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Pap smear

10 replies

Tucky
I just need to get this off my chest. Two months ago I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. During my pregnancy I had heavy discharge, so much that I needed a panty liner. Okay, I thought it was normal, even though I didn't have this during my previous pregnancy. I didn't think much of it, but now, two months later, I still have heavy discharge, and the panty liner is sometimes completely soaked by the end of the day (sorry for the details). On top of that, since last Saturday I've also had old blood. At first I thought my period was coming, which seemed weird because it always starts with cramps and bright red blood. Now, four days later, I still have brown discharge. I called my GP to request a smear test, but I can only get an appointment next week. I'm a bit worried; I know it's silly to consult Google, but both of these things are symptoms of cervical cancer Has anyone had a smear test so soon after giving birth?

Replies

  1. Anonymous Guest #2

    If you want to search online, go to thuisarts.nl. Google is a horror garden.

    I have no experience. Having plenty of discharge during pregnancy is normal, of course. No idea how long that can last. You've just given birth, after all.

    Wishing you lots of strength.

  2. Babytje4 #3

    I’m also about two months postpartum, but I’ve just had a lot of watery discharge the whole time, just like I did when I was pregnant. I don’t have any old blood or anything now, but get it checked out and you’ll be reassured. Like Anoniem said, you can go crazy from Googling it. I try to search on Google as little as possible, otherwise I’d think I had every disease in the world.

  3. Tucky started this #4

    Hey, thanks for your replies. I went to the GP, but she didn't want to do a smear test because I gave birth 2 months ago; there has to be at least 6 months between deliveries. However, she did take a culture swab of my discharge, suspecting a yeast infection. Unfortunately, I'm familiar with that, and apart from the amount of discharge, nothing pointed to a yeast infection. She also checked my cervix, and it looked normal. She couldn't tell where the blood was coming from, attributing it to hormonal fluctuations. I mentioned that my body doesn't feel like this, but she brushed it off as being related to the birth and pregnancy. For a few days it was fine, but yesterday I lost some old blood again. It still doesn't feel quite right. I think I'll wait for a period for now and see what happens after that.

    I was wondering if there are any women who have experienced something similar?

  4. Mila Guest #5

    Tuckie, how are you doing now?

  5. Tucky started this #6

    Lost more old blood last weekend than in the past few days. Today was okay though. I called this morning for the culture results, but nothing came up (which I already expected), and they said that if the symptoms persist, I'll need to have a smear test done in 4 months. Those 4 months feel like years... I hope it goes away and that it's nothing serious.

  6. Floor Guest #7

    Hi Tucky, I went through a similar process myself for a few years because I had abnormal cells during the standard population screening. Two years ago, I was allowed to come back for a smear test just 3 months after giving birth. I now read that they've changed this to 6 months. I don't know why, but if it was considered reliable after 3 months for years, and you're doubting, I'd definitely push for that. By the way, my cervix already looked bad to the naked eye; it was described as "fiery and bleeding quickly" in the report from the first test. I never had any symptoms like more or different discharge, etc. Can't you push for a blood test? It's really unpleasant that you don't feel taken seriously. I've experienced that a lot too throughout this whole process.

  7. Lies34 #8

    Hi Tucky,

    That's really annoying that they're sending you for a walk.
    I went to my gynecologist for a check-up 8 weeks after giving birth, and she just took a smear because it had been 3 years. So I'd just insist that they take that smear.
    My results were fine anyway.

    Good luck in advance!

  8. Tucky started this #9

    Thanks for your replies! So it does seem possible, reading your stories. It's frustrating that my GP didn't want to do a smear test. I really feel like I wasn't taken seriously! I've been dealing with this body for almost 30 years and know it pretty well, and yet they don't listen to me. Luckily everything looked normal, but it still doesn't feel 100% right. It could indeed be hormonal, but that's not how my body works at all—I've never had this before. If this continues, I'm definitely not going to wait 4 months.

  9. Tucky started this #10

    By the way, I had a blood test about a month ago because I had pneumonia and still had some complaints after the course. They tested for infection values, my hemoglobin, and my thyroid, but everything was fine.

  10. Anonymous Guest #11

    I think you also shared your story on Viva?

    I understand that you say you've known your body for almost 30 years, but don't underestimate the process of postpartum recovery. When you're pregnant and then going through postpartum, your body is completely different.

    However, I believe that if you're truly convinced something isn't right, you should keep pushing for answers. At the very least, make an appointment with a gynecologist.

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