How long after childbirth can you safely have a smear test?

[flowerfairy]

HAd my call for my next smear test and just wondered how long after child birth it is safe to go or recommended? Couldn't find anything in the literature sent with letter about it. TIA

I have a feeling that my gynae gave me a smear test at my 1 month post natal check up.
She was of a 'might as well do one while I'm in here' kind of opinion!

I also had one at the postnatal check. Quite standard to do one then as long as everything's healed properly it seems.

Having them done very soon after giving birth (if it was vaginal) can skew the results because of the trauma to the cervix during delivery.

I had one done about 3 months after I gave birth and it was showed changes - the doctor I saw at the hospital clinic said it was common to see results like that after childbirth.

I waited until I was 7/8 months post natal the next time and it was fine.

Had no particular problems giving birth and despite breast feeding am having another period, DD is 4 1/2 mths will probably be 5 mths by the time i get an appt. Do you think that would be ok?

I was told I needed to wait 6 months as by then the cervix should have settled down and be back to normal (or as normal as anything small can be after having a baby passed through it anyway)

My doctors refused to do one until 4 months post natal.
Rally must get round to booking it as it has been 7 months ( and 5 years) now.

My GP told me I could have one after 3 months, at the same time as baby's 2nd injections. The nurse did say that as it was quite soon after the birth the test might show some harmless abnormalities, which would have disappeared by the time they investigated further! But my test was clear. And it wasn't too uncomfortable!

At five months it shouldn't be an issue from the "reading the sample" side of things.
Please make sure the sample taker puts on the clinical details section of the request (either a paper form or on the computer) that you're breast feeding. Anything that changes the hormonal levels of what you would "normally" see on the sample is really helpful to know.
Very abnormal cells tend to be quite small because they don't mature under oestrogen like the normal cervical skin or epithelium; immature cells seen due to post-menopausal or depo changes are also quite small. We can tell the difference when reading the sample in the lab but it's useful to know why the cells are likely to be there.

As long as the baby is 12 weeks or more it shouldn't be a problem at all.

Our lab doesn't like to do routine samples within 3 months of birth (whether vaginal or by section).

In terms of actually taking the smear, as long as you aren't bleeding it should be fine; you don't have to be mid cycle.

it is 12 weeks.

i had one at my 8 week check up

At least 3 months, preferably 4 months is what we say when a sample taker rings our lab to ask. As per my previous post, any earlier can be more difficult for the cytology screening staff to read.