28-02-2011, 11:04
Brava swelling getting less!
November 12 2008 at 1:47 AM roakie (Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Help! I am on my 8th night with Brava. I had really good swelling the first 7 nights. Last night, even though the suction never broke off, the swelling was minimal this morning. I could really tell the difference. Tonight when I put the domes on, my breasts hardly look swollen at all in there. There are no gaps and the smartbox seems to be working, but my breasts are half the size. I also noticed today that the swelling only lasted a few hours from this morning.
I have tried the manual suction and for some reason, I just don't seem to be able to suck enough air out to do anything, despite Stacy's instructions. Do you think it is wise to get initial swelling with the smartbox and then try to disconnect it and suck out more? The Brava booklet mentioned that manual suction should not be used in conjunction with the smartbox cause it can damage it.
Anyone else having similar problems? I know Amy mentioned she was losing suction.
Help???????? Don't know why I can't seem to suck out any air myself. The domes actually feel nice and secure as I write this, but I can't even feel the slightest pull on my breasts.
Author Reply
amy
(no login) me too ! November 12 2008, 12:43 PM
ok ,i am not swelling either at night for past 3 nights!
I airlocked and then hooked up the smartbox to it to ensure i wouldnt lose suction in the middle of the night...
now i think i compromised the smartbox..oh ****!
or my domes are messed up,either way i was forced to try and make up for it in the day and i didnt have enuf time to,
i am trying my large narrow domes cuz they are new(even though i am not nearly out of the medium narrow)just to see if its my domes .
this stinks considering im putting in the hours .
what can be making us loose enuf pressure in the domes for no swelling but they still stay on.
roakie you so u airlock too-have you had this problem before you airlocked?
louise where are you!!!!!!!!!!!!!we need help lol
roakie
(Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 12 2008, 3:16 PM
Hi, Amy,
No, I don't airlock. I can't seem to do it. I hold the domes on, suck as hard as I can and bite down on the tubing, do it again, etc. and I can't create any suction. The domes just fall off. I have big gaps near my underarms and I can't seem to close them off enough with manual suction. Only the smartbox seems to create enough suction to hold the domes on while I am pressing as hard as I can on the top and sides of the domes.
silv
(no login) Brava swelling getting less November 12 2008, 6:39 PM
Don't worry roakie, that happened to me twice when I change new domes. Try to drink a lot of water and take protein. You mentioned that you have new domes so the sticky part is still very stick so even thou you have lost pressure, your domes will still stay on. If you are using airlock then it's better not to use smartbox as that will ruin your box. I only use airlock and it's not easy to lose air. Try putting a little lotion around your breasts and then put the domes on. I think that made it much easier for me and a lot less skin irritation and red marks. Try reading "Louise personal program" It'll help you! Good luck!
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BooBoo
(Login Boo_Boo_Bear)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 2:22 AM
Not sure how your hormone balance is, but I had a similar issue after nearly 3 weeks using Brava domes. Come to find out, it coincided perfectly with my week of inactive BCPs. The day following my return to active pills (and the ensuing increase of estrogen) my swelling returned to "normal". Not sure if it applies to either of you, but it was something that just happened to me last week and I thought it was worth noting.
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roakie
(Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 7:07 AM
No need for BCP's here! I have already gone through menopause! But I am on a low dose of natural HRT. My husband thinks that my breasts are actually swelling width-wise more than they are lengthwise right now.
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DJ_2008
(Login DJ_2008)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 7:24 AM
I definitely feel like I'm getting less swelling as well - maybe instead of "rapid responders" we're 'initial' responders?... I started about three weeks ago and the first week I used the smartbox and I didn't feel like I was getting much suction, BUT I did notice some swell that would last most of the day.
The past two weeks I've been airlocking, and even though I feel like I've been getting better and consistent suction through the night any swelling is minimal and it doesn't stay half as long.
