First OBGYN appt - what should I expect??

[JillLuvsNate]

I have my first OBGYN appt today and I'm kinda scared. What should I expect? What will they do/ask? Should I wear anything in particular? Was anyone else nervous? Help!

[villanelle75]

It's not nearly as bad as you might think. They willl likely ask if you have any weird symptoms or periods, as well as questions about your general health (headaches, etc.). My guy is super thourough and asks if I take vitamins, calcium etc. but I don't think that's standard.

He'll probably also ask if you are sexually active and is you use prtection. It doesn't matter what you wear becaus eyou will have to take verythign off, including undergarmets. You'll be given a paper shirt and paper skirt of sheet to lay over your lap. They will do an internal exam but are usually good about telling you what they are doing, (I'm going to insert one finger to check youwhatever fo suchinsuch.) There will also always be a nurse or assitant in the room so you are never aloen with just the doc. It has never been painful in my experience. However, to avoid much of the pressure-y feeling that can occur, you should pee right before your appointment starts if at all possible.

They do an internal, usually using a speculum which looks like a duck bill. They will probably use a giant Q tip to take a swipe sample for the Pap Smear. He'll probably also do a breast exam where he checks you for lumps.

You'll be fine. Once it's doen you'll probably wonder why you were ever worried.

[shopaholic]

good luck. Its actually really quick and once its over you will wonder what you were nervous for. My doctor is female & there is never another nurse in the room during the exam....maybe because she is female? I dunno.

They do the internal exam as well as breast check (both of which have been mentioned). They also ask questions about your sexual history, health, etc. They will also weigh you and take your blood pressure.

[PrincessTommi]

Don't be nervous! It will be fine.

I spend more time talking to the doc than I do on the table. The exam isn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it's over quickly and has never been painful for me.

One thing I like to think about when I'm feeling kind of uncomfortable is that this is routine for the doctor. I tell myself, he/she looks at vaginas all day long. This is routine for them, there isn't anything special about mine. :p Well, hopefully. ;)

Just take some deep breaths, and it will be over before you know it. And know you did an important thing for your health.

[ktsb]

There will also always be a nurse or assitant in the room so you are never aloen with just the doc.

Is that a male OB/GYN occurance? Because that's never been the case in my experience although I've always had female doctors.

[Fluffy Bunny]

You may want to take a panty liner for after the exam. Some people experience a small amount of spotting if their cervix gets too irritated from the Pap. Otherwise, I'll echo what everybody else has said that the exam itself is very quick and the doctor will tell you what they are doing.

[JillLuvsNate]

Thanks everybody! I felt so silly posting that question, but I was super nervous! You all were right - It wasn't too bad. Akward, yes, but that's about it.

My Dr. was a woman, and she did have a nurse in there with her, which was weird for me b/c she was also the receptionist :o At least they were both very nice!

She didn't do a breast exam, but I'm guessing that is because I'm only 22? I don't know when those are supposed to start... :confused:

Anyway, thanks for the advice & help! It was GREATLY appreciated!

[ejs]

I'm really surprised she didn't do a breast exam! Did she even talk to you about breast self-exams? Show you how to do them?

Is the receptionist an RN?

Did you get a recommendation for this doctor?

[MelodySoul]

Is that a male OB/GYN occurance? Because that's never been the case in my experience although I've always had female doctors.

Yes. When a male doctor does an exam they require a female nurse in the room, just for the pap test though not the breast exam. At least that's how it is with my doctor. I had a breast exam for the first time at 18 so I don't think it's an age thing, they should do it every time.

[BethElena]

Yeah, they should do the breast exam at any age. I hate this part of the exam, but at least I feel a sense of relief when it is over.

[shopaholic]

Here is a gen. question.

How long (days) should you hold off from having sex when you are going in for your yearly exam? For example...you have an appointment on Friday, so you should not have sex 3 days before? Or does it not matter?

[Tonysweetie]

I don't think it matters if you have the sex before your appt.? I reallydont' know though. I cant' recall if I had or hadn't before my appts.

