Breast lump found at 20 weeks

[burtle4]

Just after a bit of reassurance so no horror stories please! I'm 20 weeks pregnant and a couple of days ago i found a lump at the top of my left breast. I went to the doctor this morning and he said that whilst breast lumps and bumps are very common in pregnancy that because he can definitely feel something he needs to refer me for a scan. I have to wait for up to three weeks for this to happen and whilst I'm trying to stay relaxed and hope that it's pregnancy related I can't help but feel anxious. Does anyone have any experience of having to get a breast cancer check during pregnancy that just ended up being a blocked milk duct etc?

@burtle4 best of luck! I managed to get a consultant appointment and ultrasound through my healthcare so waiting at the clinic too!

I hope it went ok x

Only just seen this thread. I had a lump in my last (complicated) pregnancy. I mentioned it to my consultant during an appointment and she merely told me to mention it to my midwife because she was busy. The lump disappeared after a couple of weeks. Hope you get good news

Thanks everyone. It's been a very emotional day. Not sure what I was expecting really but I found the whole process quite traumatic, not helped by the fact you're not allowed to take anyone with you so had to experience it all alone. Had a consultation followed by a mammogram, ultrasound and then a biopsy. I was there for nearly 3 hours and felt like no one reassured me that it wasn't anything to worry about because I suppose they can't.
I broke down a couple of times just at the sheer realness of it all, one or two of the nurses were lovely but it was like they didn't know what to say to make me feel better. It wasn't until the consultant appointment at the end that I was told the lump didn't look like anything nasty on the scans but I'll have to wait two weeks to know for sure when they get the results of the biopsy back. I feel completely drained and constantly on the verge of tears but hoping i'll feel better in the morning, I guess my hormones aren't helping. Just need to try and put it to the back of my mind for the next two weeks.

@iverunoutofinspiration glad you got an appointment, really hope your day went better than mine did!x

@burtle4

Thanks everyone. It's been a very emotional day. Not sure what I was expecting really but I found the whole process quite traumatic, not helped by the fact you're not allowed to take anyone with you so had to experience it all alone. Had a consultation followed by a mammogram, ultrasound and then a biopsy. I was there for nearly 3 hours and felt like no one reassured me that it wasn't anything to worry about because I suppose they can't. I broke down a couple of times just at the sheer realness of it all, one or two of the nurses were lovely but it was like they didn't know what to say to make me feel better. It wasn't until the consultant appointment at the end that I was told the lump didn't look like anything nasty on the scans but I'll have to wait two weeks to know for sure when they get the results of the biopsy back. I feel completely drained and constantly on the verge of tears but hoping i'll feel better in the morning, I guess my hormones aren't helping. Just need to try and put it to the back of my mind for the next two weeks. *@iverunoutofinspiration* glad you got an appointment, really hope your day went better than mine did!x

Consultants can recognise Cancer by sight. Everyone I know who had Cancer, even early stage, was put on radiotherapy / chemo almost immediately; the waiting for the biopsy was just for the staging. So if they told you it’s unlikely to be Cancerous then there is a very good chance it is.

@burtle4 sorry it's been a hard day. Hope the 2 weeks go quickly and you can put this all at the back of your mind and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. These tests are such an ordeal at the best of times, add the pregnancy hormones and going through it alone... You have done amazing to get through it, take a deep breath, have a good rest and treat yourself tomorrow.

It will soon be a distant memory, I'd actually forgotten until I read your message that when I went through this a couple of months ago I spent most of the time crying as I was waiting in the corridor. And that was despite not being particularly worried about the outcome as I had the same lump in my first pregnancy. But the consultant was short with me, made me feel like I was wasting his time, then completely flipped when he heard my family history and made me panic that I should in fact be extremely worried, it was hot, I felt alone and fed up of waiting, it was quite traumatic. But a few weeks later and I have forgotten all about it, and you will too. You're one step closer. All the best

@Ozanj @Helpamummy tearing up again here, I'm a mess today but hopefully what you both say is true and soon enough this will be a distant memory. Thank you for your encouraging words, really appreciated x

@burtle4 oh I'm so sorry it was an awful experience. I can't imagine it being a pleasant one but even so, it doesn't feel like you were supported as much as you should have been - particularly being pregnant.