I'm sure the lapsed week has something to do with it, but I just took a look at some 'before' photos that I took in late October and there's really no difference. I know I can't expect much growth at all in the early stage, but it is a little discouraging... I can only blame myself for not being as steadfast about the hours
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DJ_2008
(Login DJ_2008)
SENIOR MEMBER note on airlocking November 13 2008, 7:34 AM
I wanted to add that I have been successful maintaining suction through the night using airlock, but I have modified the technique a bit:
I started using airlock because I noticed - and several ladies in the forum have pointed out - that the holes, and therefore the suction, are different between the domes. I was too freaked out to use a drill to even the holes out, so I figured manual suction would at least even things out a bit. Also, when I alternated domes the smartbox went haywire all night every twenty minutes...
The most highly recommended device mentioned was to replace the box with T tubing and a check valve (from an aquarium). Because I was still worried about balancing out the suction between the domes, I've opted for two check valves without the T-tubing. I basically connect a piece of tubing to a nozzle on each dome and then connect a check valve to each tube. From there I can manually suck the air out and I'm set for the night!
So far, so good - now if I could only work up my hours and get some of the swelling back...
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StacyEllen
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:26 PM
Roakie, is there any chance you are taking something that may be inhibiting your ability to swell...like advil? Just asking because I read something here once about not taking antinflammatories because they work against what we are trying to do--swell! When I have a headache or cramps I take tylenol now because that is the only pain reliever that isn't an antinflammatory (even though tylenol doesn't work for me!)
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Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:28 PM
Have you tried just using the smartbox and not airlocking at all? I have never tried the manual airlock because I had no problems with the smartbox and my swelling was pretty consistent from day one through the 15 weeks I used it.
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Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:33 PM
One more note. The coach told me NOT to press hard on the domes when trying to create a seal. Even if it alarms after 10 minutes because you did not get a seal, try again. Try to let the smartbox draw out all the air. I found I had to lightly hold down the sides by the rib cage (or have my husband do it), so there were not gaps, but you'll feel the smartbox pull out the air and get a good seal after several minutes.
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Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:36 PM
Sorry - forgot something. Coach said pressing too hard can force air into the smartbox and it will not monitor the pressure correctly.
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roakie
(Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 14 2008, 7:21 AM
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to respond.
I think I might be expecting more swelling than I should be at this point. I am only into this for ten days now, and the swelling is quite consistent, I guess. The day I wrote was just less than I expected. I don't notice myself getting any bigger or the nipple getting any closer to the end of the dome. I still have about 5 inches to go to the end of the domes! I started out totally flat, so I guess I swell to a small A cup when I take the domes off. Since I have consistently done 16-17 hours/day since day one, I guess I am getting higher expectations than I should. The swelling lasts about four hours, and then I am down to almost the same. I am sure that if I let ten hours go by till the next session, I would be totally flat again.
I don't take Advil or anything else. I eat very well and don't believe I am doing anything to inhibit the swelling. I cannot imagine that I will ever swell to the end of the domes. Since the first day, when the domes are on, the swelling has been the same size.
Should I see the swelling inside the domes be getting progressivly more with each day? Or is it just that I will swell to a certain size that my body can become, and then I will notice longer retention?
I am working against the odds here, since I am only doing this for six weeks before I have to take a week off for an international vacation where it will be impossible to wear the domes. I am doing the 17 hours per day to equal the 700 hours under the minimum Brava study time that involves ten hours per day for ten weeks (that's 70 hours per week for ten weeks, equalling 700 hours)
I am hoping that I will retain something (even an inch) and then get back into it for several months when I get back.
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dandelion
(Login dandelion1) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 14 2008, 4:10 PM
tina you put in 16 weeks - care to post how it went , did you retain any growth and howmuch?
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Louise
(Login Louise1982)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 15 2008, 7:34 PM
Hey Roakie,
Sorry for the slow response, I've just worked 13 days solid, my house is a building site, I'm trying to rent a car (and think my driver's license may be lost in the post) - going mad!!
To get a seal with Brava - attach all the tubing to the domes. Either wash your skin and apply moisturiser (Brava say don't put cream on but they sell these products they don't use them!) or don't wash at all, put a lot of the skin prep or a lot of baby oil / lotion or something greasy on your boobs - don't let it dry, you want lubrication! Sit or kneel down. Hold one dome in each hand and put the loose end of the tube in your mouth. Press the domes simultaneously onto both boobs as hard as you can while bending forwards at the waist. When you bend whatever breast tissue you have will be maximised and the lubrication will help you get as much into the domes as possibe. Now suck the tube until your mouth can't suck anymore out. What you are aiming to do to create the seal is expand your boobs widthways until they jam the open end of the dome shut (this is why you grow more width than depth - mine start under my armpits now!!). The only reason I can think of that this may not work is if you really don't have much breast tissue - but I would expect this method to work better than the smartbox because you can suck harder.
