To be worried about my smear test in the morning?

[Fattygettingthin]

I'm going. Not going to cancel it's my first one, do they hurt? I've heard some horror stories!

Anyway I'm shitting it, I'm about 3 years overdue due to living abroad and just completely forgetting, have been resident in the uk now for 1 year and I've got a letter asking me to come in for one. I'm so nervous but will it hurt?

Well done OP I held back from posting about the time the GP shot me u0 the bed with the speculum when DS1 was 5MO, not sure how she made it so painful. I did then have my first post birth PIV as thought it couldn’t be as painful as that...

That's great! Well done :) Glad it wasn't too bad.

My last three have been a bit uncomfortable with some bleeding, after years of no problems. I think it's the plastic speculum,rather than the old steel ones that seemed smoother.

Or it could just be I'm older and less naturally lubricated...

Well done for going! I've never had anything other than mild discomfort (although at my first one the nurse had to use a longer speculum as I apparently have a long vaginal passage. She told me to tell the nurse who did my next one so they didn't waste time with the normal one. I did so three years later, and the nurse duly used the longer one, commenting 'Ooh you're right!' as she rummaged up there elbow-deep). If you're tensed and worried, it'll be a lot worse. I find just breathing out and trying keep everything relaxed helps a lot. My nurse asked me to put my hands into fists and stick them underneath my bum to raise it up - glamorous it is not!