Colposcopy when pregnant?

[TinyMarie]

Hi all

I am wondering if anyone who has been pregnant has had a similar experience.

I have had abnormal CIN1 cells for 4 years resulting in colposcopy's and 4 biopsy's. The cells had never progressed passed CIN1 so no treatment was needed. I was due for my yearly check 6 weeks after finding out I was pregnant so I attended my appointment assuming they would send me home. They explained it was safe to do a colposcopy but nothing else at that stage. They had a look and said it looked as though the cells had now progressed to CIN2 but that she wasn't worried as it was a very tiny area. They now want me to go back at 15 weeks for another colposcopy and possible smear test. I am concerned this is not safe when pregnant despite them assuring me otherwise. I have had friends be refused smears when pregnant despite them not having one for 10 years!

I have health anxiety and from what I have read, they will not carry out a biopsy or treatment (unless absolutely necessary) when pregnant so I'm wondering what the point of me having the checks are at this stage? I feel it is making my anxiety worse and could possibly cause a problem and there's nothing that can be done until I have the baby anyway. I want to do the sensible thing but am getting so stressed out and anxious about it that it can't be good for me!

Any advice from any anyone who has been in a similar situation when pregnant would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks all.

I had a lletz procedure before pregnant and when I went back for the 6 month check up I was already pregnant. ( can't really remember how far along I was) They did the colposcopy and had a look but didn't do anything further. They asked to see me 3 months after baby was born. You can always ring the unit and ask, or go along to the appointment and speak to the gynae. You can always refuse if they want to do a smear etc but I would doubt they would want to do anything like that unless absolutely necessary.

I'm pregnant at the moment and due a smear and they have said I have to wait until 3 months after the birth.

Thank you for your reply. They said before the colposcopy that if everything looked ok they would see me 3 months after but typically, this is now when the cells have got worse after 4 years.
I will definitely refuse a biopsy and will tell her about my anxiety beforehand as I'm worried they will want to monitor me throughout the pregnancy now. It's stressful enough without all this too!

@tumtitum I think for standard smears, they always postpone as pregnancy hormones can mess the readings up anyway. Even if my smear comes back abnormal (which it will), they can't do anything until next year so it's a lot of worry about something I can do nothing about yet.

I had a colonoscopy at 37 weeks pregnant due to suspicious nodules on my cervix (significant bleeding from 32 weeks). All went fine but I was advised of a risk of it bringing on labour, as it turned out i went into labour 3 days later.

I then had a normal smear at 6 weeks post partum.

I'd probably try and avoid it early in pregnancy but I'd also want to know how at risk I was. Good luck x

A smear seems pointless since they’re not reliable in pregnancy anyway and they already know you have cell changes. I’d ask what the point is before letting them do it.

Thanks all. I'll make sure I ask questions before I let them do anything and see what their intentions are for after the smear.

Before finding out I was pregnant, I’d been diagnosed (by the nurse at my GP surgery) with a possible cyst, so I was referred to Colposcopy at the hospital, which had a 6-8 weeks waiting list. 2 weeks later I found out I was pregnant so I called my GP and she informed Colposcopy and the following day the EPU invited me in.

At the EPU they used a speculum to examine me and then the EPU doctor also did an -ahem-manual inspection and she found no cyst (during those 2-weeks I had been taking antibiotics as prescribed by the nurse). The EPU doctor assured me that everything she was doing would have no effect on the pregnancy and it appeared that the antibiotics had got rid of the suspected cyst.

I am now 30-weeks

I suspect they may just want to keep an eye on you in case the pregnancy speeds up the changes and things turn sinister. It'll be hugely unlikely. In the US internals are given regularly in pregnancy so I suspect a basic colposcopy with just the dyes is safe as the team are advising you. I think that if you are at risk of early labour they actually take swabs to check for certain marker proteins using a speculum which wouldn't be much different to a colposcopy examination.
I've had treatment for CIN3 via a LLETZ procedure, thankfully years ago. Hopefully there would be no further changes at your next appointment but it's better to know so they can do an appropriate treatment plan.

Thank you all. It seems Colposcopy's themselves are offered quite regularly in pregnancy then.
I actually have my appointment today so will see what they say. I really want the treatment once the baby is born as this has been dragging on for so long but I just don't like the idea or see the point of a smear right now. If they want to keep an eye on me with the dyes then I'm assuming that would be safe.