> There is one head of a pap smear laboratory who says this is appalling and women
> should have their pap smear and just make a note on their form that they are lactating
> so the laboratory can pay more attention to the cells, but she seems to be the only one
> and if your particular GP doesn't do pap smears on lactating women, you could go
> without a test in ages.

I've hever heard of not doing pap smears because of lactating, how
interesting!  Do you have any information on HOW it might change the
cells on the pap?

I can tell you that here in Canada, I was told that I should have a pap
smear starting either a) when I became sexually active, or b) at 19
years of age (whichever came first).  Then it is yearly after that. 
Every 5 years is a big distance I think, even if you aren't lactating,
but maybe it's safe anyhow if that is how far apart you are generally
doing it?

I know my midwife put off my pap (which was due in november of 99) until
after I gave birth, at my 6 week post-partum appointment (which was
about the end of april 2000 and I was most certainly nursing then!). 
The only thing that was mentioned on the report that time around was
that the analysis was limited due to hypocellularity (I assume not very
many cells) but they didn't seem to think it had to be redone, so I
assume they got enough of a reading to understand the important stuff. 
I have since had a pap while lactating, last december 2001 (I kind of
stretched it out, tisk tisk) and the nurse who did it knew I was
nursing, and didn't seem to indicate that it should change anything at
all on the cells...HOWEVER, perhaps not enough women nurse here, and
nurse long enough, to make it a well-known fact about any changes in the
cells!

I'm interested in any information you might have on how the cells
change, this is new to me.  :-)

Thanks, and hope this helps,

Fio
ressource person with Allaitement Québec
Mama to Sandrine, 2yo! and #2, 11/2002

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