new questions

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AnaMarie

Guest
So I received my system a week or two ago, and I've been pumping almost every day. I missed two days in the beginning. Lately I've been pumping for an hour or two per day (being a student means lots of time on my couch studying). I got the domes to suction on pretty much immediately, but had a bit of trouble with the rings and losing suction. This was fixed completely by putting a thin rim of lotion around the lip of the ring that the cup rests on, so no difficulties there. Just to remind everyone I'm 25, have AA or less, never breast fed, no kids. Now for questions!
The first couple of times I pumped, my boobs were pulled up normally, meaning with my nipple still in the center and pointed the same way. I couldn't get very many pumps in before it was uncomfortable. Now when I pump, they swell much more but my nipples go upward for the first few pumps and then point downward and touch the side of the dome. Putting the domes further down doesn't help- they just slide back up. Does this happen to anyone else? Is it normal?
Also, although I've definitely noticed that my boobs are more expandable, I have NO residual swelling once I take them off. The only evidence I've done anything at all is the red rim I get from the edges, and some petechiae in the upper area. Is this normal? When will I have swelling afterwards?- I realize everyone is different, just curious if this is a step in the process.
Lastly, I realize that because I'm taking an all-progesterone birth control (depo-provera) I may benefit from some estrogen. I've done some research and discovered a natural thai herb that I believe was mentioned on here previously, and I'm curious about that. The problem is, I am wondering if it would interfere with the efficacy of my birth control. I did find some info about interaction with tricyclic contraceptives, but those contain estrogen already. Does anyone have any insight? I left a message for my doctor asking but he has yet to respond.
Sorry for the HUGE post, but I thought I'd just ask them all at once. Thanks in advance!
 
J

jenjen

Guest
Hi Ana Marie,
I don't know about the herbs but can address some of your other questions. I've only been using NB for just under a month, so my experience is limited.
However, like you I'm AA. I have been getting some lasting swelling if I pump at least half an hour, otherwise they go right back to normal. If I pump an hour (only possible for me at night sometimes), it lasts several hours. However this didn't start until after a week or so, except for one afternoon early on. In general though, they are still unfortunately quite resilient in returning to their original state. Like you I can pump further and further into the cups, and I hope that this will soon translate into longer lasting, and better swelling.

I think since we are starting with very little breast tissue, we have to expect slower results than some others here. I realize that even a 10% increase in size is hard to notice when it's 10% of very little!

I too have had trouble centering my boobs in the cups. I think it's because I have so little flesh surrounding too (I'm bony) that I have to really push them up to get the bottom of the cup between two ribs. The soft rings do solve this problem for me though. And .. today for the first time I was able to center them *without* the soft rings. I'm not sure what this means, but there must have been *some* kind of change.

So let's be patient, and keep on pumping. Maybe it will be 2-3 months before we notice a change that lasts. I do suspect though that you'll soon see some swelling that lasts a little while.

jenjen
 
J

jellyDeeeee

Guest
Hi anne marie well done on your strt to boobhood !!!!!!

I can offer some suggestions re herbs if you like love jellyDeeee...
 
D

dollface

Guest
Hi AnaMarie,

If the Thai herb you are referring to is Pueraria Mirifica (PM), the manufacturers state that you should NOT take it with your birth control. Without getting too much into the biochemistry aspect, PM and BC will compete for the same receptors and cancel each other out.  In other words, if you take both at the same time, there is a high risk of becoming pregnant and you will not get any benefits from PM.

Also, keep in mind that since you are just starting, to ease into your routine.  The idea is to gradually build up the time you are pumping. The petechiae you mentioned may be due to overpumping. Perhaps, for now, breaking up your sessions into 15-20 minute intervals may be better, instead of pumping continuously for 1 to 2 hours. 
 
A

AnaMarie

Guest
Thanks for all the advice and assistance! The support system built into this site/company is really amazing.
I knew going into this that it wouldn't be an overnight thing. I guess I'm just anxious because bikini season is just around the corner- it'd be great to be able to buy a regular bikini for once.
That is the herb I was thinking of. I somewhat figured that it would be contraindicated because part of the reason depo provera works is that it causes endometrial atrophy, and taking an estrogen would reverse that. It was wishful thinking to think I might be able to take it. Maybe I should consider switching to a birth control that has both estrogen and progesterone because that would help encourage growth, but I tend to get side effects on those. ARG!
Thanks again to everyone! Anyone who has pictures, please post them! They are great motivation for those of us who are just getting started!
 
