Insulin Pump

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1

Hi! I have have only been on the insulin pump for 3 weeks now.  i have the Medtronic Mini Med pump. I was wondering what any of you guys that are on the pump do when you wear dresses or skirts.  I have a leg strap that I have tried wearing with skirts, but it doesn't stay up.  With loose fitting skirts and dresses I have just worn a think pair of shorts under it and hooked my pump to them.  But I dont know what to do when I wear something that fits tighter.  Any suggestions?

2

Hey Melissa, did you get the leg strap from Medtronic? I have a medtronic pump and haven't had too many problems with the leg strap although I do wear it veeeery tightly around my leg. Usually I just wear my pump on my waist if I am wearing a skirt because that is just earier but with a dress I wear the leg strap.

3

i had that same problem when i was on medtronic, have you tried cleavage or back i did both. back clipped it 2 bra strap and i did the same in the front for my cleavage area...sounds funny i know. the funniest thing is that me and my bf used to have running jokes about my buzzing cleavage when it would go off.(very akward so you had to laugh it off=) also my very flat chested friend said it is a good way t make them look bigger and hav an excuse, just go to the bathroom when you go to bolus...lol

Hope this helped!!

4

For tighter items when i wanna show off my legs i cut off the legs on a set of tights. That way I am able to place my pump in the tights at waist level. Even with tight fitting dresses no one notices my pump.

 

5

Hey there... I stick my pump in the widest strap part of my bra under my arm.  Although there are many brands of bras that can help, I found Body by Victoria Secret to be the best.  It has a wide band with stretchy (perhaps spandex?) material.  I had to get use to it but was really not a big deal.  I have worn it this way whether I was in t-shirts or full length dresses.  The one downfall I can point out is that if you are in a full length dress, such as a sundress, it is very difficult to get to the pump for alarms, dosing, etc.  Another problem is with tight sweaters...you might be able to see a little budge from behind but otherwise it is SO discreet.  Just think, how often do we walk around with our arms up in the air? :)  I hope this helps someone.  Until I found this location, I really hated wearing the pump. BTW, I'm also on the Mini-Med 522.  Good luck!

 

Courtney

6

Will be going on the pump in August..

I'm trying to visualize this bra strap deal.. I've seen pics of the strap for Animas pump - it just hangs and the only time you would be able to see it is if you raise your arms??

And when you wear full length dresses.. you would suggest strapping it to the thigh?? I really am excited about being on pump therapy and had never thought of this as a huge issue before.  I should look into it more.  Men just attach it to their belt but i know for a fact I don't wear jeans all the time.

Thanks,
Andree 

7

I struggled with the same thing for years, but here is what I've been doing lately: kind of awkward, but it's most comfortable for me!

I put my pump in my underwear-- in the little pocket inside.  I take off the clip, and it fits pretty well.  You have to wear more modest underwear in order for it to fit-- I like these from Gap Body:

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=16090&vid=1&pid=608470

It can stretch your underwear out a little, but I think it's worth it.  I'm small busted, so putting my pump in my bra just puts a visible rectangle on my body.

You do have to watch for button errors (not like accidental bolusing, but sometimes you'll sit on your pump funny and get the error, "button error," it just beeps and you have to activate out of it).

I know it's kind of weird... but definitely try it!

8

Hi! This summer I discovered a miracle when it comes to wearing dresses and skirts: Spanx! I'm young and fairly small and don't need them for the body shaping, but they are awesome for holding your pump. Just make sure you get a size that fits snugly to your body without cutting off the circulation. :-)

Depending on the dress/skirt style and whether I'll need access to my pump, I tuck my pump somewhere between the spanx and my body (my lower back, my inner thigh, the back of my thigh.) The spanx keep it nice and snug, and makes the pump (almost) invisible. 

I've never had a pump fall out. For a shorter skirt, I usually stick it on my lower back and hike the thighs of the spanx way up.

This works soooo much better than the velcro waistband/garter things I had previously used from the Minimed website.

I have two pairs of the Target-brand Spanx, called Assets. They run around $20, so I bought 2 pairs and wore them almost every day this summer (I LOVE summer dresses).

Where to Buy:

  1. Target (this is the one I have): http://www.target.com/ASSETS-Sara-Blakely-Fantastic-Mid-Thigh/dp/B0012GVM12/ref=br_1_24?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=110197011&node=110197011&searchRank=salesrank&searchPage=1&searchSize=30&id=ASSETS%20Sara%20Blakely%20Fantastic%20Mid-Thigh.
  2. Walmart also sells something similar. I believe the brand they sell is Leggs, but I'm not 100% sure.
  3. Here is the link from the (expensive, IMO) Spanx website: http://www.spanx.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2990100&cp=2992553.3010055
  4. You can also check on Amazon.com. They sell name brand Spanx as well as knock-offs.

Good luck! Hope this helps you out.

9

I wear mine 100% of the time in between the girls tucked under my bra. It requires no additional casings or clips and is very very discrete. I have always purchased small pumps for this very reason (I'm a small B). I just went to a party with a strapless dress that was fairly tight and not one person can tell.