Pregnancy

[Whaaaaat]

I am not pregnant... but wonder has anyone on here got vaginismus and been pregnant??

I have medical vaginismus (can have sex okay) due to a traumatic medical experience as a teen. I have spoken with my gyne about future pregnancy and of course the talk of internal examinations came up. I can't have a pap smear done now unless done under mild sedation due to my vaginismus. I was meant to start exposure therapy for it but then covid happened.

Anyway, if anyone also has this and been pregnant, I am wondering did you manage the internal exams?

My husband and I have been talking about having a baby recently. It would probably be in the next two years or so.

I don’t have this but I never had an internal exam throughout my pregnancy.

Then I had a csection so I never had one in labour either. If it was a huge problem you could just explain the diagnosis and opt for a csection then it is unlikely to be an issue.

 

[Definitelyme]

I am not pregnant... but wonder has anyone on here got vaginismus and been pregnant??

I have medical vaginismus (can have sex okay) due to a traumatic medical experience as a teen. I have spoken with my gyne about future pregnancy and of course the talk of internal examinations came up. I can't have a pap smear done now unless done under mild sedation due to my vaginismus. I was meant to start exposure therapy for it but then covid happened.

Anyway, if anyone also has this and been pregnant, I am wondering did you manage the internal exams?

My husband and I have been talking about having a baby recently. It would probably be in the next two years or so.

Where abouts in the world are you? In the UK I don’t believe they give any internal examinations (apart from checking dilation during labour, and they try and limit that). The risk of introducing infection is seen as too great

 

[WhatABore]

Hello lovely people

I’m 26 weeks with my first. I haven’t gained much weight yet, which is good, because I was overweight when I got pregnant (unplanned pregnancy) so I’ve been trying to be careful.

I’m up late because over the last week I’ve stated getting really sharp achey muscular type pains between my legs (as in, my inner thighs/pelvis, not tina!) I’m very uncomfortable. The whole lower area (lower stomach and beyond) feels full of pressure, and uncomfortable. I’m peeing constantly, worse than I was in the 1st trimester which I thought was bad enough.

Because I haven’t really gained weight I wasn’t anticipating being so uncomfortable this early on. Is this just as to be expected aches and pains? (Obviously anything excruciating I would have raised with the midwife etc) feeling fed up!! If it’s just normal I’ll suck it up but defo didn’t expect to feel like this at only 26 weeks

The pain sounds a bit like PGP/SPD.
However, I have recently found that they're all also symptoms of a UTI! Which I didn't know until that's what mine was!

I am not pregnant... but wonder has anyone on here got vaginismus and been pregnant??

I have medical vaginismus (can have sex okay) due to a traumatic medical experience as a teen. I have spoken with my gyne about future pregnancy and of course the talk of internal examinations came up. I can't have a pap smear done now unless done under mild sedation due to my vaginismus. I was meant to start exposure therapy for it but then covid happened.

Anyway, if anyone also has this and been pregnant, I am wondering did you manage the internal exams?

My husband and I have been talking about having a baby recently. It would probably be in the next two years or so.

I presume you're not in the UK?
As here we don't have internal exams. The only internal thing I had was my stretch and sweep. Which isn't necessary anyway so can be completely avoided

Hi lovely I’m 26 weeks pregnant too I feel like I may be experiencing partly the same thing as you!
I have hardly gained a thing but last week I started waking up In the middle of the night with really bad pains, all in my hips and pelvis. Luckily I’ve got a couple of relatives who work in obs & gynae so asked them. They said it’s completely normal.
My main thing is I feel like my Pubic bone is almost splitting?! Again, normal apparently. It’s just your body getting ready for later down the line.
Maybe try sleeping with a pillow between your legs if you don’t already. Good luck and I hope it doesn’t cause you too much discomfort x

I'd say look up PGP/SPD as well
Sounds very similar. Might find some good advice

 

[littlepup]

I don’t have this but I never had an internal exam throughout my pregnancy.

Then I had a csection so I never had one in labour either. If it was a huge problem you could just explain the diagnosis and opt for a csection then it is unlikely to be an issue.

I was going to say the same. I had an early scan around 6 weeks which they did internally but this was only due to severe cramping, not the norm.
At the end of pregnancy there are some procedures such as induction that would need internals but if you opted for elective c-section I don’t see any reason why you could have a totally normal pregnancy with no internals at all. Everyone on the NHS has the right to chose c-section and there aren’t any procedures that are forced upon you, you can refuse any of them.

I’m up late because over the last week I’ve stated getting really sharp achey muscular type pains between my legs (as in, my inner thighs/pelvis, not tina!) I’m very uncomfortable. The whole lower area (lower stomach and beyond) feels full of pressure, and uncomfortable. I’m peeing constantly, worse than I was in the 1st trimester which I thought was bad enough.

