Step 4:
• Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel
your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a
firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping
the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a
quarter.
• Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
• Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the
outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down
vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up- nd-down apa
proach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue
from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just
beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle
of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When
you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your
ribcage.
Step 5:
• Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women
find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet
and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire
breast, using the same hand movements described in step 4.