Oh baby

[ihavepms.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have 2 questions for you ladies. One serious, one not so much.

1. I have been sexually active for 4 years but haven't yet found the courage to go for a pap smear. My main problem is not knowing what to expect. Does it hurt? What exactly does the proceedure consist of? What instruments do they use.... etc etc. I am extremely uncomfortable with the idea of pap smears, but I also know it's important for me to get one. So if I know what to expect, fear of the unknown can be ruled out and I get get my pap with my head held high. Or as high as you can hold your head whilst lying on your back :)

And finally, Earlier this week I accidentally forgot to take my pill. I only missed the one, and that was on Friday. Unfortunately, I didn't realise I'd forgotten to take it until Saturday night, AFTER having sex with my live-in boyfriend. Naturally we didn't use a condom, as I'm on the pill. So in a panic, I took both pills, and crossed my fingers. Since then, we have been using condoms and will continue to do so until I get my period. Which should be in about 8 days. Of course, I don't know if I can wait that long to find out.

So what I really want to know is how high my chance of pregnancy is. I have been feeling sick, lightheaded, and experienceing severe appetite loss for the past 2 days. Could this just be nerves, or am I most likely pregnant? Also, how soon can you tell if you are in fact pregnant? Will an at home test be accurate or should I wait a few more days? I'm so confused. I've never really had to worry about anything like this.

Any info would be much appreciated.............. thanks in advance.

Comments

[shutupbetsy.livejournal.com]

http://www.firstvisit.org/

[ihavepms.livejournal.com]

thank you!

[shutupbetsy.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Let us know how it turns out :)

[thevargasgirl.livejournal.com]

the loss of apetite makes me think nerves.
id calm down, get an early test (they sell tests that you can take to see if youre pregnant BEFORE youre supposed to get your period) just to ease your mind. you should also get another test to take after your period is supposed to come, just in case.
i say call your doc asap and see if he/she reccommends the morning after pill. it can be taken up to 120 hours (in some cases) to prevent pregnancy after an "accident"
and dont stress, as difficult as that may be, because that can delay your period making you stress even more.
good luck!
-=t

[hunterjames1978.livejournal.com]

it's probably nerves but it could be because you doubled up on the pill too...so relax and do the e.p.t.

[bheansidhe.livejournal.com]

Find a woman doctor if you're embarassed, but pap smears are really no big deal, especially if you're sexually active. A nurse stays in the room the whole time. They drape you in a sheet, lube you up, slide in the metal tube, crank it open, look inside, and scrape some cells off your cervix (like getting a throat culture). The scrape is about as uncomfortable as a mild pinch. And the doctor also kneads your belly and breasts to feel for lumps and the like. That's all!

Are you on a multiphasic pill (the kind with more than one color or shape in the pack)? If so, the most important pills to take on time are the first seven; the second five, not so much; and the last half, not so much again. Remember, the Pill works by *supressing ovulation* and ovulation generally occurs sometime between days 12 and 15 of your cycle (counting day 1 as the first day of your last period). So even if you miss a pill, it's not like your body is going to boom! ovulate immediately. It's vaguely possible, but not likely, especially if you got back on your pill regimen.

Usually skipping ONE pill and taking it with the next dose is NOT a problem. It should explain this in the pill literature. The main problem is when you miss TWO OR MORE pills from the FIRST WEEK of the pack (depending on type of pill). Only then do they recommend using a backup form of birth control for the remainder of the cycle.

So if you skipped TWO or MORE pills from the first (let's say half) of your pack AND had unprotected sex, AND ovulated that day or some time in the next few days, there is a chance you could get pregnant because sperm can live in you for up to one week. But it's a very, very small chance. Where are you in the pill pack?

It's way too early for you to be experiencing pregnancy symptoms; you are psyching yourself out.

Talk to your doctor about keeping some ECP on hand. If you don't have any but you have an unusued pill pack lying around, you can make your own ECP if you take one of the brands listed here (http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html) as an emergency last resort.

[robynlicious.livejournal.com]

how are you on the pill without having a yearly pap? as far as i know you're supposed to go in for yearly exams before they'll dole out hormonal birth control.

[flighted-faerie.livejournal.com]

that was my first thought, too.

[isolt.livejournal.com]

Yep, my thought as well. Top poster: I'd find a new doctor if the one you've been seeing hasn't insisted you get a pap by now.

[puckish.livejournal.com]

She could have gotten the prescription through her dermatologist -- that's how I got on hormonal birth control.

[ihavepms.livejournal.com]

my doctor gave me a year's supply then told me to go back for a pap smear when i needed to get another prescription. It's been a year, and it's time to go. That's how :)

[obfuscate.livejournal.com]

It's entirely possible that your yucky feelings over the last couple of days, possibly in addition to nerves, are just due to taking the two pills at once. It's not uncommon for that to make you feel kinda gross.

[alitaorg.livejournal.com]

...four years?...

[ihavepms.livejournal.com]

yes, on and off.

[thatdirtyblonde.livejournal.com]

in the VP articles is one that i wrote about going to the gyn for the first time. seriously, i was so scared to be there that i put it off waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer than i should have.

BUT

i found a doctor at planned parenthood that was SO nice, and it was seriously NOT a bad thing at all. i was really nervous when i got there (i was literally in tears) and they were so sweet and showed me everything that'd happen, BEFORE i went in for the exam.

and the whole thing, from the time they called me from the waiting room until the time i paid and left, took literally fifteen minutes.


and i laughed all the way home.



you can do it. :)