I just finished an 11-week cycle without missing any days. I wore anywhere from 10 - 16 hours per day. I had the sport system so I kept track on paper. The average hours per day was about 13.5 if you add up all my hours divide by the 77 days I wore it. My swelling after removing the system was the same from day 1 through the end of the 11 weeks except that it would last slightly longer throughout the day as the weeks went on but most would be gone after about 10 hours. I was a small 34B but would be a full 34C after removing the domes. I don't think many people end up looking like they do when they first take it off. It looked liked two grapefruits! You gradually "deflate" throughout the day so whatever bra you start with in the morning will be probably gap later in the day. I've been done for 3 days now and I seem to be about a full 34B. Measured 33.5" over nipples when I started, measured 37" when first taking off domes, and am about 35" now. I know I may lose a little more as it stablizes. I am not a lot larger - just fuller and perkier which is great for me because after nursing two children my breasts were pretty sad looking. I am happy with the results though and plan on starting another cycle in January after summer is over to hopefully get more results. I am going on vacation and don't want to drag it along otherwise I'd continue for more weeks. It became really easy to wear and put on as the weeks went by. I can only speak from my experience and everyone is different, but here's some background on my body type and some advice from my experience. I am about 5'4", 120 lbs., age 40, nursed 2 children, measured 29.5" under the crease and 33.5" over the nipples, and about 35" bending over leaning forward which is a measurement Brava asks for when sizing your domes. Very little upper body fat, small waist, most fat concentrated on the bottom half (pear shape), dense breast tissue (this may make me a slower responder than some even though I had two children). The size you actually purchase will seem very large at first, but it is based on your measurements and is accurate. My suggested size was wide-large domes and an extra large bra which normally would seem too big to me but worked fine and I never needed to move up a size in domes. Brava makes extra-large domes although it is not shown on their website when you go to the size estimator. I bought the sport system direct from Brava. I am glad I did because of the warranty and ability to purchase additional skin care direct from them.

ADVICE FROM MY EXPERIENCE IS BELOW:

The first week I felt a bit overwhelmed and wanted to quit, but I quickly was able to adjust. I had my husband help me getting everything in place for the first week and then I was easily able to do it myself. Don't get discouraged if you don't see the results you want when putting the system on again each day as the weeks go by. My growth didn't exactly follow the Brava graphs. Take pictures because at the end of your treatment, even if you don't think you got a lot of lasting growth, you'll be surprised where you started and how far you actually came. Try to at least complete a cycle. Compliance is the key.

I would not suggest wearing outside your home as the domes are very large even under a baggy shirt. You cannnot hide them from your family or when wearing them around the house. I wore an extra large men's T-shirt over my domes. The domes are bigger than the model shown on the website or in the instruction manual because you need the room for your breasts to grow while wearing the system. My family got used to seeing me every evening walking around the house with my big T-shirt and I wore them to bed and took them off sometime in the morning or early afternoon depending on how much time I had available. My initial plan was to put them on before bed and "hide" in the morning so my teenager wouldn't see me, but once I saw how huge the domes were, I realized that was not possible.

Also, wearing this may be cumbersome for women with infants and toddlers as it would be difficult to carry a child with domes on. Also, you probably do not want to wear any low-cut shirts for several hours after you remove the system as I found that the “footprint/mark” or "outline" from the domes remains for quite some time during the day. You will want to buy a larger size bra to put on after you remove the system because your breasts are very large (even after the first day of wear) and you don’t want to compress your breasts. You want to keep the swelling as long as possible. Your larger bra will seem too big by the end of the day when you put the system on again for the next session because you "deflate" throughout the non-wear hours.

Sleeping on my back during the first week was difficult. Brava suggests placing pillows under your legs and arms to relieve pressure points and prevent you from turning over. The pillows worked well and I never rolled over or lost the seal. You feel as if you are in a hammock with the pillows. I used small travel size pillow under my head and arms and a standard pillow under each leg.

Also, from speaking with the Brava coach, I learned you can substitute plain baby shampoo for the Brava skin cleanser and Eucerin Calming Cream for the Brava lotion, but you must use the No-Sting Prep Wipes and Brava Antiseptic Dome Cleaner as there are not substitutions available for those.

Don't press too hard on the domes to try to get a seal. The sides are where you may have trouble with air escaping but once the pump is on a few minutes, the sides will hug against your ribs and when the pump shuts off, the domes stay put. Be patient. I had my husband lightly press against the sides and hold them in place the first week.

Use the orientation checklist when you buy the system. It has great advice and instructions. The only skin problems I had were some redness near the armpit area.

Overall, I am glad I used Brava, will also use again in January for another cycle. I like the perkier/filled out look I have now. Learned more to accept the breasts I end up with after being compliant with the required time/effort I put into it and not to expect "Hollywood Boobs". I also learned to focus on the things I can change and have control over such as exercising and eating right. Also, accentuate and be proud of your more attractive features such as your tummy, legs, butt, arms or whatever it might be that you're proud of - even if you're not happy with your breasts! If surgery is not an option for you (as it is not with me) commit to the Brava required time and accept what you get. You can then say you did everything in your power. Also, check out this website my doctor told me about for photos www.bravaresults.com. The women here are not a lot larger but look filled out.

Good luck!

Thanks for your long post and the informative and interesting comments. It's nice of you to take the trouble to post so much stuff.