First mammogram on Tuesday. What to expect

[JenniferBooth]

Not sure what to expect apart from what ive read on here. You cant wear deoderant or perfume. Is that correct? Will there be somewhere safe to leave my belongings like my handbag Asking as its a mobile unit in a car park. I have big boobs. Is it likely to be less painful.

I can't remember being told not to wear deodorant or perfum

It's in the leaflet that comes with your appointment letter.

I had my first last week and definitely didn't have a leaflet before warning me about wearing deodorant.
It was fine, OP. Slightly uncomfortable, but not actually painful and over in 10 minutes. Not really embarrassing either.

Oh and you have to take top clothing off so don't wear a dress.

Echo everything said above., but will add it is also very common to get a recall to the breast clinic quickly after your first mammogram so try not to worry too much if you do, even if they do a biopsy, they are extra careful as they don’t have previous images to compare to.

My sister is an A cup and they have always managed to deal with hers. I'm an H so have the opposite problem!

Thank you :) would be mortifying to be turned away!

Can I just ask those ladies who recently had their first mammogram, when did you get the letter through please? I know its every 3 years from the age of 50, but how soon after turning 50 do you get summoned?

Be prepared to be manhandled so you are in the right position. I found it painful on my small B cups and hated the experience of being shoved around even though the nurse was only doing her job and was kind. Found it worse than a smear test.

52 and a half and got my first invite a couple of months ago.

Practically, wear a top you can get in & out of easily; don’t wear a necklace with a particularly tricky clasp and, if you’ve got long hair, think about tying it back before you go or have a bobble with you. None of this occurred to me!
I’m really clumsy and struggle with my left & right when someone is also demonstrating the mirror position so it take me a while to get into the right position. In the end, I just told the person who was doing it to manoeuvre my body into the right position.
I was really surprised it was two, flat metal plates. For some reason, I thought you would lean forward into something cup shaped. Of course, all of the machinery will have been designed by men! I bet if men had to have similar scans, there would be a softer machine.
They do need to get all of your boob. This includes the areas under your arms which can be a bit uncomfortable. But, as others have said, it’s 10 mins. And the people doing it do this day in, day out so really won’t be looking at or remember your boobs

Modern machines don’t use metal plates they are Perspex so the radiographer can see that the breast is correctly positioned. They have curved edges to make the more comfortable.
I’ve had loads done, breast cancer, and post surgery they use manual control to compress rather than automatic. If you are worried ask them to use manual control it lowers the plate slowly and is less frightening.
Even after surgery I’ve never experienced pain. They have to get the markers they left during surgery on the image so my bad breast often has to be imaged a couple of times to make sure there is a clear view of markers.

Had my first one last week. This was private with bupa through my work - they do them from age 40.
Radiographer was lovely and explained everything, explained how to get into position. I don’t remember her touching my boobs - just angling my body and moving arms. Wasn’t painful at all, not even that uncomfortable. I wore a pull on bra for ease of getting on and off. I have big boobs (G) too. Hopefully get results in the next week.

@Meredusoleil I am just about to turn 51 and I got called about 2 months ago

Hair is mid length I wont be able to tie it back but everything else is fine. It doesnt reach my boobs I had an inch taken off it last week.

not been told to avoid perfume or deodorant,
wear something you can pull on and off easily
the women are very practical and matter of fact ( in my opinion ) which helps
the place I go is very organised and you go in one end , get seen , out the other end , job done , mines in a mobile at a hospital, takes 3x the time to park that the time spent in the suite
it’s easy , nothing to worry about

My first one was a couple of weeks after I turned 50. My second on Friday was a week or two after my 53rd birthday (I had to rearrange from the initial date as I was away, so it was a bit longer than it would have been.) But it probably varies according to your health authority.

In Australia it's age 40 and every 2 years onwards. Mine was at a mobile van, and then later at a clinic (they found something but it was just a swollen milk duct). I just went there in shorts and shirt and skirt and shirt the second time, went bra-less, didn't even bring one with me, and just quickly lifted my shirt off when I entered the room. Then slipped it back on after. You take your bag in with you and put it on the chair with your top off on top of your bag. I am GG so there is a lot of my boobs to angle. It doesn't hurt it's just annoying standing at odd angles and having to drape your arm around the machine.

Is it possible to have it done sitting down? I can’t stand for 10 minutes without sitting at some point

I'm not sure but it took less than 10 minutes for me,so you should be ok 🤞

Definitely yes but if you get an appointment for a mobile van you might want to ring and check as the hospital unit would be more accessible for this.

The only thing I would add is to really try to relax and allow them to manoeuvre you into position, rag doll relaxed. I know it will be hard but it will almost certainly mean they will get clear images first go.

I haven’t mastered it. I always tense up, then move because I’m so tense and always have to have it done twice.

Slicesofquince please have it done. It’s not the most dignified procedure & can be a little uncomfortable but it could also save your life.

I've had 3 now, and it's been awkward to assume the position (C cup), so much easier to let them help you into place. The mobile scanner has one cubicle per side like a changing room where you take your top off, then they call you through from the scanner side. It takes about 5 minutes and my results afterwards have come through in about a week.

Thanks to the regime introduced during Covid at my centre we no longer have the rigmarole of going into a changing cubicle, stripping off top and bra and put on a gown, then put bag and clothes in a locker, then sit around in an ante room waiting to be called.

Nowadays you are called into the radiography room, slip off top and bra behind a curtain, and get done - all so quick and easy now, thank goodness!

Yes you can be screened but because it is recognised that cancer detection may be more easily missed when a woman has implants , you should now be offered something called the Eklund technique…I’ll link the attached doc which explains this https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breast-screening-imaging-women-with-breast-implants/nhs-breast-screening-programme-screening-women-with-breast-implants