So scared, I need a colposcopy while pregnant

[Fightingtobepositive]

Hello ladies. I am completely and utterly obsessed with worry,it’s taking over me, I can’t breathe properly, eat drink.

So I am 23 weeks pregnant and have been back and for numerous times to labour ward for spotting (because I have placenta privea I’ve been monitored) I’ve been examined by 3 doctors first looked and said they think they see a polyp and not to worry until after pregnancy, second said extensive ectropion and deal with it after pregnancy, now third doctor... wouldn’t say what she though it was but said she was a little concerned and sent me for urgent colposcopy (she said best to make it urgent because of pandemic) but didn’t say anything reassuring.

I am beside myself, I can only think the worse and now obsessing over symptoms I’ve had throughout my pregnancy, I’ve had dull aches lower down and around sides, spotting pinky mucus, lots of discharge on and off, quite a few pains and hip aches/pains. I’ve assumed I’m just being a baby while pregnant or could it be more serious than that? I feel so guilty that I may be making the baby anxious but I can’t control my anxieties.

Any info will be so appreciated x

I had one while pregnant because of bleeding. I was also a little worried about what it may be. It was an ectropian and there was nothing untoward.
Bleeding stopped at 28 weeks. Second pregnancy was totally fine with no bleeding at all. Subsequent smear tests have come up with nothing either.

I had similar- it worked out totally fine. if theres a serious problem it takes a long time to develop. I had CIN3 and was treated a good few weeks after delivery. Subsequent pregnancies were totally fine.

Thank you so much ladies. I think I’m worrying more because I am due my smear this April so the time is so big since I’ve last been checked. Plus when I last had a smear they didn’t check for the hpv 🙈. I’m just on the edge of my nerves. And little man is so busy in there that I’m scared he feels my anxiety.

Sorry OP no advise really, but just wanted to give you a big hug. I know it is easy to say don't worry but you sound really anxious and scared. If I could wave a magic wand for you I would. Take care and hope it all works out really well for you. x

Thank you @BlueSuffragette xx

Please don't worry, I had CIN 3 with an inch from my cervix removed a month or so before IVF. The doctors assured me its very slow growing - I realised it had been missed because in Australia when you get tested at sexual health clinics they test for both STDS and abnormal cells...I found out the hard way that in the UK they don't routinely test for abnormal cells! I had religiously been getting checked with pap smears at sexual health clinics when I immigrated...but no one had been testing for abnormal cells - just STDs. I am sorry I don't get your comment about testing for HPV - I had CIN 3 without the HPV virus.
I was also in hospital for 2 months with placenta previa and what they thought was vasa previa - I was bleeding for weeks. You would be surprised what comes out during pregnancy but baby is still OK. I had healthy twins at 36.4 weeks.
Try and relax as yes he can feel your stress. Its very unlikely if you had a your last papsmear on time that anything is majorly wrong - they are just checking to be sure they don't need to treat anything.

No advice re the procedure but I just want to assure you that your baby is safe and warm and absolutely fine inside you. Babies are tough little things, try to keep calm for your own sake more than anything but don’t pile on extra guilt bc of baby. He’s well looked after in there :)
Good luck with it all

@ittakes2 thank you. Hope you don’t mind me asking, So how often did you go for smears before they removed something? How did you end up finding out you needed to have it removed, was there further treatment?

@2020iscancelled thank you so much for your kindness xx

I am sorry you are so anxious. I have health anxiety and had my COVID jab today. I totally get you on the worry. It may be heightened as you are pregnant - you have a lot on your mind.

Find a hypnosis for anxiety podcast - something that resonates with you. Play it as often as you can - even in the background while you are doing something else.

Make up a mantra that speaks to you like “all is well” or “everything is working out for me”.

Keep thinking about meeting your new baby for the first time - so exciting

Imagine how you will soothe your little one when they are upset. You can go ahead and soothe them now before they are even born (you will soothe yourself at the same time).

Find yourself some tasty snacks you can’t resist. You must eat and take care of yourself. As a pregnant lady you should be enjoying your food

Find comedies and fun stuff you like.

If you must, allocate a half hour every day (same time) as your “worry half hour”. When that’s up you MUST immediately do something else.

Mentally redecorate the house or decide on a new look for yourself. Anything that engages you and makes you feel busy and absorbed.

We are all here for you. I know how hard all this can be when you’re in the middle of it.

This may help:

patient.info/news-and-features/how-to-ease-worry-when-waiting-for-medical-test-results

I can’t offer help with the procedure but I got anxious during pregnancy and found (randomly) that reciting things through the alphabet (animals, characters from Friends, movies etc) helped at night when I was feeling especially worried. Gave me something to think about and calmed my breathing

Try not to worry too much, I also had bleeding in second pregnancy on and off every fortnight roughly. Had loads of tests, also saw what looked like something, colposcopy looked normal, bleeding just stopped after 28ish weeks and smear following birth was absolutely fine. The gyne said it is sometimes the pregnancy hormones that change the cervix that can cause a bleed and whilst it's not normal as such it's common. This was nearly 4 years ago and my second smear (routine one 6 months ago) was also clear. I know how nerve wracking it is but just wanted to tell you a positive story with similar symptoms

I'm not pregnant (which obviously adds an extra dimension of worry) but I know how you feel. I'm having a colposcopy tomorrow and removal of a large polyp that's been bleeding quite a bit and I'm feeling very anxious. I saw the GP 10 days ago and freaked out a bit when I got an 'urgent' referral. However, after further research (and reading lots of threads on here), being referred under the two week pathway is really common. I had a clear smear in the summer so mine has grown really quickly.

