Abnormal paps in past, but skipped during preg?

dixielane · January 2010

Anyone else here have abnormal paps in past, but decided to skip getting paps/biopsies during pregnancy?

I had a normal papsmear last January, fell pregnant in Sept so I opted to wait til after baby is here to do my next.

Emattsmom · January 2010

I had an abnormal one last year so my doc wanted to do one at my NT appt.

MrsAmyB · January 2010

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

This. My 8wk appt was in November and I had one done a few months prior.

ETA: and when I switched to a Perinatologist even though they had my chart from the midwives office, they still asked me if I had ever had an abnormal pap (which I had years prior). I would do it especially if I had a previous abnormal PAP.

BelhurstBride · January 2010

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

Same here.

The one time I did have an abnormal pap my GYN had me return every three months for a PAP until I had three normal in a row.

dixielane · January 2010

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

All docs do this, but you can still decline. Especially if you've had a semi-recent pap that was normal.

MrsAmyB · January 2010

dixielane:

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

All docs do this, but you can still decline. Especially if you've had a semi-recent pap that was normal.

Why decline it? Its a precaution.

dixielane · January 2010

BelhurstBride:

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

Same here.

The one time I did have an abnormal pap my GYN had me return every three months for a PAP until I had three normal in a row.

My abnormal paps were done 3ms apart, then my normal one was 6mos for followup, but then I fell pregnant and declined. Mainly because my sister kept having extreme bleeding after paps while pregnant and it worried me. And my doctor said most of the time 9mos is fine to wait for another pap. Just wondered if others waited too.

mrsfrank · January 2010

My OB always does a pap in the beginning with cultures, even if you had a pap 3 months previous

dixielane · January 2010

MrsAmyB:
dixielane:

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

All docs do this, but you can still decline. Especially if you've had a semi-recent pap that was normal.

Why decline it? Its a precaution.

Well, my sister had 3 MCs at that time, and was deeply concerned the paps she had done caused them (the doc may have been too rough and her cervix extremely sensitive) so that scared me. And my doctor said any changes that could incur are not typically huge during 9mos, when you have abnormal paps it typically takes years to show serious effects. And my abnormalities were mild, then went away..

jessikarabbit11 · January 2010

My doctor also did it at my first appt....which was at about 8 weeks. It is probably a good idea to do one because I know that there is some things that can cause some issues during pregnancy if not discovered, this is why my doctor say they do it at your first appt.

glycerine1281 · January 2010

Paps is my business (I'm a Cytotechnologist - the person who helps the Pathologist to make his diagnosis of normal or abnormal paps)

I've seen pregnancy go both ways for abnormals. Some women have normal paps during pregnancy, most have abnormals return during pregnancy (Only if they were infected with HPV before they became pregnant though. Sometimes they knew about it, sometimes they didn't find out until they're immune system was surpressed (because of pregnancy) and the HPV kind of came out, if you will).

In most cases, the doctor would NEVER do anything un-necessary to the cervix during a pregnancy because they wouldn't want to be responsible if the pregnancy ended. Also, if you've had a few procedures in the past, your cevix might be a little more sensitive to anything happening down there too so it's best not to push it.

Even if you do have an abonormal pap, most docs will wait until after you deliver to do any biopsies or procedures so, IMHO, waiting to do the pap would be fine. HPV won't develop into cancer in 9 months unless you had a very high grade lesion to begin with and even then, it's unlikely.

glycerine1281 · January 2010

MrsAmyB:
dixielane:

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

All docs do this, but you can still decline. Especially if you've had a semi-recent pap that was normal.

Why decline it? Its a precaution.

and having the pap won't hurt anything, it's the procedures that may follow for an abnormal that could cause a problem and most docs won't do anything till you deliver anyway.

dixielane · January 2010

glycerine1281:

Paps is my business (I'm a Cytotechnologist - the person who helps the Pathologist to make his diagnosis of normal or abnormal paps)

I've seen pregnancy go both ways for abnormals. Some women have normal paps during pregnancy, most have abnormals return during pregnancy (Only if they were infected with HPV before they became pregnant though. Sometimes they knew about it, sometimes they didn't find out until they're immune system was surpressed (because of pregnancy) and the HPV kind of came out, if you will).

