If you're doing self breast exams, kudos to you. You're on the right track and doing one important thing you can do in the fight against breast cancer. But all self breast exams aren't equal (or helpful), and the chances that you're doing them wrong are pretty high.

It's not that they're that complicated, so if you're not doing them already, don't be intimidated. It's just that a few little things can make a big difference when it comes to their effectiveness. Here are five of the most common mistakes women make when performing self breast exams.

Kara Passante and her two little girls nowFor Kara Passante, everything seemed to be going just right at 29. She was married to the love of her life. She'd just given birth to the second of two beautiful little girls. And then came the diagnosis. Stage three breast cancer. At 29. Suddenly the mother of two had a lot of decisions to make. Among them? What would she tell her kids about her illness? Would she tell them at all?

Little Isabelle, at just 7 months, wouldn't understand anyway. But at 2 1/2, Roz was already smart and highly aware of the world around her. And that's why Kara decided not to tell her kids she had breast cancer. This strong mama is now in remission, and she explained her decision to The Stir to help other moms in her boat figure out how to navigate this treacherous path:

Whether it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month or not, there's almost no end in sight to all the info about early detection and prevention of the disease. It's absolutely astounding and so heartening to see that we seem to be getting more and more well-versed about how we can guard ourselves against breast cancer. And yet, at the same time, we can't forget that there are many breast health issues women experience all the time that actually have nothing to do with cancer.

Board-certified gynecologist and regular women's health expert for The Dr. Oz Show Dr. Jennifer Ashton touched on some of the most common, non-cancerous concerns your breasts might be trying to clue you in on.

Now that it's officially Breast Cancer Awareness month, we're sure to be saturated with info about all the different prevention and screening methods for the disease. But it doesn't have to be October for women to get a mammogram. For many, especially women over 40, it's an annual routine exam and, err, well, not exactly the most pleasant one.

A doctor who specializes in the health needs of women, Dr. Yael Varnardo -- aka Dr. V of AskDoctorV.com -- admits, "There can be actual physical discomfort and mental anxiety that goes into the whole [mammogram] process that winds us up." But thankfully, it is possible to make the exam less annoying. Here, Dr. V shared with us her top tips for a more comfortable mammogram ...

One of the most frustrating things about breast cancer is how much current information is just plain wrong. It seems like everywhere you turn, there is a myth that needs to be debunked, a rumor that has to be laid to rest. It can be very frustrating. 

For a woman with a recent diagnosis or someone who is worried about her chances, these myths can be frustrating and scary at best. If you're diagnosed with the dreaded disease, it isn't a death sentence necessarily even though it may feel like it is.

With that in mind, here are the 10 biggest breast cancer myths to forget right now:

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and while showing your support for the brave women who have battled the disease is important all year, now is definitely a great time to step things up a bit.

And while buying clothing and other products that donate a portion of their proceeds to breast cancer research is a great way to get behind the cause, stocking up on all things pink is a great way to spruce up your home decor as well.

Every year, Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings us newsflash after newsflash on how our lifestyle and genetics influence our risk of the disease. But what about the things that are actually guarding us from it? We all know eating healthy, being active, not smoking, etc. helps. Turns out, research has shown various random or counterintuitive things protect us from breast cancer, too.

Consider a new study from France, which involved nearly 100,000 French women between the ages of 40 and 65. It found that the women who happened to be chubby pre-teens were actually 26 percent less likely to develop breast cancer after menopause! Specifically, it was the women who had the largest bodies at age 8 and when they started their periods who were less likely to have the disease later in life, compared to women with the smallest bodies at those points in their lives. Weird! And whoa -- would you ever think they'd be grateful for having been a chubby tween?!

Breast cancer is a terrible disease. Frequently, it takes the ones we love from us far, far too soon. But the happier, flip side is the fact that every day, women are facing down the cancer demon and winning. To celebrate the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let's meet some of those survivors, hear their stories, and cheer them on.

Lisa Adams is one such woman. She writes an intelligent, insightful blog about her experiences as a breast cancer survivor -- but that's not the whole story. Shortly before she was diagnosed, she gave birth to her third child, who had several physical abnormalities requiring treatment. And her beloved mother-in-law died in a car accident that also severely injured her father-in-law. Through it all, she's found support and clarity in writing about her experiences.