W

www

Guest
Hi dollface~~~

I have a question regarding to Pueraria Mirifica (PM)... as you mentioned that PM cancel out birth control... Will the cream contains PM gives the same effects or can you use PM cream with BC? ??? Also, do the cream contains PM works? Have you or anyone you know used it with results? Sorry for the sudden questions...


Regards,

-www-
 
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dollface

Guest
Hi www,

Only internal PM (i.e. swallowing PM pills/tablets) negatively affect birth control. The same can be said about other herbs that you ingest. Just be careful and do a thorough research to avoid the risk of pregnancy.

Topical creams CAN be used with BC. I used St. Herb cream, but it didn't do anything for breast growth. Though, I heard others growing with the cream alone, so it depends.

Hope this helps.
 
W

www

Guest
Hi dollface ~~~

Thanks for your reply... ermm... about herbs, what other herbs will affect BC :-\ I took herbs before with BC (the e-book I got said it's safe to take with BC)... but I didn't know it could cancel the affect of BC :-[ (EEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK). so just wondering you know which herbs will affect BC? ??? Maybe that's why the herbs I took never took any affect on me :'(

regards,

-www-
 
D

dollface

Guest
Hi www,

Sorry to worry you unnecessarily. I should be clearer and say that not all breast enhancing herbs affect BC. Off the top of my head, I know for sure PM pills cancel out BC. Doing the research is imperative so you know what you're putting into your body. (This also applies to medications that are prescribed to you. You have to know the risks, benefits, side effects and safe/max doses.) What other herbs were you taking?

Speaking from personal experience, I've tried several breast enhancing products and none of them worked for me. :mad:
 
W

www

Guest
Hi dollface~~~

Thanks for you quick reply ;D Well... I tried some breasts enlarge pills... but they didn't work for me (I wasn't on BC then). Then I read an e-book about natural herbs that can enlarge breasts... and I took Saw Palmetto, red clover and fenugreek... (but I stopped now coz took them a long time and don't work :'(). Are those safe with BC? The book said there is no major side effects ... but have minor side effects like tiredness and upset stomach... :-\ and also state it's safe with BC :-\

I heard of St. Herb cream... so that didn't work for you :( I'm on a very tight budget :'( so have to think twice (or more) to what I get... Do you know any cream that works? Sorry for all the questions....

regards,

-www-
 
D

dollface

Guest
I've read that saw palmetto and fenugreek have side effects related to weight gain and the other two you mentioned.  Also keep in mind that most of these herbs have been used safely for multiple purposes for thousands of years in eastern medicine.  The first FDA approved oral contraceptive came about in 1960 and there is a lack of current research available detailing (adverse) interactions between BC pills and herbs. 

Creams alone, generally speaking, haven't been shown to increase breast size. It's usually the rigorous massaging that increases the breasts. I'm on a budget too; I would recommend using body lotion (that you probably already have) to use with NB. These expensive breast creams aren't worth it.
 
J

jellyDeeeee

Guest
I found the st herb serum (there is a cheaper alternative cant remember name yet ) same blue bottle same product much cheaper definatelr expand the breasts temporarily at least in my case. Ill look up the cheaper brand if you like love jelly...
 
D

dollface

Guest
off topic: herbs with birth control

Hi www,

I did a quick search on Eve's forum and found these posts (just a starting point as it can be quite overwhelming due to info overload):

http://www.network54.com/Forum/371678/thread/1168325720/What+herbs+affecrt+birth+control-
http://www.network54.com/Forum/371678/thread/1168605702/pm+vs+birth+control
http://www.network54.com/Forum/371678/thread/1161663646/Ladies+on+birth+control---+TAKE+CAUTION%21
http://www.network54.com/Forum/371678/thread/1149828402/INFO+about+Saw+Palmetto+and+Birth+Control
 