In most cases, the doctor would NEVER do anything un-necessary to the cervix during a pregnancy because they wouldn't want to be responsible if the pregnancy ended. Also, if you've had a few procedures in the past, your cevix might be a little more sensitive to anything happening down there too so it's best not to push it.

Even if you do have an abonormal pap, most docs will wait until after you deliver to do any biopsies or procedures so, IMHO, waiting to do the pap would be fine. HPV won't develop into cancer in 9 months unless you had a very high grade lesion to begin with and even then, it's unlikely.

^ Thats super helpful! I guess I kind of teetered with the idea of "SHOULD I get a PAP now?" I definatly didnt want to in early pregnancy though. But my doctor seemed unconcerned and respectful (and she seemed comfortable knowing my last pap was infact normal), and the general opinion I see if 9mos is not a big deal for waiting. My abnormalities were linked to cervical HPV (the kind that effect just the cervix and show no other symptoms), it was very mild, and did show a return to normal January 09. I know pregnancy aggrevates it, so I figured, why stress myself out if it did happen to return to abrnomal...Hopefully that makes sense.

Oh, and I have heard for some women, the pregnancy/birth process can essentially "wipe you clean" again, cervix wise, so I don't feel any need to stress about any abnormalities now, when they (if they are there) may return to normal after birth.

dixielane · January 2010

Cassie730:
dixielane:

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

All docs do this, but you can still decline. Especially if you've had a semi-recent pap that was normal.

I'm sorry...I don't understand why you would decline? I'm not trying to poo-poo on your personal choice just curious. I've never heard of a PAP being a negative thing...I think they would be even more important if you've had something abnormal in the past? Wouldn't they?

Another member posted more informative info (the one who said she interprets pap results) but her explainations is pretty much why I didn't do anything. Since I KNOW my last pap was normal, I felt comfy waiting. I would've done one, say if it had been a year or so since my last. But, I don't want a biopsy done during pregnancy, (I had to have one done prior to my return to normal pap) and it sounds like doctors won't do them ANYWAYS. And, pregnancy can exaggerate any dysplasia/abnormalities you have anyways and then return back to normal after birth... So it seems like an unnecessary stress.

shakespearenluv · January 2010

I wouldn't skip it. I had mine while I was pregnant.

glycerine1281 · January 2010

dixielane:
glycerine1281:

Paps is my business (I'm a Cytotechnologist - the person who helps the Pathologist to make his diagnosis of normal or abnormal paps)

I've seen pregnancy go both ways for abnormals. Some women have normal paps during pregnancy, most have abnormals return during pregnancy (Only if they were infected with HPV before they became pregnant though. Sometimes they knew about it, sometimes they didn't find out until they're immune system was surpressed (because of pregnancy) and the HPV kind of came out, if you will).

In most cases, the doctor would NEVER do anything un-necessary to the cervix during a pregnancy because they wouldn't want to be responsible if the pregnancy ended. Also, if you've had a few procedures in the past, your cevix might be a little more sensitive to anything happening down there too so it's best not to push it.

Even if you do have an abonormal pap, most docs will wait until after you deliver to do any biopsies or procedures so, IMHO, waiting to do the pap would be fine. HPV won't develop into cancer in 9 months unless you had a very high grade lesion to begin with and even then, it's unlikely.

^ Thats super helpful! I guess I kind of teetered with the idea of "SHOULD I get a PAP now?" I definatly didnt want to in early pregnancy though. But my doctor seemed unconcerned and respectful (and she seemed comfortable knowing my last pap was infact normal), and the general opinion I see if 9mos is not a big deal for waiting. My abnormalities were linked to cervical HPV (the kind that effect just the cervix and show no other symptoms), it was very mild, and did show a return to normal January 09. I know pregnancy aggrevates it, so I figured, why stress myself out if it did happen to return to abrnomal...Hopefully that makes sense.

Oh, and I have heard for some women, the pregnancy/birth process can essentially "wipe you clean" again, cervix wise, so I don't feel any need to stress about any abnormalities now, when they (if they are there) may return to normal after birth.

HPV is a virus. The same virus that causes warts on your feet or hands, just a different type. (There are over 100 types of HPV, about half of which infect the skin and the other half which infect cervix/mucus membranes. Now, only about 4 of those types really cause cancer and maybe 20 cause any legitimate problems. Many types just go away on their own without causing anyting but an abnormal pap, one time). The idea that you could be "wiped clean" is just an old wives tale. You could have a very benign type that could never come back after your pregnancy, but that would be a coincindence.

