Check your boobies 6 days after your period (or on the first day of the month, if you no longer have periods). Click here to register for a free monthly email reminder to CHECK YOUR BOOBIES.
Do it in the shower, while your body is wet and soapy. Use the pads of 3 fingers to check each breast for lumps. Move your fingers in a row pattern. Up and down all the way across one breast and then the other.
Areas to check:Outside: armpit to collar bone, and below breast Middle: the breast itself Inside: the nipple area
Things to look for after you shower:Liquid coming from nipples. Puckering of the skin. Redness or swelling. Change in size or shape.
We prefer the shower but you can also do a breast self-exam lying down in bed. Do it in a place that is most comfortable and effective for you. The important thing is that you do it. If you feel any lumps or changes, call your doctor. Remember most lumps are not cancer. It’s not about finding cancer; it’s about knowing what is normal for your breasts. If something does not feel normal, call your doctor.
Three Step Approach:Check Your Boobies recommends a 3-step approach to breast cancer screening that includes, depending on a woman’s age, a combination of mammography, clinical breast exams and breast self-exams.
Monthly breast self-exam beginning by age 20. Clinical breast exam at least every 3 years beginning at age 20, and annually from age 40 on. Annual screening mammograms beginning at age 40.
Women with a family history of breast cancer or other concerns about their personal risk should consult with a health care provider. Screening tests may need to be done more often and/or started earlier than usual. As part of a total approach to breast health, women should become familiar with their own bodies, play an active role in their health, and develop a close partnership with their health care providers.
Remember, pay attention to you body, and if something feels new, different, or not normal to you, please contact your health care provider immediately.