After feeling a large lump in her breast, Hannah Caldow, 31, looked down and prayed it was nothing sinister.

At 16 weeks pregnant, she thought it may be a blocked milk duct so decided to mention it at her next appointment with her Obstetrician, Mater Private Hospital Redland Dr Gillian van Iddekinge.

“I had gone for a normal pregnancy check-up and at the end of the appointment casually mentioned I had found a lump on my left breast,” Mrs Caldow said.

To be safe Mrs Caldow had a biopsy and was referred to Mater Health Centre Redland Breast Surgeon Dr Jason Lambley for investigation of abnormal cells.

Directed to get another biopsy by Dr Lambley, Mrs Caldow was blindsided with the news that at 19 weeks pregnant with her firstborn, she had Breast Cancer.

“I felt sick. I thought I was going to die–I thought my baby might die. I felt like my whole world had crumbled,” Mrs Caldow said.

“Dr Lambley had told me it was quite a large lump but that it was isolated. He sent me down to Mater Oncologist Dr Vikram Jain that very same night, who calmed me down and explained the process to me. He really helped make things feel like they would be ok and that the world wasn’t going to end.”

Mrs Caldow experienced intense emotions of guilt and fear about having to start chemotherapy while pregnant.

“I knew I would probably have to deliver my baby early, so that was another thing I felt responsible for. I pushed my pregnancy journey as far as I could before delivering Mackenzie via caesarean section at almost 37 weeks,” Mrs Caldow said.

Mackenzie, now 10 months old, was born a healthy baby on 7 December 2022 at Mater Mothers’ Hospital Redland, weighing 2.9kg.

“The Mater Cancer Care Centre nurses were like my angels–they were truly incredible,” Mrs Caldow said.

“Dr Lambley, Dr Jain, Dr van Iddekinge and the staff at the Mater Cancer Care Centre all communicated clearly and regularly, building my own personalised care plan.”

Completing chemotherapy and now cancer-free, Mrs Caldow looks back on the hardest time of her life with words of wisdom.

“Cancer does not discriminate against age, and it doesn’t care if you're pregnant. I have no family history of breast cancer; I was young and otherwise healthy,” Mrs Caldow said.

“Let go of the worry you’re annoying people with your questions about your health and healthcare while you’re pregnant because it could save your life and, in my case, it also saved Mackenzie’s.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is recognised each year during October. To find out how to be Breast Care Aware, visit here.

Pictured: Hannah Caldow with Mackenzie.