I had my first mammogram at age 40. After dreading it for years, I discovered it wasn’t as bad as I thought.

I was lying in bed reading to my 3-year-old daughter when she accidentally leaned on my left breast. I have three young children, and it’s not uncommon for them to unintentionally headbutt or elbow me in the boob, but what was different this time was how much it hurt.

My grandmother had breast cancer, so I’ve always been quite vigilant about self-examinations. After putting my daughter to bed, I felt my breast, and while there wasn’t a lump, it did feel different. Kind of sore in one spot to the right of my nipple.

I booked an appointment with my doctor

Wanting to rule out anything sinister, I booked an appointment with my general practitioner the next day. He asked for my medical history, performed a physical exam of my breast with a colleague chaperoning, and then suggested I get an ultrasound to be safe.

I must admit I was relieved he didn’t suggest a mammogram. I’ve never had one, and I’ve always dreaded the idea of that particular screening technique. It’s pretty silly really, considering I’m a 40-year-old mum of three and have had all sorts of medical tests and probing along the way.

But there was something about mammograms that made me nervous. I have small breasts, a B cup at most, so the notion of having them squished between two X-ray plates didn’t sound appealing.

He ended up suggesting a mammogram after all

On the day of the ultrasound, the sonographer took her time capturing a range of images. She told me to get dressed while she showed the images to the radiologist, then returned to the room.

“The radiologist is happy with the ultrasound images, but he wants you to have a mammogram too, given you’re over 40,” she explained.

I felt a knot of anxiety in my stomach. This was it. There was no more putting it off. I agreed and went back out into the waiting room.

I realize now that I was pretty naïve about what to expect. I’d never really chatted with my older sisters or mum much about their experience with mammograms, and I kind of wish I had, rather than just assuming the worst.

A nice radiographer appeared and called my name. I think she could tell I was feeling nervous, as she asked, “Is it your first time, love?” I nodded.

What happened next helped put me at ease. The radiographer slowly walked me through the whole process. She explained that if it felt uncomfortable at any time, we could take a break, readjust the positioning if needed, or stop the scan. I felt so grateful for her kindness.

It wasn’t what I’d been expecting

After putting the gown on, I stepped up to the machine and turned my attention to a painting on the wall. It was an image of a flower… the same one my daughter is named after. It may sound woo-woo, but I felt like it was a sign that everything was going to be OK.

As she explained how to position myself and began to compress my breasts, one at a time, I realized that it was not what I’d been expecting. There was no guillotine-style squish. It was a slow compression designed to spread the breast tissue for maximum visibility. The compression only lasted a few seconds at a time.

I understand that some people experience discomfort from the pressure of the mammogram equipment, but I personally didn’t. There was no pain, and I knew that I could ask the lady to stop at any time.

In a matter of minutes, the mammogram was over. After I’d put my clothes back on, I told the radiographer that it was much more bearable than I’d anticipated. She nodded and said she often met women like me who were misinformed about mammograms. She told me that, unfortunately, sometimes these women hesitated too long before being screened.

My results came back normal, and getting a mammogram gave me peace of mind

Before I walked out, she asked if I could pass the message on to my girlfriends about my personal experience, and I said I would. In my experience, having a mammogram wasn’t painful, even for a humble chest like mine.

Luckily, my breast screen results came back normal. That means I’m off the hook for a mammogram until 2028, but I will continue my regular self-examinations.

Mammograms aren’t the only type of screening, and can miss cancer in some people — in particular, those with dense breasts — and individuals should discuss options with their doctor to decide which type of breast cancer screening is right for them. For me, I’m glad I had a mammogram. It put my mind at ease, and I learned that something I’d been dreading for some time wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.