Vee_Bee
Proud mum of two boys :-)
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- Jan 18, 2010
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Hi,
I had my first HSG done this morning and I just wanted to share my experience to reassure anyone who is booked to have one and is worried or just wants to know what happens...
Firstly - I was an idiot and googled people's experiences of HSG and then got myself in a mad panic at some horror stories that some kind people had written about. I was sweating and shaking by the time I went into the X-ray room and felt like I was going to pass out with the fear. DON'T GOOGLE THESE THINGS, IT WILL DRIVE YOU
!!!!
It's not that bad. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but it is bearable.
You have to get changed into a sexy backless gown, and climb up on the bed. They explain everything that they will be doing, how it will feel, how long it will take etc.
The doctor explained that as I had never been pregnant, I would probably find it more uncomfortable than women who have been pregnant as my uterus isn't used to being stretched.
It's like having a smear test but a bit more uncomfortable as they have to open your cervix a bit wider than usual to get the tube in.
They put in the speculum and crank you up a bit - if you have a uterus which is tilted backwards slightly (which is the normal position) they can sometimes have a bit of trouble getting the right angle so this can be a bit uncomfortable as well.
Once the speculum is in, they pop a little flexible tube in so that it lies at the entrance to the uterus, and then inject a couple of teaspoons-ful of clear dye into your womb. After a minute or two they will tell you to put your knees down so that your legs are straight, bring the x-ray machine over your abdomen and take some x-rays. They will ask you to turn slightly to your left for another x-ray, and then over to your right side for another one. This is so the dye can move round and they can get you at different angles.
This is the point where you will probably start to feel like you have a period pain - this is just the dye moving through your uterus. The doctor then pulled the speculum a bit so that it was only halfway in, and that's when I really felt the cramps. However, this only lasted for a few seconds so completely bearable.
It's not agonising, just undignified, uncomfortable and with a period pain feeling. I took three ibuprofen before I went to the hospital as I read that this can stop the discomfort a bit - every little helps!!
Afterwards they might give you a pad to put in your knicks as the dye will come back out along with a tiny bit of blood. If not, just use tissue or perhaps take a pad with you just in case they don't give you one.
You might feel crampy for a while after although I've been really lucky as I haven't had anything since the cramps during the procedure.
As soon as it was over the doctor told me that it all looked quite good. They then send you back to the waiting room for 15 mins so that the dye can work its way through and then they get you back for one very quick final x-ray to see if the dye has fully gone out of your tubes. They can then tell you immediately whether you have a blockage or not - it was so good to know straight away! It was less than half an hour from when they started to when they told me the result.
The minute it was all over I forgot the discomfort as I was so relieved that my tubes are ok, and that the procedure was nowhere near as painful as I had been afraid that it would be. I've now promised myself and DH that I will stay away from the internet for any future procedures, other than proper medical sites!!
I've been so stressed and scared for days and I made myself ill over it - such a wally!
So if you are about to have an HSG done, please please don't worry. Just stare at the ceiling and keep telling yourself that it is a means to an end and will take you one step closer to a scrummy little mini version of you!!
Lots of love and
to you all,
Vee
xxx
I had my first HSG done this morning and I just wanted to share my experience to reassure anyone who is booked to have one and is worried or just wants to know what happens...
Firstly - I was an idiot and googled people's experiences of HSG and then got myself in a mad panic at some horror stories that some kind people had written about. I was sweating and shaking by the time I went into the X-ray room and felt like I was going to pass out with the fear. DON'T GOOGLE THESE THINGS, IT WILL DRIVE YOU
!!!!It's not that bad. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but it is bearable.
You have to get changed into a sexy backless gown, and climb up on the bed. They explain everything that they will be doing, how it will feel, how long it will take etc.
The doctor explained that as I had never been pregnant, I would probably find it more uncomfortable than women who have been pregnant as my uterus isn't used to being stretched.
It's like having a smear test but a bit more uncomfortable as they have to open your cervix a bit wider than usual to get the tube in.
They put in the speculum and crank you up a bit - if you have a uterus which is tilted backwards slightly (which is the normal position) they can sometimes have a bit of trouble getting the right angle so this can be a bit uncomfortable as well.
Once the speculum is in, they pop a little flexible tube in so that it lies at the entrance to the uterus, and then inject a couple of teaspoons-ful of clear dye into your womb. After a minute or two they will tell you to put your knees down so that your legs are straight, bring the x-ray machine over your abdomen and take some x-rays. They will ask you to turn slightly to your left for another x-ray, and then over to your right side for another one. This is so the dye can move round and they can get you at different angles.
This is the point where you will probably start to feel like you have a period pain - this is just the dye moving through your uterus. The doctor then pulled the speculum a bit so that it was only halfway in, and that's when I really felt the cramps. However, this only lasted for a few seconds so completely bearable.
It's not agonising, just undignified, uncomfortable and with a period pain feeling. I took three ibuprofen before I went to the hospital as I read that this can stop the discomfort a bit - every little helps!!
Afterwards they might give you a pad to put in your knicks as the dye will come back out along with a tiny bit of blood. If not, just use tissue or perhaps take a pad with you just in case they don't give you one.
You might feel crampy for a while after although I've been really lucky as I haven't had anything since the cramps during the procedure.
As soon as it was over the doctor told me that it all looked quite good. They then send you back to the waiting room for 15 mins so that the dye can work its way through and then they get you back for one very quick final x-ray to see if the dye has fully gone out of your tubes. They can then tell you immediately whether you have a blockage or not - it was so good to know straight away! It was less than half an hour from when they started to when they told me the result.
The minute it was all over I forgot the discomfort as I was so relieved that my tubes are ok, and that the procedure was nowhere near as painful as I had been afraid that it would be. I've now promised myself and DH that I will stay away from the internet for any future procedures, other than proper medical sites!!
I've been so stressed and scared for days and I made myself ill over it - such a wally!So if you are about to have an HSG done, please please don't worry. Just stare at the ceiling and keep telling yourself that it is a means to an end and will take you one step closer to a scrummy little mini version of you!!
Lots of love and
to you all,Vee
xxx