A

AnaMarie

Guest
I might actually be able to shine some light on this subject; I'm a lowly 2nd year med student in the midst of a Pharmacology class.
Most women are on mixed estrogen-progesterone birth control (most of the pills are this type). Information about interaction with this sort of birth control is pretty easy to find- progesterone-only birth control is used much less frequently and therefore often left out of the discussion.
BC pills are broken down by liver enzymes (called cytochrome P450s). Some drugs and herbs can enhance the actions of these enzymes, which makes them work faster- making them break down your BC faster. So a pill that would normally cover you for say, 48 hours may drop to sub-protective levels in a shorter time frame. Taking these drugs (inducers) can cause your blood levels of BC to drop too low to actually prevent pregnancy. Several antibiotics do this, and your doctor will usually tell you to use condoms while taking them. Most doctors don't, however, pay attention to herbs and natural supplements. St. John's Wort, an antidepressant herb is DEFINITELY one that does this- don't take it if on BC- it makes your BC less effective.
I'm not aware if Saw Palmetto is a CYP450 inducer or not, but it wouldn't be relevant to BC because it is generally taken to prevent benign prostatic hypertrophy, and I'm not sure that women should have anything to do with it. It works in a similar fashion to Finasteride, which is a BPH drug that women who could possibly become pregnant are strongly warned not to even TOUCH, much less ingest.
PM is a relatively un-talked-about herb, and despite doing my own research I couldn't find much about it. I'll try to keep looking.
As far as topical creams, generally speaking they do not enter systemic circulation (don't get much into your bloodstream) and therefore can't really affect liver enzymes. I wouldn't worry about them too much with BC, but I have no idea if they work.
I hope this helps some- I'd be happy to try and answer any other semi-medical related questions or interpret any medical info. I also have access to a great resource- many physicians and Pharmacology PhDs at my school. In the meantime, if you are concerned about a particular herb, try to find out if it is a cytochrome inducer, usually labeled in an article as CYP followed by some number (e.g. CYP3A4). If it is, be wary about taking it if you are on BC. And probably don't take any oral herbs while breastfeeding unless your doctor says it is ok- most pass into breastmilk.
By the way, in addition to the thesis I've written above- the main reason I decided to give this system a try is that from what I've learned about the body, our cells, growth factors, etc.... it is scientifically sound. It makes medical sense that it would work. So... I'm going to stick with it and keep my fingers crossed!
 
W

www

Guest
Hi Dollface and AnaMarie~~~

Thanks so much for your reply!!! OMG... Since the book said it is ok to take with BC (I mean... didn't think a book will give false information for there readers), I didn't think to research on it... Now I'm not sure if I should take those herbs (as I'm on a break on them)... What am I gonna do with the remaining herb pills?? :'( Should I throw them away? (wasted money :'( and time :'()

regards,

-www-
 
A

AnaMarie

Guest
www,
I'm not clear on whether you are taking all of these herbs for breast growth or for other reasons. Like I said before, Saw Palmetto is for BPH- and is as effective as the prescription medicine Finasteride. At least one of my sources says that you shouldn't use Red Clover if you are taking estrogen (i.e. birth control). As for Fenugreek, which seems to be marketed as a pro-fiber cholesterol lowering agent, I didn't see anything necessarily stating that it would interfere with your birth control. It DOES, however, interfere with the absorption of drugs in your intestines, so if you are going to continue taking it, DON'T take it at the same time as your pill. Give yourself at least a couple of hours of leeway. My common sense advice, however, would be don't take any of those. You said they don't work, right? A lot of people seem to think that herbs are harmless because they are natural. However, lots of medicines come from natural plants as well- these herbs and supplements are still having effects on your body, maybe just not the ones you'd like them to have.
And it's a good idea to just take the bottle to the doctor who prescribes your BC and ask him/her if it is okay to take it, but like I said before, a lot of doctors- particularly those who went to medical school before the supplement craze- don't know much about it. At least that is how it is in the US, it may be different where you live. ?
I hope this helps, good luck with everything!
 
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www

Guest
Hi AnaMarie~~~

I'm only taking those for breasts growth... Don't need to take them actually but I started before I brought NB... and it's like section of courses which you take the pills for 3 months and rest for 1 month, and I'm currently on the break... I did stock up for another course, so it seem like a waste if I don't take them :-\

Don't know what to do :'( Maybe I should just bin them :'(


-www-
 
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www

Guest
Oops... forgot to say to jellyDeeeee~~~

Thanks for helping out... The price would be ideal if it is low (coz I'm on a low budget), but the main thing is whether it works or not :-\ So, have you used any cream(s) that works?

regards,

-www-
 
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