[artswife3]

Ok, so I'm finally going to post after lurking on this site for the last 18 months. Here's my background: I'm in my mid 30s and am the mother of 6 wonderful children. Before my first pregnancy I was a great 34C. I got super large while nursing all of my babies, going up to a 36DD each time! Needless to say, after I weaned my last baby my breasts became pretty deflated. I wear a 34B because I can't bring myself to buy a 34A, and the 34B bras have gaps. I don't have sagginess, they just look like deflated balloons and when I lift my arms there is NOTHING beneath the nipple - I can feel my ribs, I'm sure some of you ladies know what I'm talking about.

So after trying Noogleberry for a full year without any success, being turned away from fat transfer because I don't have enough fat, and taking bountiful breast for a full 7 months with no results, I am starting Brava.

I have only done 2 nights so far, the first was a bust because when I checked at 2 am I realized that the one dome wasn't exerting any pressure, even though the smart box turned off like all was good. Come to find out, Brava had somehow plugged the hole that allows the air in and out with silicone! So the next morning I worked hard to clear the hole, and then wore the domes the next night. It wasn't an easy night (I don't sleep well on my back), but I made it the whole night and in the morning my breasts looked like real breasts again! I was probably a full 34B, and it's the fullness that I desire.

So I'm going to do my best to put in 12 or more hours a night (after I work up to it) for at least 12 weeks, and see how it goes. I had to take a small break to let a blister heal (I must not have gotten the skin prep high enough up before putting on the domes), but I'm ready now to start again.

I'll be thinking of all you other ladies as you persevere through this, every time I lay awake in the middle of the night. :-) Blessings to all!

[lled34aa]

good luck on your brava journey! keep us posted on your progress.

i used the noogleberry for over 1.5 years with little to no progress. i grew a little but i think that was from PM. i'm in my 7th week of brava. i think brava is way overpriced for what it is, but you do get what you pay for. my swelling is MUCH much better with brava, and i can do much more while wearing the brava as opposed to sitting still with the NB.

sleeping with 4 pillows around you really helps!

[artswife3]

Thanks for the encouragement, lled34aa. I'm going to have to experiment with the pillows to find the right combination, and hopefully that will help with the back pain from sleeping on my back.

Also, I was told by my doctor that I have very dense breast tissue (what little of it I have). I'm wondering if this was why noogleberry didn't work for me at all. My first night of swelling with brava was better than anything I got with noogleberry after a constant year of trying. My fingers are crossed :-)

[Feather_rose]

Hi Artswife3,

Best of luck with your brava journey!

It is not easy, as the endless complains of those of us using it can testify, but it does work. Slowly. Very slowly. Sometimes you lose hope, sometimes the discomfort seems more than what you can take. And the lost of the morning swelling every night can be hard to take. But so far I have gained 2 solid inches from my starting point (I have had to skip 2 nights in a row twice due to travel, and they have stayed), and it has taken me 16 weeks to get that. So I think it really is working for me.

The first 2 weeks are the most uncomfortable ones. After that you kind of get used to sleep with them and the pain (if you have any) tent to get better. Then, at least for me, the main issue was deciding if brava was going to work at all, as there was no noticeable increase of retention at night whatsoever. I was almost sure I had been scammed. But I stuck to it and by week 5 I was seeing some increase at night!

I, like you, lost my breasts after breastfeeding for long time (3 kids, thought, not 6, you are a hero!) so I think you have a good chance of having good results. They are not dramatic results like surgery, but definitively a improvement in shape and fullness. Take pics or get a bra that fits you now to measure your progress, as it is so slow that sometimes it feels like there isn't any!

I hope you have a successful experience. Reading the old posts will give you a idea of what to expect, and tips to deal with the problems.

And please keep us posted in your progress!

Take care

[artswife3]

Thank you Feather_Rose for all the help and encouragement. It really helps to know others who have and are using Brava and all the physical and mental ins and outs they have experienced.

I have already taken pictures, both in and out of a bra and from front and side angles, and I plan on tracking each week how long the swelling lasts so that I can motivate myself and keep my head in it.

Tonight will be my first night since I got the blister, and I feel a mixture of excitement and dread, but I will try to approach this with a positive attitude and look forward to the end result!

[Kk89]

Was wondering if your selling you noogleberry system? Pm me.

[artswife3]

Well, I've completed my first 10 days with Brava. I am wearing it between 11 and 12 hours every night, 7 pm to 7 am, and that seems to work for me. I started out 33 inches over the breast, and when I take the domes off in the morning I am measuring between 35 1/2 and 36 inches.

My breasts are not hard like some have mentioned, they just are filled in with the swelling. The swelling goes down of course during the day; however, I am measuring 34 inches in the evening before putting the domes back on, which is 1 inch more than I started with. This makes me very happy. Basically, I seem to retain swelling under the nipple so that my nipple isn't concave like it usually is.

I know I have a long way to go, but it is nice to see something sticking around all day, even though it's just a little bit.

[Feather_rose]

Artswife3,

It is good to hear you are having results already. I think having had kids really makes a difference in the amount of swelling and retention in the early weeks of brava.
Keep the good work and best of luck to you!