Miscarriage after a pap smear

I had a miscarriage after I had a pap smear:  I started spotting brown on the Thursday 14 Feb after the pap and then it turned bright red on Tuesday the 19th and gradually got heavier until I miscarried Thursday morning and saw my little fetus along with blood clots on my pad.  I am devastated.  The baby was 7 weeks 5 days according to the scan done at the time of the pap smear and baby's heart was beating  and all was well.  I just can't help thinking the pap smear had something to do with my losing my baby.  My first baby was healthy and I didn't have a pap smear until the 7th month b/c I had moved to the US from overseas while 7 months pregnant.  They don't do pap smears in that country when you're pregnant.  I just will never do another pap smear if I get pregnant again.

I am heartbroken as I read these threads,

 

I am married, been with my husband for 6 years, married for 2.5, our very first attempt, I got pregnant right away, everything was all good, I went to the doctor's office, they took some blood tests, saw that my levels were increasing, I went back to get more tests to watch the spike in my levels, and my female doctor recommended me having a Pap on a Wednesday before xmas 2012. Thursday night I started bleeding, which than turned into clots, I then thought there was no way I could still be pregnant after losing this much blood. From Fri-Sat I bleed for 24 hours, went to the emerg, they advised that I had miscarried. I fell into a depression, I could not understand why this happened, and all so sudden. All of my friends are expecting this year, I would have been due around the same time as my close friends, however I had to be the one to have this loss. The doctor told me before the Pap, "if you miscarry, it's okay, just start again", I was in shock, why would you suggest that?

 

I then had several conversations with my mother, describing the 3 weeks I was aware I was pregnant, and once I told her the dr did a pap, she stopped me from continuing, asking, "WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT"?? I trusted that the doctor was aware of what they were doing, however, I knew it was uncomfortable to feel that clamp scraping against my cervix. Before the dr even inserted the clamp she said "just to let you know, pap's don't cause miscarriages", as if it was some proven fact.

 

I am afraid to conceive now, thinking and worrying that it will happen again, how do I know what the real reason was? I'm so scared or nervous, not really sure how to describe how i'm feeling. It took weeks to get over blaming myself, which I still do now, as I don't know what the reasons are, but when I think about it, I feel as if the pap is what caused this to happen.

 

I do feel better that I am not alone, and feel that it should be made aware that these tests should not be done during the early stages or maybe not throughout the full 9 months?

 

Thanks for your touching stories, It has made me realize that maybe it wasn't my fault, but the negligence of an inexperienced doctor.

I am so sorry for your loss. I posted on this board before after losing my second pregnancy to a miscarriage (as I did with the first) both within days after pap smear. Although I only found out through ultra sound the fetus had died and had to go through d&c with both of them. Rough times. I talked to a counselor, which helped a LOT. Put me in a better place and let me actually deal with my grief. Please don't hide your emotions. Let them out and deal with them as they come. Talk to someone. Anyone. Let yourself be scared, sad, mad-all the emotions that come with. I lost both mine in 2011 (march and Nov). In February 2012 we got pregnant again. I was scared out of my mind for most of my pregnancy. But every week I felt a little better about it. And once we got to 30 weeks I even set up the nursery! In Dec we had a beautiful baby boy. Healthy as can be. So don't give up. It's difficult, it's scary, and it hurts so much to lose a baby to miscarriage. BUT I am glad I still tried, because he is my blessing. It's not your fault. It might not be anyone's fault. It happens, more often than we think. Next time, make sure you have the pap before you get pregnant, or refuse it. Good luck and keep your head up!

Pap smears are not the cause of the miscarriage... It's like saying sex causes a miscarriage... Yes you can miscarry after both, but you can also miscarry without either... I'm sorry about your loss, but pap smears are done to protect the baby.

I have been preparing for my first prenatal appointment with an OB. My doc informed me that she will want to do a pap smear.......I get strong intuitions, or gut feeling's, and right away I thought "oh no!" I have had pap smears in the past, they have been fine, no pain or spotting. But for some reason I got this horrible feeling....so right away I turned to the internet and found this forum.  I'm so sorry for the loss and pain you have all experienced.....it's hard to find information, but so far I have discovered that England doesn't recommend having smears done during pregnancy......there has to be a reason right?  Women know their bodies, I'm going to refuse to have a pap. Thank-you for your stories, you have given me the strength to stand up for what I believe is right for me.

