https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 02:18:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1844207 Mon, 01 Sep 2014 14:44:01 +0000 Iced Tea 1844207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As my midwife described it, the well-woman exam checks a number of things and should be done yearly. The PAP is often done at that appt, but is actually recommended every 3 years now. So they expect to see you yearly but won't necessarily do a pap every time. </p> <p>Because I had just suffered a loss, I didn't want anyone going near my cervix. We ended up nixing the pap (I had one 2 yrs prior) and putting off the rest of the internal exam stuff until my 11 week appt. But she said I couldn't skip the internal exam entirely. The state required a couple of things from it, like a gonorrhea a swab. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842795 Sat, 30 Aug 2014 09:48:14 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1842795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The more replies, the more I am still unsure. I doubt the actual doctor will be much help when I see him, but it's probably good to hear from him about what he can/ cannot do versus the appointment scheduler. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842771 Sat, 30 Aug 2014 08:56:36 +0000 wonderstruck 1842771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They're going to want to do a pap exam at your first appointment, so just up to you if you want to get it out of the way or not. Personally, I opted out of it because I'd had a pap done very recently, but it sounds like that's not the case for you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842476 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:12:59 +0000 FaithFertility 1842476@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: MY OBGYN made me at 12 weeks it was routine if you had not had one with in 3montbs of getting PG </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842470 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:02:47 +0000 Arden 1842470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I believe the new guideline is every 3 years. I would skip, in fact I DID skip myself in pregnancy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842457 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 18:43:56 +0000 looch 1842457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I dunno, I would be apt to say skip it, if had been three years, then I would have said do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842409 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:37:57 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1842409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had my annual in December &amp; got pregnant that same cycle. </p> <p>My OB did another pap at my 8w appointment, so that means I had one in December and one in February! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842401 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:17:16 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1842401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: thank you :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842376 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:28:42 +0000 Kemma 1842376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My last midwife said she doesn't bother with smears during or immediately after pregnancy as the cells are often abnormal anyway (due to the pregnancy I guess), interesting that the guidelines are different in the US! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842368 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:12:02 +0000 jedeve 1842368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I missed you were pregnant. Congrats! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842314 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:04:44 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1842314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: two years ago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842182 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 13:28:49 +0000 looch 1842182@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When was your last well woman exam? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842147 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 13:04:34 +0000 LuLu Mom 1842147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd keep it, most likely they will make you get a PAP with this pregnancy anyways, might as well get it out of the way and another appointment in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842125 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:45:03 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1842125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I skipped the pap this pregnancy but had one within the past year. I was already dealing with some bleeding and after two losses my OB agreed he didn't want to go anywhere near my cervix. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842119 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:38:15 +0000 lamariniere 1842119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would do the well woman exam. For my first, I had just had the visit 2 or 3 months before getting pregnant. With my 2nd, my first visit was at 12 weeks and we did the well visit at the same time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842110 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:27:30 +0000 Smurfette 1842110@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine would have done the pap at my first appointment but they saw I just had it done 3 months previously. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842083 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:09:04 +0000 lawbee11 1842083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I didn't actually schedule mine to be combined, I just scheduled it as my first pregnancy appt/dating u/s. When I met with the nurse/OB they asked me a ton of background questions including when was your last pap. When I told them it had been over a year they said they'd go ahead and do one that day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842077 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:07:07 +0000 Mrs.Panda 1842077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a pap at my first prenatal appointment so I would just keep it if you're due, but I will likely skip it for my next pregnancy due to what @JerricaBenton: said. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842067 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:59:24 +0000 Grace 1842067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you are due for a pap and they won't combine them, then yes I would go to the original appointment. Otherwise, I'd skip it. You'll be seeing the doctor A LOT. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842060 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:48:36 +0000 erwoo 1842060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My OB still did a pap smear when I was pregnant with both of my boys, I think. Gosh, I can't remember but that sounds pretty familiar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842049 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:41:19 +0000 NeekieRose 1842049@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like others, the well woman exam is part of the first pregnancy appointment (following the initial confirmation appointment). I go for mine next week at 11 weeks. It was the same last time and I did not have any spotting following the Pap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1842006 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:02:12 +0000 MaryM 1842006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i would ask the doctor. A pap was built in to my doc's regular set of pregnancy check ups (wasn't the first visit, but was further down the road...12ish weeks maybe?) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841996 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:51:47 +0000 sunny 1841996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes I would do it since you haven't had a well woman exam in awhile. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841990 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:45:50 +0000 JerricaBenton 1841990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: haha very sorry I made you nervous! I had a lot of spotting and cramping through my first tri, and thank goodness everything was ok, but it gave me a lot of anxiety so I don't want to deal with anything extra that I can decline next time :-D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841984 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:42:51 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1841984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JerricaBenton: ok, phew! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841960 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:31:01 +0000 JerricaBenton 1841960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: yes! I'm not saying the pap is dangerous - just to my mental health! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841958 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:29:37 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1841958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JerricaBenton: did you deliver a healthy baby though? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841953 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:25:27 +0000 JerricaBenton 1841953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not going to have a pap during my next pregnancy. I bled and cramped afterwards and it was very stressful for me. I'll do whatever bloodwork they order though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841944 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:21:14 +0000 spaniellove 1841944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Just a heads up about doing the pap while you're pregnant - it's not uncommon to spot afterwards, so don't be alarmed if that happens! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-skip-the-well-woman-exam#post-1841927 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:12:52 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1841927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: @lawbee11: When I called to make the appointment I suggested just that -combining well woman and first pregnancy appt, but I was told that wasn't possible :sad: My thinking is less time my arm is used as a pin cushion the better. Oh well. </p>