I also had cervical erosion when I was pregnant 15 years ago. I spent a couple of days in hospital until it was diagnosed but didn't need any treatment (then or later), the bleeding stopped and all future smears were clear. I hope everything works out well for you.

I had an abnormal smear, followed by a normal smear and so I think the doctor said I could wait a year or two before I tested again - but by then my next test was in the UK at which time I thought I was being tested for abnormal cells but it was just an STD test. I was testing every two years so I had a few tests done in the UK I thought where checking for abnormal cells but were just checking STDs. There was about 8-10 years between the first test of abnormal and the test of CIN 3? To treat it I just had an inch of my cervix cut off - and one month later I was having IVF and carried twins fine. Some women who needed to have some of their cervix off might need a stich in their cervix for extra support during pregnancy which is then removed the last month of their pregnancy I think. When I had the first test of abnormal cells lab tests weren't as sensitive as they are now (it was 20 years ago) - as you can imagine after having CIN 3 I was anxious about getting it again - but the NHS protocol is to test every 4 years now and the doctor has reassured me its because the cells are slow growing and the lab tests are so sensitive that they pick up anything and everything early now.
I am sure its a stressful time for you but please remember this happens to a lot of pregnant ladies and I am sure the doctor is just being cautious.

Thank you all so much for being so kind and commenting 🙏🤞 xxx

Not when pregnant, but I had a cervical polyp discovered during a routine smear so had a colposcopy and had it removed. I was terrified because the literature said I might have a local anaesthetic. However, I didn't have anaesthetic and I was just popped into stirrups and it was removed and I can honestly say I felt nothing. Not a twinge, not slight discomfort, nothing. It was totally benign.
Hope yours goes very smoothly too.

I had a colposcopy when pregnant for an ectropion. It wasn’t problematic.

I also had loads of random twinges in both my pregnancies as my ligaments loosened and the babies grew.

Hi ladies just wanted to say thank you and update you.

So the doctor wasn’t sure about what she saw, she said she thinks it’s an ectropion but it looks very angry so she wants a second opinion and referred me to someone else at a hospital that is prepared if they need to biopsy me while pregnant. Well this hasn’t helped my anxiety I’m petrified and this poor baby is already being so neglected I feel absolutely awful and can’t stop thinking negatively xx

You poor thing! I can feel how worried you are.

Please remember that most tears come out okay. More tests are done that find nothing than do. It’s just a check for precaution.

Look at it this way - even if there were an issue (and chances are there won’t be) you will be getting it seen to early which is very important.

You are NOT neglecting your baby - please don’t think that. You need to give yourself a break and be kinder to yourself. I’d bet you wouldn’t speak to a friend the way you speak to yourself?

You are doing nothing wrong. Worry is understandable but you just need to manage the worry so it doesn’t get out of control.

What real life support have you got? What or who have you got to take you out of yourself and focus on something else thank worrying yourself sick?

Try the tips I mentioned yesterday.

We are still all here for you.

Two out of three doctors did not seem unduly worried. It could be that the third doctor is just super cautious? If something was very obvious surely all the doctors would be in agreement?

Our GP is a bit over-cautious. He had my husband on two lots of antibiotics (one was unnecessary) and sent him to the hospital when the inflection had passed and there was nothing more to be done. The hospital staff were great about it but did say the visit was pointless! It can make you panic a bit!

I have never been pregnant but the symptoms you describe could surely all be pregnancy related I think? Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I will be along shortly.

OP have you tried having a go at mindfulness to help you relax and to distract you from your anxious thoughts? Here is a web site that has lots of information about mindfulness/ relaxation/ meditation whilst you are pregnant. Some of them are free. Might be worth a try.

Best Meditation Apps for New and Expectant Moms
www.google.com/amp/s/www.thebump.com/a/best-meditation-apps/amp

I really wish you all the best. Please try and talk to somebody in real life rather than worry. Take care x

Thank you ladies 💜 I will try the tops you suggested. Just when I can calm myself down a little. I’ve looked up the worst now and seen that you can have cancer even with normal smears and also they wouldn’t risk a biopsy unless they thought it was advanced. So the fact she’s even suggesting there may be one is worrying alone. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to stay strong enough for this little one if it’s bad news 😢

I know no one can help but I feel so lost.
I have people in my life who are great and say all the right things but it doesn’t stop the obsessive worry that I just cannot control x

she said best to make it urgent because of pandemic

^ remember this is why doc made it urgent.

Hold onto to that thought.

1. 2 out of 3 docs weren’t unduly worried.
2. Doc who referred marked urgent because of pandemic.
3. You are in good hands and are getting excellent care by the sound of things.
4. Doctors often don’t think that they’ve worried you - they are very matter- of- fact as a rule. This can make things seem more scary.

Less than 1 in 1,000 women referred for a colposcopy are found to have cervical cancer that requires immediate treatment. Will post link in a sec