Because I haven’t really gained weight I wasn’t anticipating being so uncomfortable this early on. Is this just as to be expected aches and pains?

Take a sample to your docs abs get the to rule out a UTI.
Otherwise look Here. My hospital has a pregnancy physio dept which you self refer to and they can give you exercises and advice on how to minimise it.
However, I was told that basically, ‘try to keep your legs together and get on with it, give us a call if you need crutches or a wheelchair, nothing can be done’. In cases with extreme pain, they can give you naproxen or other pain killer but it would mean staying in hospital for a few days after birth as baby would need withdrawal treatment.
(Just what I’ve been told, obvs different ppl get different advice x )

 

[WhatABore]

I was going to say the same. I had an early scan around 6 weeks which they did internally but this was only due to severe cramping, not the norm.
At the end of pregnancy there are some procedures such as induction that would need internals but if you opted for elective c-section I don’t see any reason why you could have a totally normal pregnancy with no internals at all. Everyone on the NHS has the right to chose c-section and there aren’t any procedures that are forced upon you, you can refuse any of them.


Take a sample to your docs abs get the to rule out a UTI.
Otherwise look Here. My hospital has a pregnancy physio dept which you self refer to and they can give you exercises and advice on how to minimise it.
However, I was told that basically, ‘try to keep your legs together and get on with it, give us a call if you need crutches or a wheelchair, nothing can be done’. In cases with extreme pain, they can give you naproxen or other pain killer but it would mean staying in hospital for a few days after birth as baby would need withdrawal treatment.
(Just what I’ve been told, obvs different ppl get different advice x )

That's basically what I got told too so seems a generic thing!
Definitely rule out the UTI first though just incase!

 

[jazyblu]

I had a private scan yesterday at 12 weeks as my nhs one isn’t until the 6th and omg I love her so much! She was flipping around doing and doing loads of little roly polys.

 

[WhatABore]

I had a private scan yesterday at 12 weeks as my nhs one isn’t until the 6th and omg I love her so much! She was flipping around doing and doing loads of little roly polys.

That's lovely!

Did you have the early test to find out the sex?

 

[jazyblu]

That's lovely!

Did you have the early test to find out the sex?

We did the sneakpeak blood test as we live near a clinic that does it so we found out it was a girl at about 9 weeks. Very early but we were excited to find out!

 

[WhatABore]

We did the sneakpeak blood test as we live near a clinic that does it so we found out it was a girl at about 9 weeks. Very early but we were excited to find out!

Congratulations!
I've never even thought about doing one of these!
I'm way past that now anyway and won't be having another.
Are they expensive?

 

[Macmama]

@Octopies
best thing you can do to prepare is to read up on the 4th trimester and prepare yourself for normal newborn behaviour, IMO. But having a newborn for the first time is exhausting and overwhelming at times, it’s such a change so there isn’t much you can do to ready yourself!

Strong second on this.

There is nothing that really prepares you for life with a newborn for the first time, but having an understanding of newborn behaviour will help you massively.

Get a good sling, get a freezer and cupboard full of food and plenty of comfy jammies. Also would say to go to lush, get yourself a bath bomb and a nice face mask and tuck it away somewhere. On the worst day, sneak a little time for yourself if you can, shut the bathroom door and chill. You have to take care of yourself to take care of a baby. Knowing what I know now, I’d tell my exhausted younger self to stop trying to be super mum, and be kinder to herself.

Also get a steel rod for your spine and get ready to master your ‘thanks, I’ll keep that in mind’ bull face. No matter what you do, someone (usually unsolicited) will tell you to do more/less/better/different. You’ll feed to much, you’ll need to feed more, baby will weigh too much, baby will look like a starved child. You’ll use the wrong formula, you’ll get told you’re only breastfeeding so you can wave your boobs about Tesco, you’ll make the bottles wrong, you’ll use the wrong bottles. You need to get baby in a routine. Your routine will be wrong. You’ll sing the wrong lullaby. They’ll sleep on the wrong sheets. They won’t sleep for 11 hours like Betty McPantsOnFire down the road. You won’t do things ‘like the old days’.

You’ll hold the baby too much, you’ll make a rod for your own back, you’ll make bad habits... and it’s all total shiiiiiite. So you need to master that ‘polite smile, but I’ll kill you’ look now, and start trusting your instincts.

 

[jazyblu]

Congratulations!
I've never even thought about doing one of these!
I'm way past that now anyway and won't be having another.
Are they expensive?

It’s cheaper to do the home kit where you do a finger wick, but this can be contaminated. The clinical one was only about £100 so it depends on whether you view that as expensive or not but it was well with it to me! I didn’t want to do a scan for the sex only for the baby to be in a bad position on the day and they couldn’t actually tell.