To get good swelling - suck the domes on as hard as you can. This will be uncomfortable, try to put up with it for maybe a minute then let a little out until you can bare it. Wait about 10 mins. Now suck again until you can suck no more and hold it for a minute, let a little out. Wait 30 mins and repeat. Keep doing this until you go to bed. The smartbox will suck air out to maintain the pressure so you muct do the same. As your boobs swell there is more boob in the dome therefore less air space so the air pressure is lower. Generally try to keep the suction on the very highest you can stand, you may then need to let a little out to be able to sleep. When you wake up in the morning suck them on tight again for as long as possible before you leave for work.
If you are only just starting with Brava dont panic, as long as the domes didn't fall off in the night you've done a worthwhile session. It took me weeks to get more than 1 cup swelling and I got a good 3 cups by the end. Also some people have a weird timeframe so that they get the same swelling with anywhere between 12-15 hours but if they do 11 hours they get hardly any - so maybe the one night you didn't get much swelling you had worn them less. Again, by the end of my last session I had 2 cups swelling in a couple of hours. All of this stuff gets easier with time.
Good luck x
Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 16 2008, 2:16 AM
Dandelion,
I used Brava over a year ago and had great swelling in the morning (about 2 cup sizes) but retained only about 1/2 cup size. I had hoped for more, but am at least glad I got that. My growth after I stopped remained. I may try for more later but it was a huge time commitment so I am still not sure if I'll do it again. I used it about 15 weeks for about 12 hours per day. The part I hated most was sleeping on my back and how giant the domes are. I felt like I was in a prison but now that I am done, I am glad it did it.
November 12 2008 at 1:47 AM roakie (Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Help! I am on my 8th night with Brava. I had really good swelling the first 7 nights. Last night, even though the suction never broke off, the swelling was minimal this morning. I could really tell the difference. Tonight when I put the domes on, my breasts hardly look swollen at all in there. There are no gaps and the smartbox seems to be working, but my breasts are half the size. I also noticed today that the swelling only lasted a few hours from this morning.
I have tried the manual suction and for some reason, I just don't seem to be able to suck enough air out to do anything, despite Stacy's instructions. Do you think it is wise to get initial swelling with the smartbox and then try to disconnect it and suck out more? The Brava booklet mentioned that manual suction should not be used in conjunction with the smartbox cause it can damage it.
Anyone else having similar problems? I know Amy mentioned she was losing suction.
Help???????? Don't know why I can't seem to suck out any air myself. The domes actually feel nice and secure as I write this, but I can't even feel the slightest pull on my breasts.
Author Reply
amy
(no login) me too ! November 12 2008, 12:43 PM
ok ,i am not swelling either at night for past 3 nights!
I airlocked and then hooked up the smartbox to it to ensure i wouldnt lose suction in the middle of the night...
now i think i compromised the smartbox..oh ****!
or my domes are messed up,either way i was forced to try and make up for it in the day and i didnt have enuf time to,
i am trying my large narrow domes cuz they are new(even though i am not nearly out of the medium narrow)just to see if its my domes .
this stinks considering im putting in the hours .
what can be making us loose enuf pressure in the domes for no swelling but they still stay on.
roakie you so u airlock too-have you had this problem before you airlocked?
louise where are you!!!!!!!!!!!!!we need help lol
roakie
(Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 12 2008, 3:16 PM
Hi, Amy,
No, I don't airlock. I can't seem to do it. I hold the domes on, suck as hard as I can and bite down on the tubing, do it again, etc. and I can't create any suction. The domes just fall off. I have big gaps near my underarms and I can't seem to close them off enough with manual suction. Only the smartbox seems to create enough suction to hold the domes on while I am pressing as hard as I can on the top and sides of the domes.
silv
(no login) Brava swelling getting less November 12 2008, 6:39 PM
Don't worry roakie, that happened to me twice when I change new domes. Try to drink a lot of water and take protein. You mentioned that you have new domes so the sticky part is still very stick so even thou you have lost pressure, your domes will still stay on. If you are using airlock then it's better not to use smartbox as that will ruin your box. I only use airlock and it's not easy to lose air. Try putting a little lotion around your breasts and then put the domes on. I think that made it much easier for me and a lot less skin irritation and red marks. Try reading "Louise personal program" It'll help you! Good luck!
