i've been lurking for a little while, figuring i'll introduce myself.
i'm 26 (almost 27), 5'5", weight ranging between 127 and 133 or so, around 32-34a to 32b, with varying levels of fullness.
i've been at nbe since march 2006, and, sadly, all growths i've seen have vanished for one reason or another.
first time around i was taking vanity for about 4 months, which seemed to help quite a bit and i was encouraged. however shorty after starting the break from it i had an extremely stressful week during which all new growth was gone.
second time around i tried individual herbs (fenugreek, fennel, and red clover primarily, also tried wild yam but it seemed to cause acne) and introduced massage whenever i could fit it (most days though not every day). again there was good growth which disappeared during a stressful time even while i was still taking the herbs.
third pass i started mirifem in addition to herbs and even a couple-three weeks ago it looked like i was having a growth spurt. i stopped mirifem cuz i had a feeling it wasn't good for me (though i may try it again later), and readjusted the herbs over the last few days. also over these last few days i've shrank again to what seems the lowest point in months.
it's all a bit disappointing, as one can see.
things that appear to cause shrinkage are numerous: caffeine, inadequate sleep or bad sleeping patterns, overeating, *stress*, worry, insecurity etc. i am a bit of a worry-wort, and i am prone to bouts of depression and insecurity. it doesn't bother me as much in life in general since i'm used to the ups and downs, but with nbe oftentimes the downs appear to cause shrinkage. i also seem to shrink mid-cycle (when ovulating), in addition to the tail end of my period. at times i wonder whether it's possible for me at all, and i'm quite teased and frustrated by the up-and-down boobage.
i haven't given up yet, however, and this time around i'm trying fenugreek, fennel, and licorice, (also borage oil and milk thistle to help my liver out) along with massages whenever i can do them.

Welcome!!! I would suggest checking out the programs page ~ many of us have gone through the exact same things. Sometimes it takes awhile to find out what works. I don't know too much about the whole NBE process, but I do know that if you continue to look around, you should be able to find the answers you are looking for ~ and the girls are really helpful with alot of the questions!!!

Good Luck!!!

hey it's nice to meet you! i'm elle i do have a log in but i forgot my password :( lol. im a bit of a worrier too i get really anxious and paranoid about things and i think this is why i feel ill and tired at times. i like to talk to other worriers tho it eases the pain hehe. im 21 and im on wu, i have been for 5months i started in the summer when i was 20. i have seen growth mostly on one boob, but the other is starting to hurt alot and i take this as a good sign. it is really good that you have had some growth, i think your chest fluctuations are supposed to be normal for some women, some people from the wu board have said that these variation have eventually stabalised. have you tried any relaxation methoods? my favourite is reading, curling up in a bath every other day, making sure you keep warm, keep organised so you dont panic (im such a culprit of organisational flaws hehe) or you could try yoga? ones aimed at displining the emotions and mind. other gentle exercises like swimming? stress and worry is so hard to combat, it seems so hard somtimes not to look for somthing to worry about, its like i get an exelent essay result or a brilliant pay slip and i still worry! in the long run it means im vigilant and am the first to notice usually if somethings wrong lol. i get it from my dad, my mum is permenantly relaxed, i wish i was!!!- as a young teen i used to be sick wen i worried, now i just get tummy pains :S do you get it from ur parents too? good luck xxx

elle, i actually already do all sorts of stress and worry-prevention things... i swim, a few times a week, i do qigong and reiki... i could do much better with sleeping patterns, it's true...
but overall i get stressed and/or depressed less now than i used to... on the other hand it seems like (and perhaps all the hormone tinkering contributes to that) that whenever i have 'episodes' they are shorter but much more intense, which of course wreaks havoc on my enlargement efforts...

Wellcome! Your post really made me think about the factor of stress in NBE. I think it is often overlooked and possibly has a bing influence, whole state of mind actually. I wonder if anyone who had considerable problems with strees, depression, mood swings was succesful at NBE. Or just believing in it - I wonder if someone who pessimistic about NBE ever grew. I think the mind is also my biggest problem, all of these factors from stress to negativity - I often get down and don't believe NBE will work for me, although I know I shouldn't cause it's not making my chances any better. Right now there's a lot of stress in my life and I decided to go off herbs and start again only after things have calmed down. We should probably all do our best to escape of stress as much as we can.

ohh yea hormone tinkering must really play with our emotions, i never used to cry so much b4 a period! lol it's confusing. well, sleep is a really big factor with stress, especially if its inturupted sleep, i think they say 6 hours uninterupted is better than ten hours where you wake up during it. sleep allows us to heal the mind and body. maybe herbal teas before bed? or try to sleep early? or maybe you could be light sensitive? some people can get disturbed by the moonlight and not realise it. blind folds are supposed to improve sleep because you get into a comfortable zone of your own peaceful darkness. lol sorry for waffling, i hope your fluctuations steady out soon :o) xxx

stress and pessimism play a big role... you need to find ways to keep yourself motivated and keep yourself relaxed.

i stay optimistic by looking at the pictures, and by posting my own. i know that some people arent comfortable with the posting, but when i look at the pictures of others i can say "see? it works for them, so we know it works, so now i need it to work for me!" and then if i can look at my own i can see even a tiny difference and i can then say "see? its working, however little or slowly or just even reshaping (this month)." it keeps me thinking positive.

as for sleep... im a horrible advisor. i havent slept well in about two years (not stress related, combat related). been to the shrink, got some froofroo diagnosis, and went on my merry way. but i found that if you are stressed, you wont sleep well, which makes you more stressed, and so it continues. whatever makes you feel most relaxed, try and incorporate it into the day. like if you never relax at home like you do on the beach, get warming lights, get a mood cd with waves, even put a lawn chair and a maitai in your living room! spend some time there unwinding each day and you might sleep better.

boy, and i thought my shrink had some froofroo ideas... but hey, this one works!

added hops towards the tail end of the cycle... changing the routine up with next cycle - will post an updated program.
coming along fairly nicely; will do another cycle or two before taking a break.