Painful Paps ....how will I survive delivery?

I just went in for my 12 week check-up and got bloodwork and a pap done. While I was lying there with my feet in the stirrups I started thinking about the pain of delivery.

I find paps quite painful. I don't know, I think I'm kind of narrow in there and I find that specculum (or whatever that thing the doctor uses to pry you open with) to be pretty painful and when he pokes around in there with a the swab I'm almost in tears. If I find something that small to be that painfull, how the heck am I going to push a baby out? I'm not even showing yet and already i'm panicked.

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who finds the pap really uncomfortable and that you still managed to pop out a baby.

i am not sure about having a pap smear as i havn't had one oops... but i thought u couldn't have one after 6 weeks pregnant???

yeh i dont know about getting paps done while preg? but i thought id give u some hope by saying i find pap tsets very painful and i delivered my baby naturally.... i find people touching my cervix very painful... i asked for internals to be rare and only if necessary...
your body will open up as nature intended, have u thought about trying an epi-no? preparing yourself mentally for this process is very important, u dont want to stop your own labour thru fear...
Have faith tho, the womans body is a magical thing.

Noni*e, that's odd, because my last doctor wouldn't do a pap *before* 12 weeks as she didn't want to "fiddle around" with my cervix before that.

Twin, do you think the pap test pain might be a bit of anxiety about them making it more uncomfortable? It's hard for to to say from personal experience as I found the paps alright (not pleasant, but yk), but also had a C/S so didnt have to push.

I think that you'll be alright. I mean, you are fully thinking about that speculum going in and the swab happening, whereas I imagine when it comes to pushing the baby out, you are on such adrenaline and in a different headspace.

All the best for the rest of your pregnancy!

yeah idk my dr said up to 6 weeks and then not till after preg.. i elected not to have one anyway because i was paranoid about somone poking round up there when i was growing a little life iykwim?

Oh noni*e, just wanted to come back and say totally not having a go at your Dr or anything! I do find it completely odd that a roomful of Drs could all have different opinions or preferences for all kinds of different things, and it's so confusing.

In the end, that pap test I had came back unclear anyway because of too much fluid and they couldnt see the relevant cells properly and I had another 6 weeks pp LOL

r*m*y - oops meant Twin...just came to fix my error, a major part of the "pain" factor is to do with if you're relaxed or not. Most people I know are not relaxed during a pap and I find them very uncomfortable and have a pain factor also. I had a c/s with my first with no labour so was very afraid as you are of the impending birth. I did hypnobirthing - you can read my birth story here https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ad.php?t=34704 - I can honestly say that I didn't have pain during his birth, I had discomfort but no pain...and yes adrenalin does play a part here and is a natural painkiller for the body. Maybe look into something like hypnobirthing (or calm birthing) as after just the first lesson I felt so much better about it all.

I've always found paps really uncomfortable and I've had two babies...
you can do it, when you're in labour your brain has lots of little tricks up it's sleeve to help you get through that it doesn't pull out when you're having a pap smear.
It's hard to describe, but a different part of your brain is in control when you're in labour and you'll cope ok!

I guess the thing to remember is that that the body is assisted by all sorts of hormones, etc for birthing, and ultimately it is just carrying out a natural function. There is nothing natural on the other hand about having a metal thingy poked up your Hoo Haa!

I just wanted to say I found the actual sensations of the contractions faaaaar more painful than any of the sensations involved in baby moving through and out of the birth canal (and I'd always had problems with Paps or any other sort of internal exams). It's designed to stretch when the time is right!

:hug: I think the hypnobirthing suggestion is a really good one!

I've had a pap smear during PG. My Dr told me it's safe but they don't do the part that enters the cervix with the brush, only the external scrape part.

They shouldn't be uncomfortable. My advice to you is to maybe try a different Dr. I've only had one pap smear that was painful and that was done by a Dr I had never seen before and I never went back to him. I've since found a female Dr who is very gentle and I didn't feel it.

You'll cope fine once your in labour!

Re: safety of having pap smears. I hadn't had one for about 6 years so asked my GP a) if it was safe and b) if there was any treatment that could be undertaken during pregnancy anyway given that if the answer was no there seemed little point in having one then stressing about abnormal results through the rest of the pregnancy. My GP was reluctant to give me one and said no, I couldn't have treatment. I also asked my obstetrician. He said it was safe and yes, there was treatment that I could have if the test results were bad. So I think my GP was just nervous about poking around in there!

Had the pap, all came back good.

But in general, I found my first ever pap excruciating (and that was by a female doctor so you never can tell) and the rest have been fine. Not the most pleasant thing in the world, a bit uncomfortable but not actually painful.

And I agree with the other posters that your body's not really prepared for a pap - it's an intrusion whereas the body does all it can to push that baby out.

But if you're worried, certainly seek out reassurance from your obstetrician, midwife, birthing classes etc. etc.

You guys have made me feel A LOT better.

Every single one of my paps (with a different doctor each time) has been painful so it probably is just me being tense and anxious. The doctor usually has to pry my knees apart LOL. It's good to know that the adrenaline during birth helps out in that department. I will definately read up on the hypnobirthing. Thanks!

I was worried about the same thing. I find pap smears painful. I tend to freeze up at these times. I delivered a beautiful boy two weeks ago. The midwives were excellent. They understood my fears and made me feel comfortable. Voice your fears if you are there and are finding it uncomfortable. They suggested that I suck on some gas and it helped alot! Our bodies have heaps of hormones to combat this stuff and our bodies are designed to do this.

Hey Twin, Just to reiterate what everyone else has said - you'll be just fine! I HATE pap smears and I must admit, I didn't enjoy the internal I had when I got to the hospital when in labour, but birth was an amazing experience. Like Marydean, I found the contractions more painful than the pushing - it was exhausting, but sooooo worth it. All the best for your pregnancy!

Twin, if you want to speak to a hypnobirthing practitioner in Canberra let me know and I'll ask the lady I had for someone's details for you. My email is achoffmann@bigpond.com also feel free to ask me anything about it all :) You will be great ...I was petrified before I did the course but as soon as I had Oskar I would've gone back and done it right there and then all over again it was so amazing and special.

Twin - my paps are always painful, and it is not unusual, it can depend a lot on the position of your cervix. Apparantly mine is quite high and tilted a bit further than usual bit towards my back so it makes it hard to get at.

I haven't experienced a vag labour yet, but O wouldn't worry, I would say the two are not connected at all, one is something going in, the other is something coming out! And coming out with the help of muscles and hormones and mucus and all sorts of other things that help it along.