I have to go at 8 weeks and my GP mentioned yesterday that a biopsy may not be safe during pregnancy. I would really appreciate anyones experiences to put my mind at rest.

Lisa. x

im not sure but im sure your doc knows best. peersonally i wouldnt get it done while pg. im due a smear just now after a colposcopy last year this was my next 6 months check up and i havent booked in for it as im now 6 wks pg.

Thanks for your replies ladies. As usual I've been reading stuff on the internet and scared myself silly! It seems that colposcopy itself is safe during pregnancy but biopsies are only done if they really have to. I don't see the point of a biopsy if you can't have treatment during pregnancy, so I may refuse one.

Mrs Takers, you may be interested to know that I stumbled across research to say that childbirth itself can 'slough' off problem cells, and some women are found to be back to normal after delivery! Fingers crossed for you. x

Hi Lisa

I was/am in a very similar situation to you. I had a smear test a few days before i conceived and got the results a few days after i`d found out i was pregnant. The results showed a moderate level of dyskariosis (sp) and i was sent to the hospital 2 weeks later for colposcopy.

During this time, like you i did a great deal of research and to be honest most of it frightened the hell out of me, so much so that when i finally got to the hospital i was beside myself!

The doctor was lovely. She put my mind at rest straight away, said they wouldnt do anything but take a look (not do a colposcopy, just literally look). She did this and said my cervix looked healthy and there were no signs of tumour etc (thank god!) She then arranged to see me in feb when i should be at the end of my second trimester.

She also said that these changes could be pre-cancerous or they could be non pre-cancerous (i had a m/c 5 weeks before i went for the smear and the nurse said at the time that i shouldnt have one until 12 weeks after the m/c as they can cause an abnormal reading - but i decided to have one as we were ttc). If the cells were pre-cancerous the doc said that it can take between 7-12 years for cancer to develop. She said there was no need to do any further investigatory works until 3 months after the birth.

I am still concerned and at only 10 weeks i still feel like theres a long wait til i can get treatment, I am hoping like you say that pregnancy decreases the abnormal cells and i wont need treatment, but we`ll see!

Sorry for the long post but i found talking to people who had gone through something similar really helped

Sure all will be fine hun

Katy xxx

Thanks so much for your reply Katy, our stories are similar. I also have moderate changes (CIN 2) and my letters all say that they won't go back to normal without treatment. I also had a mc but four months ago now, I wonder if that was the reason my smear went from mild to moderate?

So glad you saw a lovely Dr who was understanding, hope I'm as lucky. Do you have to go for Colposcopy at 6 months or just another look? It just feels so wrong for drs to be messing around with your cervix when pregnant doesn't it?

Good luck with your pregnancy, oh and congratulations!. x

I had one 3wks ago as I had " an abnormally large cluster of cells" on my cervix. The procedure itself was fine as the doctor was very nice, she just changed the substances they use to test with. She took a couple of swabs and was very gentle the whole time. My results came back as clear, turns out the cells are fine and I just have a bigger cluster on the cervix than most pregnant ladies do - trust me to be different :lol: Please try not to worry hunni xxx

Hi Lisa

Sorry for not replying sooner, i only have access to the internet at work (not for much longer i hope!)

It is more than feasible that the m/c is why your smear results went from mild to moderate in my opinion. I instantly thought these changes would be pre-cancerous but this is not neccessarily the case. With the changes our cervix had been under and the stress in the past months it is more than feasible that these cells are "under duress" as such! This is why they tell you to wait 12 weeks after a birth/miscarriage before they even look at it.

Thats a really good question, im not sure what they`re going to do in feb, i dont think i asked that but i assumed it would just be another look rather than colposcopy.

It does feel wrong messing around up there when pregnant, to be honest any activity up that way just makes me nervous, especially with having a m/c.

Congrats on your pregnancy - i hope you get a doctor who sets your mind at rest, i know mine did to a point (although its always at the back of my mind, as is the risk of m/c).

Lets us know how you get on wont you?

Take care- Katy
xxx