[Blue792]

Hey ladies,

I'm glad you were able to keep pumping despite your issues, here2learn. I know it took a while for me to get my evebra pump to stop going off when I used it at the beginning. Not sure if it's too sensitive or what, but I'm glad I had my other pump once I was ready to transition to it (and found out how to silence the alarms). 

Maybe they should have given the evebra pump an option to turn off all alarms except for a major loss of pressure or full container like my other pump. As long as the suction is there and you're sure it's right, I don't think the alarm is beneficial. You'll know something is wrong when it constantly keeps sucking or won't suck at all or very weakly.

Maybe we are sensitive, but 20 mmHg didn't feel that gentle to me in the beginning. It was bearable but I had to get used to it before I could say it was comfortable and didn't mind it. Even on my DeRoyal pump, I can't take 30 mmHg continuously - I can only use it in intermittent mode where it cycles from 20 and 30 mmHg. 

Or it may be that the surface area of the silicone rims is causing a greater sensation when the pump is engaged. They are very comfortable on their own but I think after a while, in addition to the weight (the whole thing is like 3-4 lbs), it can feel "crushing" at times although there's no pain and not much soreness except at certain pressure spots after taking them off. I dealt with that using the silicone foam bandages on those spots.

So far, I haven't noticed any swelling underneath my breast at all - just the breast itself. But I had to shorten the bra straps more than the slots allow so the domes weren't sitting too low. I have a short torso so most straps are too long for me if they aren't fully adjustable.

I'm still on the size 4s and started having nipple contact this week but only in the last hour or so. I called Evebra to inquire about the size 5 and 6 domes and they were each $250 not including tax and shipping. I contacted the nurse to see if it is necessary to move up or is just for comfort and she said I could stay at the 4s if I want and maybe decrease by an hour if I don't like the sensation or it causes irritation. I'm going to play it by ear as I'm in the home stretch now.

I'll be at 12 weeks tomorrow and am about at the size that I was trying to get. I didn't want to pay more unnecessarily since I'm just trying to stabilize now and not grow more. The nurse confirmed that if I'm at the size I want right before I put the domes on (for me, 10 hours after they've been off), I only need to continue 4 more weeks to make it permanent. I'll probably do 4-5 weeks and 1 extra week for the smaller breast so it can be more even with the other side.

I also checked to see when we are able to do mammograms after pumping (I usually do it at the end of January each year). They said after I stop pumping for 4 weeks it shouldn't cause any abnormal findings.

I've started alternating between sleeping sitting up and lying flat because I'm seeing a difference in how I swell when I do one or the other. If I lie flat, I get more fullness and roundness but not as much projection. Sitting up I get more projection but sacrifice a little on the fullness. I will probably switch to lying flat only in the last two weeks once I'm sure the size is stable.

I’m glad you got that info on the size 5 domes! My nipples are also touching, I called and was told to email, and no one has gotten back to me. I was wondering if it was safe to use with nipples touching, or not. If it’s just a matter of comfort, I won’t worry as much, but I will probably still need the larger domes. Hopefully I can get in touch with someone, eventually. Are you just calling the number on the website to get the nurse?

I can say for me, it is the silicone rims that cause my pain, not the suction inside the domes. I have a bony sternum, and the overlap on the giant rims is very painful. They also fold under my armpit they are so large on me. They certainly weren’t designed with small rib cages or torsos in mind.

Please keep us updated on your last few weeks, and what happens when you stop. I’ll be so curious to hear how close your permanent results are to what you’re seeing now. Congrats on being 3/4 done!