Im 32 years old we tried for over a year to get pregnant, and finally we got pregnant!! was happy happy times in our house, my family his family all excited!! Everything was normal no complications what so ever and at 12 weeks my dr said I needed a pap done so i agreed and went ahead with it this was monday june 24th i had the pap done he "moved my uterus" to get a clearer heartbeat before he did the pap and that hurt like a son of a pup, but anyway so tue the 25th i was spotting and cramping pretty good all day so i called my OB and they said that was normal, woke up wed the 26th at 8:30 ish went to the bathroom an bright red blood on the toilet paper, went to the er an as im walking in blood is gushing down my legs ended up with a D&C a unit of blood and devastated!!!! I lost the baby i wanted for so long!!! Still sad because today is 2 weeks after!! After reading all of this fully blame the pap done that day!! Its pretty funy how everyone is loosing the baby not even 48 hrs after a pap... Hmmmmm

How do you know this???? Evidently you have not had one.. Let me guess you went to Harvard an studied this?.. Did not think so... have you read all these posts? Ok so it may not happen to every woman out their but as you can see it has happened to us!! And well its pretty funny how its happening about 48 hrs after the pap was done.. Even if you are a dr you dont know everything an untill this is a proven fact that they dont i fully blame the pap!! And well so do these other ladies

I have also had a miscarriage after a pap. I was about 10 1/2 weeks pregnant and didn't think anything of it. A few days later I started spotting & cramping. I passed the fetus on my own and went through two horrendous ER visits. I had a son w/out any paps and now I am pregnant again and being pressured to once again have a pap. I told them I am going to wait at least until I am out of my first trimester. But looking at all of the other comments, and maybe there is some truth to those of you who say some women are just more susceptible to having a miscarriage after a pap.

The same thing happened to me. About 4 years ago I was 10 weeks pregnant when I had my pap done. The next day I had a miscarriage. I am now 8 weeks pregnant and have my upcoming exam, but I plan on saying no to the pap. I had earlier this year so I know I am fine. I'm not sure if I will let them do a vaginal exam, but definitely not a pap smear!

It looks like my story w my last Pap smear , everything was great 2 days after I start spotting then went to the er they told me if there is no pain cramps it's not a problem so I went home next day I end up w a miscarriage , before that everything was normal and I said normal cause  was exactly like my first son , I am very angry about this because this could be prevented and I truly believe that the Pap smear make me end up w a miscarriage !

I had a prenatal Pap smear and a flu shot at 7 weeks, found out at my 11 week checkup that the baby died within a day of that appointment. I did not feel good about getting a pap while pregnant, and as this was my third miscarriage, I will refuse any future paps while pregnant. I don't know if that's what caused it, but I don't want to take the chance again. I have a toddler who I delivered full term and I didn't get a pap when pregnant with him.

This happened to me on July 10, 2013. I have always been told that I could not have a baby due to cystic ovaries. On July 9, 2013 I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. I took 2 more just to be sure. I was overjoyed and excited. I immediately made an appointment to the ob-gyn and got in the very next day. I went in to confirm the the pregnancy and the doctor also gave me a Pap smear. It was very uncomfortable and a little rough. That same night when I went home. I began to cramp, didn't think much of it. It started to get worst and worst I got up went to the bathroom, the fetus and sac fell out. I scooped it out of toilet and put it in a zip lock bag and made my way to the hospital. Til this day I still do not know why I lost my baby prior to finding out I was pregnant I didn't have any problems no cramping, minimal nausea. I blame the Pap smear, and nothing can change that for me. I am turning 40 and this would have been my first child. I am devastated and have talked to several lawyers, but to no avail. I pray for mine and your peace, because the road to closure is long and difficult.

I had a pap smear last week at 7 weeks pregnant. He was not very gental and very quick. I started to bleed as soon as I got back from the doctor and ultimately had a miscarriage. I am deeply angered and believe that the doctors careless and unneeded pap was 100% the cause. DO NOT GET A PAP WHILE PREGNANT!

People still feel they can control women's bodies and intimidate them to do what's not in our best interest.

Okay this made me feel alot better, I'm 14 weeks along and just had a Pap smear today.. I'm experiencing a little discomfort, but they said I should stay in bed all day, she kind of irritated my cervix.. Doc said I should be fine, but she would not do the pap smear a few weeks ago, because she said she didn't like to before 3 months because it could cause a miscarriage. This is my first pregnancy, so I'm a little new to this stuff! Thanks for the info!