# Anyone have an abnormal Pap/colposcopy while pregnant?



## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

For the first time ever, I've had an abnormal Pap smear. And of course it would have to be while I'm pregnant.







They did the more accurate Thin-Prep Pap smear and did the HPV test, and I have (at least) one of the high-risk strains, so it's not just an artifact of pregnancy.

So I go in on Monday to my midwives' backup OB for a colposcopy. Yech.

Has anyone had an abnormal Pap/colposcopy during pregnancy? Any thoughts/experiences to share?


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## luckydog (Nov 15, 2006)

Sigh, yes - raises hand. I have HPV, low grade lesions. This is the second incidence. Prior to this pregnancy, I went through all this about 2 years ago. Then, after a biopsy was done, cryosurgery was performed to freeze away the dysplasia. I was cured, at least temporarily. Apparently it's not uncommon for it to recur in pregnancy (challenged immune system and all that).

So when my prenatal pap came back abnormal (wahhhhh) in December, we scheduled a colposcopy in January when I was 13 weeks to monitor. She spotted the dysplasia; it was still low grade, so no biopsy indicated. We scheduled a second monitoring colposcopy for, let's see - a week from Monday, when I'll be 29 weeks.







I'm just praying it all looks basically the same - at the least.

Assuming it does, that will be the end of monitoring until postpartum. Some mamas shed the abnormal cells as a by-product of childbirth. We should be so lucky! Anyway, postpartum, I'll have another pap and another colposcopy/biopsy if that pap comes back abnormal again. And treatment consideration.

While a biopsy is no fun, and I would recommend some preemptive sedation (glass or 2 of wine, valium, for example) if having one when not pregnant, the colposcopy itself isn't painful. Mainly it's like a protracted pap and just... really uncomfortable.








and sympathy. I've posted about this here myself earlier in my pregnancy and got a lot of reassurance. It seems LOTS of pregnant moms have to deal with this and it's generally a low-key thing. Best wishes to you (and me!) that our situations reflect the norm and that in the end it's no big deal. Of course, with my next colp approaching, I confess, I'm starting to feel anxious that all is okay. I'd sure rather put my head in the sand and just ignore all of it (and then it will just go away - or better, will have never existed. Right?).


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## Shelsi (Apr 4, 2005)

Yep, me too. I had a pap done just a few weeks before I got prego and it came back abnormal with high risk strain of HPV. I decided to wait and get another pap done in 4 mos to see if it had cleared itself which it sometimes does. The 2nd pap came back with the same results. So I went ahead and did the colpo and biopsy. Honestly, for me it didn't hurt at all and there wasn't any cramping. But I have this magical gyno who has the best touch ever. He sort of stinks as an OB (very interventionist) so I don't use him for pregnancy but I sure hold onto him for gyno stuff!

The biopsy came back with mild to moderate dysplasia. Since there's nothing that can really be done in pregnancy unless of course it's already cancer we'll be waiting until after the baby to do anything further. I'll get another pap and then possibly another colpo and then taking things from there. In general cervical cancer is really slow moving. My gyno told me that if I did nothing and it didn't clear itself then it would probably turn into cancer in 7-10 years. So it's not exactly like waiting 9 months is a big deal.


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## lisalulu (Jun 15, 2005)

I had my first abnormal pap about 3 yrs ago and got sent for a colposcopy/biopsy. After it came back, it was recommended that I either get laser or cryofreezing but I can't remember. I had scheduled it a couple months out and in the meantime I unexpectedly got pregnant so it couldn't be done. During my pregnancy my regular doc just monitored me with paps which always came back abnormal.

A friend of mine, who is also an OB, told me that for some women, the abnormal cells appear during pregnancy because the immune system is suppressed enough for the cells to become abnormal from the HPV. And that many women will clear the abnormal cells during childbirth and go back to regular paps.

This didn't happen for me. I am still abnormal. But during the time of my pregnancy, a new, more sophisticated screening became available for pap smears. Luckily, this showed that for the particlar strain I have, it doesn't lead to cervical cancer so I haven't had any more colposcopies or any cells removed. I still go in every year just to monitor via pap.

As for the colposcopy itself, it was really easy-but I wasn't pregnant so I'm not sure if it will be any different. I think that they just look don't they? The biopsy was what had me freaked out but I don't know if they do that while your're pregnant? That also wasn't as bad as I had thought, though.

I also remember feeling a lot better after talking to the OB about how long it takes for something to go from an abnormal pap to cervical cancer. I went in really upset that I could die and came out realizing how important paps are in that it really allows things to be detected early when they are manageable and you have time.


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## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

I feel a little







because the last pap I had was after my dd was born two years ago....I've always gotten them regularly but heeded the new advice that you don't need a pap every year if you've had nothing but normal paps. Oh well.

I had the colposcopy yesterday and the OB saw two lesions, both of which he biopsied. Although evidently one of them bled quite a bit, it wasn't painful at all and not even all that uncomfortable for me -- I've had pap smears that were less pleasant. Although I guess they don't do quite as invasive an investigation if you're pregnant. The OB pointed out that you can freeze, burn, and take chunks out of a cervix and it won't be very painful if at all, it's only stretching that the cervix doesn't like.









So now I just have to wait two weeks to see the results of the biopsies, but the OB was pretty reassuring.

