I recently underwent and endometrial biopsy. I had no idea what to expect before, during, and after the procedure. It was a little scary because the main reason was to rule out endometrial hyperplasia or uterine cancer. The nurse who called and scheduled the appointment gave me specific instructions but couldn’t answer the important questions: Do I need someone to watch my kids after the procedure? What can or can’t I do? The answer was, “It all depends on how you feel.” I don’t really consider this an answer, so, from one mom to another, here’s what to expect if you need to undergo an endometrial biopsy.
Preparation before an Endometrial Biopsy
I was able to drive myself to the procedure. I could eat and drink anything I wanted beforehand. The most important information I got was to take about 600 mg of ibuprofen an hour before my biopsy was scheduled. This did help and it’s a good idea to ask your doctor if it’s OK for you to do this also.
The nurse did say that I may experience some cramping throughout the day so I cancelled any after school activities my kids had for that day. I didn’t want to worry about having to run them around or pick them up from practice if I didn’t have to.
What to Expect during an Endometrial Biopsy
An endometrial biopsy is not one of the more comfortable procedures I’ve ever had done. Of course stirrups are involved. Then the doctor clamps a tenaculum (a ratcheted instrument with points that come together) onto the cervix so that she can see inside the uterus. Then the doctor takes a grasper to snip out pieces of the endometrium to send for a biopsy. My doc was nice, she only took three samples.
The Pain Factor: It hurt. But it only hurt for the short time the doctor was taking the biopsy. She would snip a chunk out and the pain would go away. When the procedure was done, I walked out as if I had just had a normal physical.
What to Expect after and Endometrial Biopsy
I actually felt fine for the first hour after the biopsy. Since I had cancelled all my plans for the day I had the chance to rest before the kids got home from school. If your kids are younger than school age I would suggest you get a babysitter for a few hours because once the cramping started it lasted about 4-5 hours. It wasn’t severe cramps but that’s subjective so my mild cramps could be someone else’s horror cramps.
I did have spotting that started about three hours after the biopsy. Of course, I was advised not to use tampons or have sex for at least seven days afterwards. The spotting only lasted that night and by the next day everything was normal again.
The Pain Factor: Cramps stink! We all know that. It was enough to keep me from wanting to do anything but not enough to keep me doubled over in pain. I took more ibuprofen which helped. By the following day I was absolutely fine again.
From one mom to another: Plan for a low-key day on the day of your biopsy. You should be able to make it through without too much of a problem but also don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you need someone to watch the kids then do it. It’s better to take care of yourself for one day than to be miserable trying to take care of everyone else.