I know it's easier said than done but concentrate on the fact that the consultant is optimistic. When I spoke to the consultant yesterday she said to me that even if she finds a lump and isn't concerned she has to put me through for imaging and potential biopsy as a matter of procedure. It just sounds like your consultants bedside manner wasn't up to scratch . Just try and focus on the fact that he has said it doesn't look to be anything nasty.

My appointment was over pretty quickly. Consultant found the lump immediately (despite my GP saying there was one ) and said it felt like a swollen lymph node and sent me for ultrasound straight away. The radiologist couldn't see anything other than normal tissue and structure so discharged me. I have got a follow up with the consultant tomorrow to discuss what happens if it doesn't go down but in my initial chat she said that swelling can often happen after the covid jab which I've had a month or so ago. I can't shake the worry though, weirdly, but know I'm being silly xx

@iverunoutofinspiration i'm so glad that your appointment was a little more straightforward. Also good that they couldn't find anything on the scan although I guess it must be a bit frustrating that they can feel something but not see it, must mean that it's just normal breast tissue? It sounds like it's nothing to worry about anyway, good luck with the appointment tomorrow and hope you get some more definite answers to ease your mind. Being pregnant has so many worries of its own without needing to add this on top. Hopefully it will all be over soon for both of us x

@burtle4 thank you. How are you feeling today? X

@iverunoutofinspiration a little better thank you, just trying not to dwell on it too much because worrying isn't going to change the outcome - easier said than done but it helps if i stay busy. I've now started worrying about the fact I wasn't given a shield to protect the baby when I had the mammogram, despite the consultant telling me a would and me asking for one when I was in there. She just said the rays aren't strong enough to hurt the baby, but why was I told I would be given one in the initial appointment? I'm thinking I may ring the number they left me to speak to someone about is as it's really playing on my mind now. It won't change what's already happened but I'm hoping they may ease my mind.
How did your follow up appointment go?x

@burtle4 I would definitely call them and ask for some reassurance. They only offered me ultrasound because of my age and stage in pregnancy apparently, but I was worried when they had my lie flat on my back for a while so I can imagine you're concerned.

The appointment moved to Tuesday evening so will discuss then but have felt the lump decreasing when I apply pressure so maybe it is just swelling. When is your next appt? x

Annoying that your appointment got moved but it's great that yours seems to be getting smaller @iverunoutofinspiration, it really sounds like it might just be a blocked milk duct or cyst or something 🤞
I'm not sure when I'm going to get my results, he said they would phone me but I'd get an appointment through for the phonecall so guess I'm just waiting on that...

Just to update, I have just had the phonecall from the consultant and the lump is benign! So so relieved 😅 he said that it is a fibroid that might grow or regress but either which way I don't have to worry about it whilst pregnant or breastfeeding. He said if it does get bigger or become annoying and I've finished breastfeeding, then to go back and they can look at doing something about it then. Otherwise he said to just try and ignore it, which will be much easier to do now that I know it's nothing nasty! Thank you so much to everyone on here who gave me words of comfort and reassurance, it really did help me get through the past few weeks ❤
@iverunoutofinspiration, hope you're doing ok, how did your appointment on Tuesday go?x

@burtle4 oh so so so pleased for you! What a major relief and now you can go back to enjoying pregnancy!!
The consultant just told me that it's an enlarged lymph node and doesn't look suspicious on ultrasound and could have been caused by many number of things but because the shape looks all normal under ultrasound I'm not to worry! She did say DO NOT POKE it 😂 so am trying my best not to xx

🤣 so hard not to poke, I'm trying very hard to ignore mine now! So glad that both of us have had our minds put at rest and we can now go back to enjoying the rest of our pregnancy journies! Good luck with the rest of yours and thank you so much for all your support xx

That is fantastic news.