Edit Message Delete Message
BooBoo
(Login Boo_Boo_Bear)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 2:22 AM
Not sure how your hormone balance is, but I had a similar issue after nearly 3 weeks using Brava domes. Come to find out, it coincided perfectly with my week of inactive BCPs. The day following my return to active pills (and the ensuing increase of estrogen) my swelling returned to "normal". Not sure if it applies to either of you, but it was something that just happened to me last week and I thought it was worth noting.
Edit Message Delete Message
roakie
(Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 7:07 AM
No need for BCP's here! I have already gone through menopause! But I am on a low dose of natural HRT. My husband thinks that my breasts are actually swelling width-wise more than they are lengthwise right now.
Edit Message Delete Message
DJ_2008
(Login DJ_2008)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 7:24 AM
I definitely feel like I'm getting less swelling as well - maybe instead of "rapid responders" we're 'initial' responders?... I started about three weeks ago and the first week I used the smartbox and I didn't feel like I was getting much suction, BUT I did notice some swell that would last most of the day.
The past two weeks I've been airlocking, and even though I feel like I've been getting better and consistent suction through the night any swelling is minimal and it doesn't stay half as long.
I'm sure the lapsed week has something to do with it, but I just took a look at some 'before' photos that I took in late October and there's really no difference. I know I can't expect much growth at all in the early stage, but it is a little discouraging... I can only blame myself for not being as steadfast about the hours
Edit Message Delete Message
DJ_2008
(Login DJ_2008)
SENIOR MEMBER note on airlocking November 13 2008, 7:34 AM
I wanted to add that I have been successful maintaining suction through the night using airlock, but I have modified the technique a bit:
I started using airlock because I noticed - and several ladies in the forum have pointed out - that the holes, and therefore the suction, are different between the domes. I was too freaked out to use a drill to even the holes out, so I figured manual suction would at least even things out a bit. Also, when I alternated domes the smartbox went haywire all night every twenty minutes...
The most highly recommended device mentioned was to replace the box with T tubing and a check valve (from an aquarium). Because I was still worried about balancing out the suction between the domes, I've opted for two check valves without the T-tubing. I basically connect a piece of tubing to a nozzle on each dome and then connect a check valve to each tube. From there I can manually suck the air out and I'm set for the night!
So far, so good - now if I could only work up my hours and get some of the swelling back...
Edit Message Delete Message
StacyEllen
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:26 PM
Roakie, is there any chance you are taking something that may be inhibiting your ability to swell...like advil? Just asking because I read something here once about not taking antinflammatories because they work against what we are trying to do--swell! When I have a headache or cramps I take tylenol now because that is the only pain reliever that isn't an antinflammatory (even though tylenol doesn't work for me!)
Edit Message Delete Message
Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:28 PM
Have you tried just using the smartbox and not airlocking at all? I have never tried the manual airlock because I had no problems with the smartbox and my swelling was pretty consistent from day one through the 15 weeks I used it.
Edit Message Delete Message
Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:33 PM
One more note. The coach told me NOT to press hard on the domes when trying to create a seal. Even if it alarms after 10 minutes because you did not get a seal, try again. Try to let the smartbox draw out all the air. I found I had to lightly hold down the sides by the rib cage (or have my husband do it), so there were not gaps, but you'll feel the smartbox pull out the air and get a good seal after several minutes.
Edit Message Delete Message
Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 13 2008, 3:36 PM
Sorry - forgot something. Coach said pressing too hard can force air into the smartbox and it will not monitor the pressure correctly.
Edit Message Delete Message
roakie
(Login roakie)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 14 2008, 7:21 AM
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to respond.
