Nurse 'can't find cervix' for smear?!!

[Diege]

This all happened a month or so ago, and going back this afternoon (different practice) and hoping for some reassurance that what happened last time is (within the realms of) normal
Basically usual nurse not there. Stand-in draws breath and blanches when I say I'm there for a smear. Says she'll 'have a go' . And have a go she certainly did. After 20 mins she admitted she couldn't find my cervix (tried 2 speculums) and said I'd have to come back again. I've never had a problem in the past in terms of them actually getting a sample (though I have a history of CIN/treatment, hence the yearly smears).
Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem? I had ds 1 in June (also have 3 dds). She alluded that it might be due to my age (I'm 39 ) and that she has seen it in the past in 'obese ladies' (I'm not). I was also the first smear she'd done for 15 years...
So, due to many factors (that being the icing on the cake) changed surgeries and have a appointment at 2pm today. To say I am nervous is a massive understatement!

LOLOLOLOL at Kew's "pretty" cervix.

What a shame not everyone can see it. It might be a real self-confidence booster.

Kew - are you on facebook?

ooh yes search my email address if you still have it. If not I'll cat you. Otherwise am friends with WWB if you have her on facebook.

Sorry, I haven't got your e-mail address. Can you CAT me please!

I'm a bit concerned now that Kew's cervix is going to be on Facebook

[vomit emoticon] [vomit emoticon]

I am strangely jealous of KEW's pretty cervix . Have been wincing at last few posts - dh has asked what on earth I'm reading

Are you tall? I always have this probem.

Was particulary unpleasant when I had a vry petite woman trying to give me a sweep, she practically had her arm up there and still couldn't reach.

Tee, hee. I'm taller than average, but not particularly tall.

I'm not tall, but apparently I have a very retroverted uterus. The doctor who fitted my coil was being obseved by another doctor and they had a discussion about it. Having a speculum inserted is incredibly painful.

I have to book a smear. I'm not looking forward to it at all.

hysterosalpingogram = torturegram

completely agree, due to my 'bent round the side' cervix they spent ages fiddling about down there with various instruments trying to coax it back the right way so they could thread the tube up there. Not fun. At one point they were talking like I'd have to come back another day.

To add insult to injury, I thought I was ok afterward, but the sedative they gave me beforehand left me just a bit confused/dazed and wound up on the wrong bus twice after leaving the hospital!

I am taller than average,although not giant.And the day prior to the one where no-one in the hospital could find my cervix,the midwife on duty had me sit on my hands.Still took her ages and much horrible poking before she found it.

Oooh, I nearly had to have a hysterosalpingogram - I'm very glad I didn't now!

I had a horrible smear experience after having DS. I was still very very traumatised after the birth and was crying even at the beginning. Then, when the nurse had finally convinced me to lie down she couldn't find my blardy cervix. It's always been tricky but was now apparently more so because of the way I'd been stitched up.

I was referred to the GP as a complete basket case. A week later, after much sympathetic coaxing by the GP she finally got me on the bed so she could just "have a look and a feel". Clever lady. She had a look, a feel, inserted speculum and got it first time. And it was painless. I will never ever have a smear test with a nurse again.

same thing has just happened to me. I went for a smear yesterday and the usual nurse that does smears all the time saw me. She spent over 20 mins pulling me about shoving things in at different angles but somehow failed to find my cervix. i have another appointment on tues at same place with a different nurse to go though it again. I am scared what it could mean as i have had suspious cells before. Was the nurse no good or is there something wrong with me? Please help!!!!!

Wish I had not read this thread as have my smear this afternoon!!

Last time I had a smear it took 3 appointments and 4 people to find my cervix. I have a retroverted uterus. Even a consultant could not find it. I think it is a bit remiss of me to have lost my cervix.

So am going along this afternoon after having a nice glass of white wine to relax me. Slightly even more worried as I am post-menopausal now, so any cervix I did have will have migrated and shrunk. Perhaps they should do a throat smear instead!!

Well you have to have a sense of humour. Oh and I am three quarters Welsh, so maybe it is a Celt thing???

I've been accused of having a 'high' cervix when smears are done and when pg a doctor had to tell a trainee medical student to 'Get out of the way and I'll find it!' (never thought I could feel sorry for some poor soul when I was lying on my back displaying all to the world).

I'm five foot three and about 8 stone. But I am half Celt...(two Irish grandparents)...hmmm

Am back, still alive and it only took 5 goes this time to find my cervix!!

Hopefully they will have got enough cells to read so I don't have to have a repeat one.

They probably got enough cells, but all mashed up by the four failed attempts!

I had the same problem, I have been having smears for the past 15 years and 14 days ago was the first time the doctor said she could not find my cervix, she used two speculums but she was smart enough to refer me after about 5 mins. I will be going to another facility tomorrow, I hope till will find it. I know I have a retroverted uterus I hope they find my cervix this time.

Oh my god I'm sorry to say but I am glad it's not just me that this has happened to :(.
I went for a smear in fen and the nurse took 30 minutes to find my cervix and I had my fists under my bum how embarrassing but eventually she found it and collected the sample.
On Friday I had a hsg and oh my god it was soooooo painful they couldn't find my cervix for 10 minutes and tried two different sized spectulums so they called someone int hat was higher then them and 4 different sized spectulums and a pillow under my back and my fists and being tilted towards the floor and 15 minutes later they found it :((((((((. I was not impressed at all I needed a wee and she kept saying just 5 minutes more when she knew she hadn't even fixed the spectulum in place and she hadn't even put the catheter in yet.
She had to put two lots of the dye in as the first lot didn't reach my cervix as the spectulum moved while the whole time I was tilted towards the floor so not sure why it didn't trickle down ha ha.
My stomach is soooo bloated now and my upper thighs are in agony even though it's now Monday.
Does anyone know who I'd complain to about this as really they should of stopped.
The second person rammed the spectulum in so hard I actually felt it in my back and have also had seriously bad back pain from this being done.
If you've have a choice never have a hsg ever.
I had to have an enmergency csection with my son but that was because his cord prolapsed and he had pooed so nothing to do with my cervix being so far in up in my back ::((.
I now just have to wait for the results fingers crossed there's nothing wrong otherwise they can knock me out for the next one!!!!!!!

Just pleased to read lots of these comments (although they are from some years ago) but my daughter went for her first smear test at the age of 27 (although I had kept on telling her to go!!) and the useless nurse couldn't find her cervix properly (said it was pointing in the wrong direction!) and so couldn't do the smear test. As you can imagine, my daughter got quite upset about this and then to cap it all, the nurse told her she may have trouble conceiving!!! She is getting married next year and does hope to have children, so on top of all the trauma about the smear test, she then had the added stress of being told this! I was fuming. I don't think the nurse was right to impart this piece of information unless my daughter had specifically asked if it may cause problems (which she didn't!). My daughter has to go back to see the GP in a couple of weeks for another smear test, and just hope the GP can find it and do the test without a problem and hopefully put my daughter's mind at rest! Anyone else had this sort of problem please??

It is usually when the uterus has prolapsed and happens with loads of women, it is nothing to worry about and it is nothing to do with the ability of the nurse. Obviously, a less experienced nurse might have problems locating a prolapsed cervix/uterus and then she will refer on to an experienced nurse or GP. A prolapsed cervix will not affect fertility, those sperms are pretty determined! It is nothing to worry about. Sometimes lying on the side is better so suggest this to the nurse if she can't find the cervix.

Thx Charlotte! Is a prolapsed uterus common though in a 27 year old? I thought that happened more in women my age? (54)