Thanks for the replies, they were reassuring to read! Although of course none of us wants to have to deal with this during pregnancy, it's good that it's not a medical emergency.


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## hopefulmom2be (Sep 10, 2008)

I just had another pap come back abnormal and I guess it's abnormal enough that they want to do another colposcopy. This happened to me about the same time last year - 3 weeks before my wedding - now they want to do it again and my husband and I were going to start trying to get pregnant this month. I don't know if I should hold off? I don't want to!
It sounds like they can do the colposcopy if i'm pregnant so we're planning on moving forward but this makes me so anxious and worried! I can't stand it. My last colposcopy just seemed to show mild dysplasia. In fact the HPV came back negative. This is all just so confusing. I don't know what to think. I can not take pain so my last clpscpy was extremely uncomfortable. I got myself so worked up, I fainted...ridiculous, I know. I was not prepared it would take 30 minutes and that they were taking 3-4 biopsies! Needless to say I changed Gynos.
Well unless any of you have any other recommendations, I guess I will start trying to get pregnant even though my clpscpy is scheduled for Oct. 9th. I'm trying to be really healthy until then so maybe my immune system can kick this thing. Annual paps are one thing but annual Colposcopies! C'mon.
Thanks for listening







: It was great to read everyone's postings. Sounds like I just need to chill out.


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## concadmom (Apr 12, 2006)

I am 16 weeks pregnant and had a LEEP done in March 2007 to remove several pre-cancerous cells from my cervix that were shown to have high grade dysplasia and tested positive for HPV following a colp/biopsy and more than a year of abnormal paps.

Next week I get to start going in for ultrasounds every two weeks between 16-24 weeks of pregnancy to monitor the length of my cervix to make sure it is not shortening and that it is competent to carry the weight of the baby.

I am hoping that all works out and that I can avoid cerclage and/or possible bedrest. I also hope that my dysplasia doesn't return during pregnancy. I also have a repeat pap done next week.


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## Jojo F. (Apr 7, 2007)

Yup, BTDT. Was PG with #1, had an abnormal pap, +HPV test, and colpo.

Although, that was 5 years ago and at my last pap a few months ago it came back clean







(Yes, it had been that long since I had another pap)

I kept asking the OB- My pap is clean, you found nothing? Are you sure? He has my old records so he knows how the other paps went but he reasured me, all clean.

The only things I have changed since then are my diet, diet, and diet. Traditional Foods all the way!!









But I do plan on asking him again next week about the pap.


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## blooangl (Jun 5, 2008)

I had a colposcopy and and having another in two weeks, at 30 weeks. If it's still just 'really abnormal' everything will wait until after the baby. If it's not...yeah, that's the big, bad question.

I can only say that I've got my fingers crossed for you.

As for the actual procedure...it hurts, and I had a clot the size of a guinea pig afterwords that was...ugly. (sorry, probably TMI) and I really didn't feel like doing too much afterwords, but yeah, now that the babe is movin' and groovin' and dancing on my cervix, I'm wondering if this second one at 30 weeks is going to be that easy.

Keep us posted!


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## NicaG (Jun 16, 2006)

I had a series of abnormal paps before and during my first pregnancy. I had a colposcopy right before the pregnancy, and then my ob wanted to wait until I delivered ds to see if further action was required. I can't remember what grade of cell malformation I had, it was a while ago.

Thankfully, the problem resolved itself after I gave birth. My ob said that this often happens--the process of vaginal birth sloughs off the abnormal cells and the problem doesn't return. I've had normal paps now for the past 3 years. Good luck!


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## denvermom2be (Jan 21, 2009)

Jojo F. said:


> The only things I have changed since then are my diet, diet, and diet. Traditional Foods all the way!! QUOTE]
> 
> Hi Jojo. I'm new here, but was very intrigued by your post. What is your diet? And, is there evidence that diet can impact pap results?
> 
> ...


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## Miasmamma (Sep 20, 2006)

When my first abnormal result came back my GYN said to do as much as I could to boost my immune system. I started taking a daily vitamin and extra Vit C, (same thing I'm doing now!), exercising and making sure that I was getting enough sleep. My subsequent paps bounced back and forth, but I had one more abnormal 6 weeks after DD, and they've been normal ever since. FTR, I tested negative for HPV.


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## fairymom (Sep 15, 2008)

I've had abnormal paps w/all of my pgs (except this one!).I've also had a chryo and bioposy and been told because I've had abnormal paps they assume I have Hpv but have never actually had any tests on that.

I did have and still do have discomfort because of the biopsy- a pinching on my cervix the day before and of my period.This is because of scar tissue and my cervix opening.It doesn't last long just a few moments a couple of times a day.

The first few times they did a clopocspy (sp?) they found nothing.We all chalked it up to the fact that I get yeast infections in the first tri because of the change in hormones.This time around I got the yeast infection after my pap and this pap came back normal.I've had two growths on my cervix one removed w/chryo and the other was small enough to remove fully in the biopsy- this is the one that causes me pain that biopsy came back fine.The ob recommended I quit smoking and the paps wolud be fine and the growths would stop "growing".

I haven't had any problems in 8 years? nothing thye even looked into w/ds4 if I am remembering correctly that came back abnormal and they found nothing at the colposcopy (SP?) and yeast infection was assumed.

All this is scary when pg or not.I want to give you a big HUG!


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