An Excerpt from Good-Enough Mother

By René Syler with Karen Moline
In Your 20s and 30s
  •  A complete physical exam, including a blood pressure and cholesterol check
  • A yearly pelvic exam and pap smear by age 21—whether you are sexually active or not
  • Regular breast exams
  • Total skin checks every three years to analyze freckles and moles to catch skin cancer early. It is one of the deadliest cancers for women under 30.
  • A thyroid check at age 35. An unhealthy thyroid can lead to depression, weight gain, mental and physical fatigue, and heart damage.


In your 40s, 50s and 60s+
  • An eye exam once a year after age 40. Make sure your doctor tests for glaucoma, a disease that can cause blindness without any symptoms or warning.
  • A yearly mammogram
  • A colonoscopy at age 50 to check for colon cancer, even if there is no family history of the disease
  • For women 65 and older, checkups should include a blood pressure check, complete blood work, a urinalysis and a hearing test.
  • Since women are more than twice as likely as men to develop osteoporosis, get a baseline bone mineral density test to monitor your risk.