Fran, it's so great that you're such an advocate for your daughter's health. I'm sure this is a confusing time for her and it's so good that she has you by her side.
I'm also glad that she has an appointment with an OB/GYN. If this is her first appointment, was it just her regular doctor who put her on the pill before? Without any kind of a pelvic exam?
Please tell her not to be anxious about her appointment. I know it's a lot easier to say that than it is to do, especially for a first appointment. But this is the best thing you could be doing. An ob/gyn is much more familiar with hormonal and gynecological issues than a general practitioner would be.
In answer to what they could do besides a Pap smear: Quite a lot, actually. First of all, they'll take your daughter's medical history from start to finish, to look for any patterns; I'm sure they'll also be interested in the fact that you only had a few periods a year when you were her age. Second, they could test her hormone levels to see where she's at. Third, they could do a sonogram to check out how her ovaries and uterus appear. Fourth, they could prescribe different medication if they think it would be helpful, and discuss any contributing factors, like weight or activity. And last, but certainly not least, they could say "Don't worry! Everything is fine!" And wouldn't it be great to hear that and let time take its course?
Is this your own ob/gyn? If you are concerned at all you might make sure that the doctor and the nurse know ahead of time that this is your daughter's first appointment. I'm sure they'll do everything possible to put her mind at ease. And that means explaining things like the speculum, for instance. Are you able to talk about such things with your daughter, to help her prepare? She would probably be a little less nervous if she understands the stirrups, the speculum, the draping, the fact that she'll be asked to scoot waaaayyy down to the end of the table, and so on.
This may help her a little, it's a Teen magazine article about what to expect at the gynecologist:
http://www.teenmag.com/advice/sex/642953
Does this help at all? Are there more questions we can answer for you? When is your daughter's appointment?
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Fran, it's so great that you're such an advocate for your daughter's health. I'm sure this is a confusing time for her and it's so good that she has you by her side.
I'm also glad that she has an appointment with an OB/GYN. If this is her first appointment, was it just her regular doctor who put her on the pill before? Without any kind of a pelvic exam?
Please tell her not to be anxious about her appointment. I know it's a lot easier to say that than it is to do, especially for a first appointment. But this is the best thing you could be doing. An ob/gyn is much more familiar with hormonal and gynecological issues than a general practitioner would be.
In answer to what they could do besides a Pap smear: Quite a lot, actually. First of all, they'll take your daughter's medical history from start to finish, to look for any patterns; I'm sure they'll also be interested in the fact that you only had a few periods a year when you were her age. Second, they could test her hormone levels to see where she's at. Third, they could do a sonogram to check out how her ovaries and uterus appear. Fourth, they could prescribe different medication if they think it would be helpful, and discuss any contributing factors, like weight or activity. And last, but certainly not least, they could say "Don't worry! Everything is fine!" And wouldn't it be great to hear that and let time take its course?
Is this your own ob/gyn? If you are concerned at all you might make sure that the doctor and the nurse know ahead of time that this is your daughter's first appointment. I'm sure they'll do everything possible to put her mind at ease. And that means explaining things like the speculum, for instance. Are you able to talk about such things with your daughter, to help her prepare? She would probably be a little less nervous if she understands the stirrups, the speculum, the draping, the fact that she'll be asked to scoot waaaayyy down to the end of the table, and so on.
This may help her a little, it's a Teen magazine article about what to expect at the gynecologist:
http://www.teenmag.com/advice/sex/642953
Does this help at all? Are there more questions we can answer for you? When is your daughter's appointment?
April 20, 2009 - 9:50amThis Comment
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