Seated breast exam?

I have always had the seated portion of the breast exam, both as part of my gyn exam and regular checkup/physical.

My current doc is a GP. We talk for about fifteen minutes before she begins the actual exam. Then ears, eyes, nose and throat. Heart and lungs, including pulses in neck. Lay flat for glands and breasts with arms overhead. Abdomen and slide to the end of the table. She slips that plastic spec with the light attached to it in, gets a smear and uses two fingers. The whole hands on exam takes less time than it does for me to undress and put a gown on. But she has been my doc for about ten years and I'm finding it difficult to ask for a second opinion when there is nothing wrong with me currently! Help! I hate my checkups.

My wife and I have conjoint physicals, so I get to see her exams and she gets to see mine. She does receive her breast exams in both the seated and supine positions.

My gynocologists have always done both. They just adjust the back of the exam chair/table for either one. The breast exam has always been my favorite part.

The first two or three breast exams I had were laying down only and exposing only one breast at a time. Then I had one at a private gynecologist's office and he had me sitting up with the gown fully down and both breasts exposed at the same time.

My gynecologist exam in seated and laying position. I lay still on the gyn chair as he start the breast exam in laying position. At this I have to lift up my top or t-shirt above my breast.

I don't recall having a seated breast exam. It's done mostly when I'm laying flat and one breast uncovered at a time. I've also only had one doctor look at both my breasts at the same time. My right breast is noticeably larger. My nipples even look different and I have a hole on the side of one nipple even though I've never tried to pierce it.

The last gynecologist I saw did it seated then laying down.

I actually had to think about it!

I’ve experienced both sitting and lying down. Lying down feels more exposed to me.

My breast exams usually start seated then they go on to laying down, I personally prefer to be seated as I find it more comfortable

@Erty2 I thin being comfortable is very important when getting an exam

@Medical_man I agree, it sets the atmosphere of the entire exam to follow

My OB only does laying down. My primary does both seated, leaning forward and then laying down.

My OB only does laying down. My primary does both seated, leaning forward and then laying down.

Does this mean you get more than one breast exam a year?

My wife's breastbexams at her gym exams have all been with her laying down.

In almost 35 years of being with my wife for all exams, she has never had a seated breast exam.

Numerous doctors have examined my breasts and I still haven't had one seated.

Imagine if all the people in this room were able to get together monthly, and just be doing breast exams on each other in front of the rest of us, like a theme party

I don't have any desire to examine anyone else's breasts but I don't mind watching others being examined. I haven't decided yet if I want a crowd to watch my breast exam.

I had both- seated first lying next. Have had only one real exam so that's all I can say. Maybe I had in both positions because I had gone for missed period.

I am just.guessing.. not sure

I had both- seated first lying next. Maybe I had in both positions because I had gone for missed period.

I am just.guessing.. not sure

If you check out breast exam videos, you'll see them being check both ways most of the time. There are advantages to doing it each way, with what you can feel. Also things like symmetry can be better inspected while sitting up.

I have been with my wife for her breast exam recently, and the doctor only examined her while she was laying down. She throughly examined both breasts but not seated.

At my physicals for school and gyno exams, i have always had my breasts checked first sitting on the side of the exam table with my back straight and arm behind my head, and only after they checked it while i was laid down on the table.

For me i have always gotten it and is normal.

Suprised that for some it’s only laying

I also have breast exam sitting down on the exam table, with my arm raised on each side as he is checking. Never had one lying down, that would feel more awkward for me I think.

I have had it done both ways.

I have been to mot of my wife's appointments over the past 40 years or so and a seated breast exam has never been done. I asked her about the few I was unable to attend and she said those were always done lying down as well. I have seen clinical videos that say it should be done both ways. I wonder what the criteria in which way a doctor decides which method to use.

Never had one lying down, that would feel more awkward for me I think.

@Nisha What would be awkward for you about it ?

@JTMac It may be just that I'm not used to it. Also it might feel more intimate when I'm lying down (not that I'm opposed to it!).

@JTMac It may be just that I'm not used to it. Also it might feel more intimate when I'm lying down (not that I'm opposed to it!).

Would it be a different kind of palpitation lying down?

@JTMac It may be just that I'm not used to it. Also it might feel more intimate when I'm lying down (not that I'm opposed to it!).

@Nisha I think you might be onto a good point with it leading to feeling intimate.. You're lying down to have your body examined, and with the standing dominant doctor, you can be that patient that is lying down and having surrendered your body to be examined in a more vulnerable position. And anything else that can enhance the feeling of intimacy.

From the doctor's perspective, I think it could only feel intimate if they sat down beside you and examined you, vs standing. Standing seems more distant. but it also seems more dominant. I don't know. What do y'all think ?