That being said, I do think your decision is A-OK. Just make sure you get checked post-partum again and stay on top if things after delivery.

dixielane · January 2010

glycerine1281:
dixielane:
glycerine1281:

Paps is my business (I'm a Cytotechnologist - the person who helps the Pathologist to make his diagnosis of normal or abnormal paps)

I've seen pregnancy go both ways for abnormals. Some women have normal paps during pregnancy, most have abnormals return during pregnancy (Only if they were infected with HPV before they became pregnant though. Sometimes they knew about it, sometimes they didn't find out until they're immune system was surpressed (because of pregnancy) and the HPV kind of came out, if you will).

In most cases, the doctor would NEVER do anything un-necessary to the cervix during a pregnancy because they wouldn't want to be responsible if the pregnancy ended. Also, if you've had a few procedures in the past, your cevix might be a little more sensitive to anything happening down there too so it's best not to push it.

Even if you do have an abonormal pap, most docs will wait until after you deliver to do any biopsies or procedures so, IMHO, waiting to do the pap would be fine. HPV won't develop into cancer in 9 months unless you had a very high grade lesion to begin with and even then, it's unlikely.

^ Thats super helpful! I guess I kind of teetered with the idea of "SHOULD I get a PAP now?" I definatly didnt want to in early pregnancy though. But my doctor seemed unconcerned and respectful (and she seemed comfortable knowing my last pap was infact normal), and the general opinion I see if 9mos is not a big deal for waiting. My abnormalities were linked to cervical HPV (the kind that effect just the cervix and show no other symptoms), it was very mild, and did show a return to normal January 09. I know pregnancy aggrevates it, so I figured, why stress myself out if it did happen to return to abrnomal...Hopefully that makes sense.

Oh, and I have heard for some women, the pregnancy/birth process can essentially "wipe you clean" again, cervix wise, so I don't feel any need to stress about any abnormalities now, when they (if they are there) may return to normal after birth.

HPV is a virus. The same virus that causes warts on your feet or hands, just a different type. (There are over 100 types of HPV, about half of which infect the skin and the other half which infect cervix/mucus membranes). The idea that you could be "wiped clean" is just an old wives tale. You could have a very benign type that could never come back after your pregnancy, but that would be a coincindence.

That being said, I do think your decision is A-OK. Just make sure you get checked post-partum again and stay on top if things after delivery.

I've read up ALOT on it (after it scared the bajeepers out of me initially) so I agree with you, and I guess i should've worded it differently. I know HPV never goes away, but it can *appear* to clear, and go into hiding so to speak, and you get normal paps. Hence why so many women don't even know they have it, some who get normal paps their whole lives, then boom, an abormal one.

Does that make sense? lol

I'm glad to hear my decision is okay, my doctor was comfortable with it and I did a ton of research that made me feel fine with waiting, I just wanted to see what others have done.

glycerine1281 · January 2010

I'm sorry. I made a slight edit to my last post and forgot to put in a reason why.

Actually, some types do pretty much go away on their own and are never to be seen again, but almost every type does stay dormant and can '"come out" again later on. So, we're both right

Sorry for so many posts. I just really love it when I can answer questions like these. It makes me feel purposful.

dixielane · January 2010

glycerine1281:

I'm sorry. I made a slight edit to my last post and forgot to put in a reason why.

Actually, some types do pretty much go away on their own and are never to be seen again, but almost every type does stay dormant and can '"come out" again later on. So, we're both right

Sorry for so many posts. I just really love it when I can answer questions like these. It makes me feel purposful.

I sent you a PM. Well it certainly helps hearing from someone who really "knows" this stuff ) So yes you are very purposeful!

glycerine1281 · January 2010

I tried responding to that PM twice and I don't think it worked.

Basically, you seem to have more education about this than the average woman and I think you're decision is totally fine.

Don't worry about this anymore. There's way scarier things to worry about than this. Just make sure you follow up for years to come because it won't go away.

Good topic! Hopefully everyone learns something

Have a happy pregnancy

BreckBride09 · January 2010

Cassie730:
My OB makes everyone have a PAP at the first appointment (mine was 9.5 weeks) regardless of history or when your last one was.

This.

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