical changes stall in their tracks, so avoiding it as a way of managing anxiety about a bad outcome is as effective for dealing with the real issue as kicking the car door if you've locked your keys in. In fact, not going builds it up as something dangerous, as we tend to believe that we have avoided things because they are dangerous rather than because we are afraid. Everyone is scared of some stuff, but if you can accept that fear needn't dictate what you do you'll be better off.

All the outrage is ridiculous though.

Dayglo would you mind?

Life is uncertain. Most things are unknown. Being terrified of everything is pathetic and needing reassurance about every little thing is a modern indulgence.

I felt exactly the same as you.
My son is 13 months and I had a coil put in under general, I physically couldn't open my legs for anyone, be it a professional or my husband. Childbirth violated me and terrified me.
After the coil fitting I was told it would need to be checked, by the gp, in the surgery, just me and her. So I ignored it.
2 weeks later my smear test letter came. The thought of it made me feel sick.
I have had a smear before, no issues, in scotland where the age is 20, but that was before childbirth and begging the nurse to stop and her refusing, with her hand up my fanjo.
I made a double appointment, for 3 weeks time, but on the morning, I nearly cancelled, when the appointments ran late, I nearly walked out.
But the Dr called me in, I went in and she did it. I was terrified, shaking, I think I cried a bit.... and it was fine. Yes, it hurt, well, not hurt but was uncomfortable. She check, ed the coil, did the smear and it was over in 90 seconds. Probably less. She took the speculum out and I just lay there, with my eyes shut, crying, I was so relieved.
If you want to pm me I can go through it in more detail.

I know you are worried sick and that is understandable, cancelling it isn't, this could save your life xxxx

Please, please do go. One of my oldest friends died earlier in the year from what started as cervical cancer. Her children are similar ages to my eldest two and it's heartbreaking to see them struggle this year without her.

I will go

I owe it to my dc