[DDNemo]

Hi there,

I have my second appt with my midwife comming up, and she is supposed to do a routine pap. Is that a normal part of care?

My sister does not remember having a pap at all with her ob/gyn and thought it was weird - but she could have been mistaken.

And is a home enviroment with pets sanitary enough to not compromise the test results?

I'm not very worried about it, and I trust my MW, but I was just wondering what is normal....

Thanks!

 

[flyjawn]

it's normal in canada if you're due for one but we have a different system here.

 

[courtenay_e]

Generally the midwives in my area who provide well woman care do provide PAPs. This includes the midwife for whom I assist. Though, she does NOT do PAP tests when a woman is pregnant, as apparently there is an increased risk of miscarriage (she showed a mother recently the brush package that reiterated that). Generally, she does do a PAP at the six week post partum.

Insofar as "sterility" coming in to play...I'd much more trust the germs in your own home than those in a doctor's office or hospital, where they'd usually do the test! In general, a midwife who's been trained in how to do a PAP also knows how to keep the results "true" by not contaminating them.

 

[Autumn Breeze]

From my understanding if you have not had a pap with in a year before getting pregnant, a typical office, will routinely run a PAP.

However like anything else, you can refuse the pap. You don't NEED proof that you had one or anything, just tell them that you (or your friend, whoever) is uncomfortable with anything coming in contact with a pregnant cervix, and you would rather not risk it. But that, you would love to go ahead and schedual one for sometime after the baby is born.

That made my provider (an OB) happy enough. I didn't go to them for the pap, but I did have one done after my daughter was born (almost a year and a half later

)

Honestly using that brush, and actually going INSIDE the cervix while pregnant, I can't tell you how much that scares me! Makes me very thankful that when I had TWO paps while pregnant with ds, that they were uneventful, and he's here.

 

[mwherbs]

some midwives do paps some don't depend on their legal status and what labs they can work with also training-- but really you could probably do a pap yourself- very simple procedure- as easy as wiping your ear with a qtip-- the rest of stuff has to do with filling out and dating the specimen and having a lab to send it all to.

now just where are you keeping your pets

 

[DDNemo]

Thank you ladies!

I think I will talk to her first and see WHY she needs a pap... I did have one about 6 months ago.

And IF i believe its is necessary based on what she says, then I'd make sure she is EXTRA careful...

Thank you!

 

[SharonAnne]

It is routine here for obs and mws to give a pap during your first or second visit, if you havent' had one within the past year. However, I refused the pap when I was pregnant with my daughter and I refused it again last week, when I went to my first visit for this pregnancy. I got no flak whatsoever for the refusal. I will get a pap at my post partum visit most likely.

But no one touches my cervix when I'm pregnant. I won't even let them check for dilation till I'm in labor and think I'm ready to push.

 

[Maggi315]

I don't do paps during pregnancy, but I do them at the 8 week check up if the mom wants them and anytime else.

doing them at home isn't going to compromise the results at all if the procedure is done correctly and is done sterile. It only takes a second to get the sample for the pap, and a minute or two for me to visually inspect the area (since I combine a checkup after birth, I can get two birds with one stone).

don't forget, you can always refuse it though, lots of women do for lots of reasons or want it done at another time. don't feel pressured into doing it just to keep midwife happy.

 

[Stephanie L.]

My MWs did mine at the 6 week PP check-up (after both births). I was grateful. I only have healthcare as a pregnant (or recently pregnant) person and don't do anything any other time. Also, I wouldn't remember to!

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