Hi,

Firstly can I say that moles that appear any time up the age of 40 is quite normal. Also, raised moles are quite normal. Moles can appear anywhere on the body so being in your belly button is no problem either. The thing to look out for is any change in the mole at any time. I doubt if yours ticks every ABCDE box, no dodgy mole ever does that. So, looking at it again, which box(es) does it tick? Has it changed colour over time? Is it more than one colour? Does it have a ragged border or is one half a different shape to the other half. Does it itch, bleed or scab? Is it large (over 5mm in diameter? If you tick one or more of these boxes then you are right to get it checked out by your GP.

One point that may help to calm your worries is that moles change and new moles/,marks appear quite often when pregnant because of the change in hormones. I know several people that this has happened to, including my niece, and the moles have turned out to be benign. Also, moles that look dodgy can be dysplastic or atypical moles - they look dodgy but are benign. However, they have the ability to turn cancerous if left so they like to remove them anyway.

If your GP think it's needs further examination they will refer you to a dermatologist who will look at the mole through a dermascope - this shows them if there are any suspicious cells present. If they think it needs a biopsy to definately tell if it's cancerous they may wait until you have had your baby. 

Please try not to panic, it won't help you or your baby. Take things a step at a time. Your GP may be able to put your mind at rest tomorrow, if not and they refer you, you need to find a way to lessen your stress during the two week wait. It's hard, but for every 10 people that present with a dodgy mole to a dermatologist, only about 2 of them are cancerous. Good luck tomorrow and please let us know how you get on,

Angie (melanoma patient)