Best way to lift a sagging breast for apical pulse

[noyesno]

I could not hear my patient's apical pulse through her breast tissue and my preceptor told me you had to lift the breast to be able to hear it. Okay, that makes sense and all but how do you go about lifting breast?

My patient was sitting in the bedside chair and her breast was sagging pretty low. The only way I could imagine elevating the breast would be through a whole hand grasp, squeeze, and lift but I thought that might make her uncomfortable.

Any other ways to get the breast up and out of the way without making the little old lady feel violated?

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

backatit- I remember being taught to listen for an apical pulse, but I don't remember WHY we listen there. Doesn't the heart beat just as many times when you listen by the sternum or above the breast?

I thank goodness I'm female a few times a day in the ER because no matter what we're doing the boobs are always right there in the middle of it all. Like they pop out to check on us every so often. Especially with chest pains, I can see why a male nurse might wish they had a dashcam, just in case someone questioned their actions.