You stand in front of a special x-ray machine. The person who takes the x-rays, called a radiologic technologist, places your breasts (one at a time) between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast to make it flat. You will feel pressure on your breast for a few seconds. It may cause you some discomfort; you might feel squeezed or pinched. But, the flatter your breast, the better the picture. Most often, two pictures are taken of each breast-one from the side and one from above. A screening mammogram takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.