Smear and HA

[merryandbrightdelight]

Hi all

I had my smear yesterday, I'm nearly 34 and have had them regularly since I was the age to do so. I have a tilted cervix so get referred to colposcopy for it. I had an awful experience at my first and was nipped internally with the speculum, so now I get really worked up and anxious about them.

I've previously always been on a form of birth control, the pill for many years, then the last 3 years the depo, coming off it last July. First child was IVF so I've had a lot of people looking up there!

I have two children, 2019 and 2020, and all smears including my last in 2021 have always come back fine. Yesterday I was in the chair as usual and they struggled as usual and when she looked she said it was so high and so tilted, which can happen after a section (I had two ELCS), so she asked a more experienced colleague to try, as she had tried three times with different speculums. I had gas and air and it was so far back she had to press on my lower stomach, then stick a finger in to try and bring it down. Anyway she managed, although getting it in the right place really hurt, but she said 'do you normally bleed after a smear?' Which I have done previously, but as I suffer with health anxiety (which I'm getting help for) I just panicked. Once I was dressed again I asked the first nurse if there was anything to worry about and she said because the cervix is so sensitive, even brushing it can cause bleeding and they'd likely aggravated it trying to do the smear; she said they didn't see anything unusual when doing it and was really reassuring.

The staff in the clinic yesterday were amazing, honestly they were so incredibly kind and I was just lying there crying and they were so, so lovely. I feel a bit silly now!

I've had light bleeding off and on. Yesterday it stopped, then light pink when I wiped around night time, and still light pink today. Not pouring, no soaking anything, just when I wipe. I feel a bit crampy today, too. My periods are all over since coming off the depo last July and have only really returned since March, albeit not always in sync (sometimes later than expected) and I'm averaging a 3/4 day period rather than the usual 7 I had pre-depo. According to my calendar, I should be due on tomorrow.

Does any of this sound like I have anything to worry about? Sorry for the long post, health anxiety is crippling

Just an update: I'm bloated like I normally am the day of/day before my period, and have the cramps. The blood when I wipe now is bright red. I've spoken to a friend who is a Women's Health Nurse who has said that if they have to do a lot of rummaging around, pulling and tugging, and have to move the uterus about to get the smear, it can sometimes initiate a period, if a period is due in the days after a smear, so if the pain is no more than what my normal period pain is, then there should be nothing to worry about.

However... I will worry now until my results come through the post 🙈

A bit of bleeding after a smear is completely normal. And now your period has come on that was due. Nothing to worry about.

I would say though that I would try to get smears done in the middle of your cycle (ie well away from your period) if you can. Any blood can increase the likelihood that they need to redo the smear.. Especially as you are so anxious, I would try to limit the risk of it having to be redone by avoiding any dates near my period in future.

Thank you, I never even thought of this. With me being on contraception previously I've never had periods for so long so it's never crossed my mind, but that is really good advice. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the sample they took is enough and comes back absolutely fine, and will remember this for future. You've really put my mind at rest, thank you