 

[Definitelyme]

Strong second on this.

There is nothing that really prepares you for life with a newborn for the first time, but having an understanding of newborn behaviour will help you massively.

Get a good sling, get a freezer and cupboard full of food and plenty of comfy jammies. Also would say to go to lush, get yourself a bath bomb and a nice face mask and tuck it away somewhere. On the worst day, sneak a little time for yourself if you can, shut the bathroom door and chill. You have to take care of yourself to take care of a baby. Knowing what I know now, I’d tell my exhausted younger self to stop trying to be super mum, and be kinder to herself.

Also get a steel rod for your spine and get ready to master your ‘thanks, I’ll keep that in mind’ bull face. No matter what you do, someone (usually unsolicited) will tell you to do more/less/better/different. You’ll feed to much, you’ll need to feed more, baby will weigh too much, baby will look like a starved child. You’ll use the wrong formula, you’ll get told you’re only breastfeeding so you can wave your boobs about Tesco, you’ll make the bottles wrong, you’ll use the wrong bottles. You need to get baby in a routine. Your routine will be wrong. You’ll sing the wrong lullaby. They’ll sleep on the wrong sheets. They won’t sleep for 11 hours like Betty McPantsOnFire down the road. You won’t do things ‘like the old days’.

You’ll hold the baby too much, you’ll make a rod for your own back, you’ll make bad habits... and it’s all shiiiiiite. So you need to master that ‘polite smile, but I’ll kill you’ look now, and start trusting your instincts.

[/QUOTE]

^^ all of this is fab advice Another vote for a sling, I couldn’t have a newborn without a sling.

 

[WhatABore]

It’s cheaper to do the home kit where you do a finger wick, but this can be contaminated. The clinical one was only about £100 so it depends on whether you view that as expensive or not but it was well with it to me! I didn’t want to do a scan for the sex only for the baby to be in a bad position on the day and they couldn’t actually tell.

Haha yeah I had loads of issues with mine. One finding out at 30+ weeks that it was the opposite sex to what I was told at my 20 week scan and the other not actually finding out until 36 weeks
Hoping this one is actually what they say!

 

[Macmama]

^^ all of this is fab advice Another vote for a sling, I couldn’t have a newborn without a sling.

They’re including a stretchy in the baby box up here now, and I’m so pleased. They are a lifesaver, and they make so much sense for newborns. Pretty sure my littlest one thinks he’s a kangaroo for the amount of time he was strapped to me, but the others were 6, 3 and 2, and it was the only way I survived

 

[Definitelyme]

They’re including a stretchy in the baby box up here now, and I’m so pleased. They are a lifesaver, and they make so much sense for newborns. Pretty sure my littlest one thinks he’s a kangaroo for the amount of time he was strapped to me, but the others were 6, 3 and 2, and it was the only way I survived

That’s amazing! Is that in Scotland? What a great inclusion, will be a lifesaver for many mums. I adore a stretchy for a newborn, my youngest two lived in there (then a Tula when they got too big.)

 

[Macmama]

That’s amazing! Is that in Scotland? What a great inclusion, will be a lifesaver for many mums. I adore a stretchy for a newborn, my youngest two lived in there (then a Tula when they got too big.)

Yes! It’s a lovely basic stretchy, and it comes with instructions and links for more help and for sling libraries. My friend runs one locally and she says she’s been a lot busier (pre-lockdown) because of it. Does perfectly for the early months and introduces people to carrying.

We’ve still got a toddler Tula for the littlest that I love (usually on his dad’s back for days out). The prospect of selling it when he gets too big breaks my heart - I loved carrying! Particularly when they were brand new and just teeny and squishy

 

[elloelloello]

I had a private scan yesterday at 12 weeks as my nhs one isn’t until the 6th and omg I love her so much! She was flipping around doing and doing loads of little roly polys.

This has made me cry! I’m an emotional mess haha, congratulations x

 

[Upintheair83]

Hey ladies. So I’m 13 weeks at the moment, Iv got an appointment with an Obstetrician in a couple of week and just wondered what this would be for? As my friends said they didn’t see one around this stage. Thanks in advance!

 

[Definitelyme]

Hey ladies. So I’m 13 weeks at the moment, Iv got an appointment with an Obstetrician in a couple of week and just wondered what this would be for? As my friends said they didn’t see one around this stage. Thanks in advance!

I wonder if it’s because you initially had a scan that showed twins? May be an automatic referral after that?

 

[Upintheair83]

I wonder if it’s because you initially had a scan that showed twins? May be an automatic referral after that?

I never had a scan that showed twins, that’s another lady on here. I’m wondering is it my age? Late 30s? Xx