The aim of the exercise is to feel for things which do not feel like routine, normal, breast tissue. We already know that breast tissue tends to get lumpier before a period, so examining after the period may make it easier to sort out what is normal.

Breast tissue often feels like rice pudding in balloons. It can have a globby, slippery, grainy texture. Of course there is enormous variation, and some women have very soft smooth breast tissue, while other women’s breast tissue feels much harder.

The hard smooth lumps you may feel, particularly near the edge of the breast tissue, are ribs. You need these.

The idea of breast self-examination is to get to know what your breasts normally feel like, so if there is something different, like a pea, or a rock, in the rice pudding, or a bit of the pudding which feels different altogether, you might notice it, and get it checked out.

The only way to become familiar with what breasts should feel like is by doing lots of examinations. It takes a while to get used to the feel. It is the same when you are examining your own breasts. Once you have felt them a few times you get used to what they feel like. It does take practice to feel confident with breast self-examination.

Ask your doctor to show you how to do it, and if you want to practice. Try doing it after every period. If you are concerned about anything you may feel, ask your doctor to check. You can ask your doctor to check your breasts any time, or when you have a routine pap smear, even if you do examine your own breasts.

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