Has anybody had a smear when pregnant?

[mummam28]

Hello,

Has anybody had a smear test in their second trimester? I need to have one as I had CIN3 and need to check it's been cleared and have a 'test of cure' test... but looking on the NHS it says smears are not often advised in pregnancy so I'm a little nervous.

Has anybody else been in this situation?
Are they safe?

The results of a smear will not be valid during pregnancy. You will need to book it 12 weeks after the baby has been born.

@Doughdog both my gp and gynaecologist have said I do need one

Yes, I had one. It was a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist who did it so I figured his advice was sound. I was fine.

@FictionalCharacter ah that's great, thanks so much for your reply!

Both me and my friend had CIN3 and both were pregnant at smears, both told to wait until 3 months after giving birth.

I had one while pregnant, because I was bleeding 2nd trimester.
It was all fine, just hurt a little bit more than having one while not pregnant

I had one at 4 weeks pregnant. I needed it as a test of cure after CIN3 and purposely put off the pregnancy test as didn't want anything preventing me having the smear as I knew how important it was and it was already delayed by 1 month as I was bleeding the month before from an early miscarriage and had to cancel. I told the doctor when at the lltez (they did the colposcopy and decided at that appointment to do the lletz straight away as it looked dodgy) that we were TTC and asked what would happen about the test of cure if I was pregnant and she said I'd have it anyway, it was safe, and would need to be done. However I've read lots of nurses will refuse in case you have a miscarriage and try to blame them (will not cause miscarriage, other countries perform smears routinely while pregnant). Fingers crossed for you, mine was all clear and back to 3 yearly smears!!

By the way, my plan if I was further along the pregnancy and my GP surgery had said they wouldn't do the smear was that I was going to ask to have it at the hospital by the colposcopy team. I would have insisted. I couldn't have waited, I'd rather have known.

@Oldermum84 thank you so much this is really helpful. My doctor said she would definitely advise having it done once I've gone past 12 weeks (for the reason you outlined as they could get mistakenly blamed for miscarriage) and it's safe etc... just I haven't heard of anybody else having one so I'm a little nervous. I'd rather know to be honest, the whole cin3 thing really stressed me out!

So pleased your test came back as clear!!! Really hope mine is the same. Did you have cervix scans after as well? X

@PickledScrump I've already had the lletz procedure to remove the cin3, this is the test of cure to check it's definitely cleared x

@mummam28 yes it was the smear to check after I was talking about. We both waited until 3 months after birth and thankfully both clear.

@PickledScrump ahhh I see. Interesting, I wonder why I've not been told to wait :( Glad you were both clear xx

@mummam28 this was a few years ago so perhaps they now allow it. The only thing they would do for us while pregnant was cervical scans because of the lletz treatment.

Not a smear but I’ve had two colposcopy appointments to check as I have high grade cells that were found on a smear before I knew I was pregnant. I think in your case they probably will still want to check you but let them know before hand

@mummam28 yes I'm having regular cervical length scans - I'm 18 weeks now and had my first at 16 weeks. Length was 47mm so all good... Apparently I had a huge cervix to begin with 🤣