Recarding breast exams, I'm super shocked your Dr. did not do a breast exam. Every time I've been that is usually the first thing. i've also had them done at regular physical dr. appt.s also. hmm that is sorta odd. I went to my first OB/GYN when Iwas 19 and they did a breast exam that first time.

[ejs]

You're not supposed to have sex before your exam; I just can't remember if it's for 48 or 72 hours.

[Kinetic]

I have always had a breast exam since I started going to the gyn at the age of 18.
I have never had a nurse/assistant in the room, but I have always gone to a female gyn.
I agree with Fluffy Bunny's suggestion on the panty liner, as they always use a jelly lubricant for the speculum, and a panty liner after the exam would absorp that.

I remember talking to some of my girlfriends awhile ago, and one of them's gyn did a rectal exam with his finger. I have never had this done and wonder if it is the norm?
I have heard that you should schedule your pap exam about a week after your period, for the most accurate results.

[October2002Bride]

A rectal exam?? No its not the norm!!

Was there a a nurse present?? I dont know it sounds kind of fishy to me.

EWWW I dont know why that bothers me so much!Ewwwwww:( :eek:

[PrincessTommi]

I remember talking to some of my girlfriends awhile ago, and one of them's gyn did a rectal exam with his finger. I have never had this done and wonder if it is the norm? My gyn explained she was skipping the rectal. She calls it her "over 40 special" and doesn't do it for younger patients, especially if they are low-risk. But it can be standard procedure depending on the doctor.

[Kaleidoscope]

The rectal exam is standard procedure for both my previous and my current GYN (both are women). They both use a gloved finger and smear the cells on a card to be sent to the lab. [Note - I was 23 when I had the first one so they didn't exclude women under 40.] Its definately not the most comfortable exam :o but I appreciate the fact that my annual exam is comprehensive.

And regarding sex before an exam, I agree with ejs, I read that you're not supposed to have it beforehand because it could effect the results of your pap smear...I just can't remember the exact number of hours/days.

[October2002Bride]

Well Ive had a few GYN drs in my life and never has this been done to me!

What the heck are they looking for?

I asked my mom and she said never has that done?

[Kaleidoscope]

I found several articles at webmd.com about the exam, which can be used to find early signs of colorectal cancer and detect abnormalities of a woman's reproductive organs.

Excerpt from Health Guide - Digital Rectal Examination
http://www.webmd.com/hw/colorectal_cancer/hw4404.asp

A digital rectal exam (DRE) is done to:

Detect abnormalities of a woman's reproductive organs, such as the uterus and ovaries. It is usually done during a regularly scheduled pelvic examination and Pap test. It may also be done to investigate symptoms (such as pelvic pain or abnormal vaginal bleeding) that can indicate a problem with a woman's reproductive organs.


Excerpt from Cancer Screening Tips for Women http://www.webmd.com/content/article/32/1728_78286.htm

For example, most gynecologists don't do a rectal exam, which should be part of the traditional vaginal exam. Among other things, it gives doctors the opportunity to find early signs of colorectal cancer, especially in women over 40 years old.

"No one wants to have their rectum examined and most gynecologists don't do it, but it should be part of a traditional vaginal exam," says Thornton.

[paiger]

Does anyone know the number of hours you aren't supposed to have sex before your annual? I totally forgot yesterday, and we DTD around 11am. My exam is at 1pm today, so there will only be 24 hrs between. Should I tell her? I cannot reschedule this exam!! She has a 3 month wait to get in to see her. I made this appointment forever ago, and this was still the ONLY time in December that she had!!

ETA: I would google this, but I don't want that to be saved in this lab computer history.

[Regina Phalange]

Q:Why do gynecologists say that women shouldn't have intercourse for 48 hours before a Pap smear? And can my doctor really tell whether or not I have had sex?