I think I might be expecting more swelling than I should be at this point. I am only into this for ten days now, and the swelling is quite consistent, I guess. The day I wrote was just less than I expected. I don't notice myself getting any bigger or the nipple getting any closer to the end of the dome. I still have about 5 inches to go to the end of the domes! I started out totally flat, so I guess I swell to a small A cup when I take the domes off. Since I have consistently done 16-17 hours/day since day one, I guess I am getting higher expectations than I should. The swelling lasts about four hours, and then I am down to almost the same. I am sure that if I let ten hours go by till the next session, I would be totally flat again.
I don't take Advil or anything else. I eat very well and don't believe I am doing anything to inhibit the swelling. I cannot imagine that I will ever swell to the end of the domes. Since the first day, when the domes are on, the swelling has been the same size.
Should I see the swelling inside the domes be getting progressivly more with each day? Or is it just that I will swell to a certain size that my body can become, and then I will notice longer retention?
I am working against the odds here, since I am only doing this for six weeks before I have to take a week off for an international vacation where it will be impossible to wear the domes. I am doing the 17 hours per day to equal the 700 hours under the minimum Brava study time that involves ten hours per day for ten weeks (that's 70 hours per week for ten weeks, equalling 700 hours)
I am hoping that I will retain something (even an inch) and then get back into it for several months when I get back.
Edit Message Delete Message
dandelion
(Login dandelion1) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 14 2008, 4:10 PM
tina you put in 16 weeks - care to post how it went , did you retain any growth and howmuch?
Edit Message Delete Message
Louise
(Login Louise1982)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 15 2008, 7:34 PM
Hey Roakie,
Sorry for the slow response, I've just worked 13 days solid, my house is a building site, I'm trying to rent a car (and think my driver's license may be lost in the post) - going mad!!
To get a seal with Brava - attach all the tubing to the domes. Either wash your skin and apply moisturiser (Brava say don't put cream on but they sell these products they don't use them!) or don't wash at all, put a lot of the skin prep or a lot of baby oil / lotion or something greasy on your boobs - don't let it dry, you want lubrication! Sit or kneel down. Hold one dome in each hand and put the loose end of the tube in your mouth. Press the domes simultaneously onto both boobs as hard as you can while bending forwards at the waist. When you bend whatever breast tissue you have will be maximised and the lubrication will help you get as much into the domes as possibe. Now suck the tube until your mouth can't suck anymore out. What you are aiming to do to create the seal is expand your boobs widthways until they jam the open end of the dome shut (this is why you grow more width than depth - mine start under my armpits now!!). The only reason I can think of that this may not work is if you really don't have much breast tissue - but I would expect this method to work better than the smartbox because you can suck harder.
To get good swelling - suck the domes on as hard as you can. This will be uncomfortable, try to put up with it for maybe a minute then let a little out until you can bare it. Wait about 10 mins. Now suck again until you can suck no more and hold it for a minute, let a little out. Wait 30 mins and repeat. Keep doing this until you go to bed. The smartbox will suck air out to maintain the pressure so you muct do the same. As your boobs swell there is more boob in the dome therefore less air space so the air pressure is lower. Generally try to keep the suction on the very highest you can stand, you may then need to let a little out to be able to sleep. When you wake up in the morning suck them on tight again for as long as possible before you leave for work.
If you are only just starting with Brava dont panic, as long as the domes didn't fall off in the night you've done a worthwhile session. It took me weeks to get more than 1 cup swelling and I got a good 3 cups by the end. Also some people have a weird timeframe so that they get the same swelling with anywhere between 12-15 hours but if they do 11 hours they get hardly any - so maybe the one night you didn't get much swelling you had worn them less. Again, by the end of my last session I had 2 cups swelling in a couple of hours. All of this stuff gets easier with time.
Good luck x
Tina
(no login) Re: Brava swelling getting less! November 16 2008, 2:16 AM
Dandelion,
I used Brava over a year ago and had great swelling in the morning (about 2 cup sizes) but retained only about 1/2 cup size. I had hoped for more, but am at least glad I got that. My growth after I stopped remained. I may try for more later but it was a huge time commitment so I am still not sure if I'll do it again. I used it about 15 weeks for about 12 hours per day. The part I hated most was sleeping on my back and how giant the domes are. I felt like I was in a prison but now that I am done, I am glad it did it.