(no subject)

[aimez.livejournal.com]

hi.im 16 and in like 2 weeks im gonna go to the gyno for the first time. and i just wanna know what happens usually. be straightforward i wanna be totally prepared. cuz im scared. not only about what they do but also what they might tell me. does anyone have any advice on how to relax. cuz im not sure im gonna be too comfortable there. thanx

Aimes

Comments

[bonniebon.livejournal.com]

try drinking some camomile tea before the appointment, its a muscle relaxant and will probably settle your nerves too. There's nothing to worry about though :) If your relaxed the exam shouldn't be uncomfortable at all.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

And if they do need a urine test (they sometimes, but not always do), the tea might help you provide. :)

[urania.livejournal.com]

to relax: get enough sleep the night before, and ask the gyno to explain beforehand what s/he is doing. it might also help if you have your mom, or an aunt or sister or girlfriend or someone go in with you--some folks say that helps. frankly, my first time hurt very badly--i made her stop, but she (gyno) said it was probably because i got a bit of skin pinched somehow. i've had two un-painful pelvic exams since, so i know the first time was just bad luck :) (moral of the story--if it's excruciating, ask her to stop, maybe remove and reposition the speculum or something)

also, if it's a metal speculum make sure the doc warms it in his/her hands first... and go to the bathroom before you have the exam (unless you have to give a urine specimen--they should tell you, and you can probably do that before the exam). in general--good luck, they aren't the most calming things (exams) but they're not the end of the world either :)

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Most of my doctors have kept the metal tools under a reading light on the table, to keep them warm. Yay. :)

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I got my first exam at 16.

Generally, the doctor won't start you off naked, but will ask you if you have any questions, and might ask you questions about your sex life and your general health. You need to know when the first date of your last period was.

You'll probably be asked to get naked. If the room is at all chilly, leave your socks on. The doctor will probably talk to you a little while you're sitting. You'll get either a cloth or paper robe, or set of drapes, one that lifts easily for a breast exam, one that basically slides up to your belly for the pelvic.

The doctor will probably start with the breast exam, and have you put one hand behind your head while s/he feels your breasts for lumps. Pay attention: You need to learn how to do this for yourself. Ask the doctor to show you how, if you like.

Then the doctor will have you scoot your butt to the end of the table and put your feet in stirrups. (A few docs have no stirrups, and you hold your knees.) The doctor will use fingers to move your outer labia around, looking to see if everything's right. Then s/he will probably slide a metal speculum inside for a peek at your cervix. If you're getting a pap smear, the doctor will put a long q-tip/cotton-bud type thing inside to get a scrape from your cervix. This feels a little like a gentle fingernail scrape inside your cheek.

Then the doctor will probably do a bi-manual exam. S/he will put a couple of fingers inside you to hold your uterus still by the cervix, and use the other hand to feel your abdomen to check the condition of your uterus and ovaries. Sometimes the doctor will check the back of your uterus by putting a finger into your rectum. I've had 20 pelvics, and the rectal exam part has happened twice in those 20.

Then the doctor usually leaves, usually after you're sitting up and have the chance to ask any more questions. If the doctor doesn't hand you a tissue, use some from the dispensers that are usually in the office, or you'll have lube all over your undies afterwards.
If you are typical, the doctor will use well-lubricated fingers and warm instruments. Stories are told of doctors who use cold instruments or who are less than gentle, but these are the minority, and you always have the right to tell the doctor if you're uncomfortable, and ask for gentler handling or warmer instruments. You also have the right to have someone you know and trust in the room with you, if you want to, even if just for moral support.

You might consider making a list of questions for the doctor now, if you have any. It's sometimes hard to remember them on the spot. Bring them in on paper.

Good luck. You'll probably be fine, and relieved. :)

[ailbhe]

I've never been asked to be naked for a gyn exam. Half-naked at most.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I've never had a gynecological exam that hasn't included a breast exam, and the doctor or nurse-practitioner asking, "You do this at home every month after your period, right?" with me replying, "Um, in an ideal world. . . ."

Re: Broken links?

[ailbhe]

IME the upper and lower body nudity are done seperately; I get the chance to dress the bits that the doctor has finished with.

But I've also never had a gyn who used stirrups.