A: An enzyme in semen that helps sperm swim up into the uterus can change the shape of cells in the cervix, making some appear abnormal for up to 48 hours, says Asma Niaz, M.D., an obstetrician and gynecologist at Bellevue Women's Hospital near Albany, NY. But in reality, semen (as well as spermicidal creams and jellies) affects only one or two cells. So, while avoiding sex before your Pap smear is the medical textbook ideal, you don't have to cancel your appointment if you do "break the rules," advises Dr. Niaz. Your doctor won't be able to tell, and chances are, your Pap results won't be affected, says Dr. Niaz.

Source: Redbook Online "Embarrasing Questions"

[sublime311]

Well Ive had a few GYN drs in my life and never has this been done to me!

What the heck are they looking for?

I asked my mom and she said never has that done?
I had changed docs and my new one did a recal examination. I have to say it was a sensation that I was NOT expecting! :eek:

After the exam, we went to her office to talk about her findings. She told me why she did the recal (as posted by Kaleidoscope above) and said she found nothing abnormal.

By the way, I found this and thought it was really interestingly scary:

Screening for Colorectal Cancer in Women: Not Just a Man's Disease

Susan C. Stewart, M.D.

There is an odd perception that colorectal cancer (CRC) is a man's disease. It is not. Women get CRC in almost the same numbers as men, at the same ages as men and require the same screening as men. Yet women are not being screened at the same rates as men. One study, for example, reported that 41.9% of men and 32.9% of women equal to or over the age of 50 said that they had ever had a proctoscopic exam, one of the major screening procedures.1

In 1999, the American Cancer Society predicts that 129,400 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, 62,300 men and 67,000 women. The ACS also predicts that 56,600 Americans will die from colorectal cancer, 27,800 men and 28,800 women.2

Click here (http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/cancer/crc_2/) for the entire article.

[sublime311]

Can I share a funny story I heard about an OB/GYN exam??

A co-worker went to see her OB/GYN and was feeling particularly self-conscious because her appt was late in the day. She decided to do one last minute wipe before the doc came in. She didn't find a tissue in the room so she dug in her purse and found a tissue there, so she wiped and discarded the tissue. The doc came in and started the exam. With a straight face, the doc looked up at her, held up a stamp and asked if she would be needing it!! Apparently, the stamp was stuck to the tissue she used to wipe! They both had a good laugh and the rest of us laughed later when she retold the story in the lunch room!!!

[wonderousglance]

Well Ive had a few GYN drs in my life and never has this been done to me!

What the heck are they looking for?

I asked my mom and she said never has that done?

:eek: I hope you & your mom get over the embarassment of something that could save your lives. If your mom is over 40 she be getting digital exams. If she is over 50 she should get a colonoscopy.

ETA: As someone with Ulcerative Colitis I have had more digital exams than I can count. I sure hope you never get UC either.

[shopaholic]

Does anyone know the number of hours you aren't supposed to have sex before your annual? I totally forgot yesterday, and we DTD around 11am. My exam is at 1pm today, so there will only be 24 hrs between. Should I tell her? I cannot reschedule this exam!! She has a 3 month wait to get in to see her. I made this appointment forever ago, and this was still the ONLY time in December that she had!!

ETA: I would google this, but I don't want that to be saved in this lab computer history.
LOL, I asked this too back on post #11
Here is a gen. question.

How long (days) should you hold off from having sex when you are going in for your yearly exam? For example...you have an appointment on Friday, so you should not have sex 3 days before? Or does it not matter?

I did just read though that 24 hours is fine.

[shopaholic]

Can I share a funny story I heard about an OB/GYN exam??

A co-worker went to see her OB/GYN and was feeling particularly self-conscious because her appt was late in the day. She decided to do one last minute wipe before the doc came in. She didn't find a tissue in the room so she dug in her purse and found a tissue there, so she wiped and discarded the tissue. The doc came in and started the exam. With a straight face, the doc looked up at her, held up a stamp and asked if she would be needing it!! Apparently, the stamp was stuck to the tissue she used to wipe! They both had a good laugh and the rest of us laughed later when she retold the story in the lunch room!!!
LOL, that is horrible. I thought you were going to say there was left over tissue.