How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machine?!

[TheSparkyPony]

Firstly, ouch!

I can't seem to grasp the fact that I have a sub-cut cannula in my stomach. The pump I'm using is an Animas 2020 which comes with a belt clip - simple enough, I put the pump in my front jean pocket with the belt clip on the outside, therefore keeping it attached.
At uni/work (student nurse on placements) it clips to the waistline of my trousers.

Problem is, the belt clip isn't working! Due to the high paced life I lead, the constant moving seems to push the pump up and off my trousers, meaning at at least one point during my day I stand up, pump falls out of pocket leaving it hanging off my stomach and pulling my cannula. (refer to sentence one for how I feel about that! :lol: )

Any ideas on how to tame the beast? xx

 

[ClaireG 06]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Am not a pump user but i'm sure i've read on here about people sewing socks to, or making pockets on, the inside of their trousers for the pump.

 

[ebony321]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Hi,

i was exactly the same, especially in the beginning!

I'd quite often stand up and it had fallen out then it would be dangling on the floor pulling at my cannula, i also continually forgot to tuck the tubing in and would catch it on door handles and my kitchen cupboards, sometimes ripping the cannula out! (ouchy)

Over time i have gotten in the habit of a quite check for the pump when i stand out or move, just to check it's still tucked away. I usually keep mine i a pocket, most recently i've been tucking it in my bra, because it's under my arm i can feel it's still in place.

Claire is right in saying alot of people modify clothing to suit where the pump is in relation to the infusion site. Sowing pockets into clothes, baby socks are brilliant for this as they seem to be the right size for most pumps!

Is the kind of clip you have just one that hugs the back and holds the pump slightly at the front? like a'C' shape sort of?

you could put elastic bands or bobbles around the edges to secure the pump better if it doesnt hold it securely when your active at work.

I think mostly getting into the practice of remembering you have the pump now and checking occasionally to make sure it's in place. Sort of becomes second nature after a while.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Hello!

I have the 2020 and I had the same problem in the early days. I find the pump sits best clipped on the front of my bra and it never falls off or gets in the way. If I do wear it on jeans I always clip it to the waist of the jeans as I found it used to "pop" out of my jeans pockets. Nobody sees it as it's at the side or at the back of the waistband.

The worst issue I had with the clip was when I went to my husband's work christmas party. I was wearing a long posh dress and couldn't hide the pump on my bra due to dress shape. I found out online that pump users often hide the pump in Spanx power pants so I bought a pair and it all seemed ok. As we were walking down the hotel corridor the pump slipped out of the Spanx and I had to swat down to catch it very quickly. It looked like I was giving birth and trying to catch the baby!!! :lol: :lol:

 

[emmaw_13]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

hi i also find it best attached to the front of my bra and its never fell out and on the waist band rather than in the pockets : )

 

[jopar]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

I quite often use a camera case, with one of those mountian rope type clips to it, pump in pocket clip it to my belt loop on my waist band, and if pump comes out of pocket it doesn't go far..

 

[Cheryl]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

All you ladies who attach your pump to the front of your bra.... how do you not look like there's something very strange going on between your boobs? (I'm not being rude, it's a genuine question lol) I'm always looking for discreet places to hide move, but have never worked out the 'front of bra' thing. What am I doing wrong? Or do I just not wear loose enough clothing?

 

[spideog]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Why is the most common answer to these types of question about where to put a pump always about attaching to your bra?

What about those of us not wearing bras?


I just have mine clipped around the belt loops of my trousers usually, sometimes it falls off if I've clipped it back to front and then knock it with the swing of putting a bag over my shoulder or something but it generally never moves.

 

[josie38]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Cheryl - if i am going out then the best place is in my bra between my boobs. I thought at first that it would be weird but its not and it doesn't usually stick out or look funny.

 

[emmaw_13]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

you can hardly see on your bra i thought it would stick out to but you cant see and in my case it actually makes my boobs look bigger lol. i think it depends on what bra you wear its better with a thinner bit in the middle if that makes sense. Spideog-i dont no what to suggest for you lol.

 

[LittleSue]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

All you ladies who attach your pump to the front of your bra.... how do you not look like there's something very strange going on between your boobs? (I'm not being rude, it's a genuine question lol) I'm always looking for discreet places to hide move, but have never worked out the 'front of bra' thing. What am I doing wrong? Or do I just not wear loose enough clothing?

It probably depends a bit on "how you're built" and the type of bra. I'm rather... pettite. I have one bra (padded) which would probably look OK, otherwise the pump doesn't feel secure and the top edge makes an obvious lump in my tshirt. Looks like I'm hiding a pack of cigarettes in there :roll:

 

[donnellysdogs]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Very rarely wear a bra, and always just wear on my arm. Never worry about lowering trousers, knix etc. Just never think about it all except for baths/showers, also due to horrific night time sweats at the moment and sleeping totally bare...being attached to arm, just never have to bother about where to put it at night, or if I am going to lie on it etc....
I think women have it easier than men on pumps....as possible for bra attachment, can't say I would really like to worry about taking pump out of pocket trousers or being attached to a waistband f trousers each time I change etc.....I have complete and utter freedom 24hours-6 days except for baths, but thats the same for everyone.
Know a couple of guys now on combo pumps that wear in the same place as me after seeing mine.

 

[silvarbullet1]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Very rarely wear a bra, and always just wear on my arm. Never worry about lowering trousers, knix etc. Just never think about it all except for baths/showers, also due to horrific night time sweats at the moment and sleeping totally bare...being attached to arm, just never have to bother about where to put it at night, or if I am going to lie on it etc....
I think women have it easier than men on pumps....as possible for bra attachment, can't say I would really like to worry about taking pump out of pocket trousers or being attached to a waistband f trousers each time I change etc.....I have complete and utter freedom 24hours-6 days except for baths, but thats the same for everyone.
Know a couple of guys now on combo pumps that wear in the same place as me after seeing mine.

So you use one of those ipod-type arm-band things that you see joggers wearing? Is it quite obvious to see? I'm hoping to get a pump soon and trying to decide how it will fit into my life, and how it will attach to me...

 

[annettekp]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Hi

My 3 year old is about to go on a pump and we've bought him 2 pump pouches. They are pouches attached to the belt and sit at the waist. One has a clear plastic bit so you can see and work the pump without taking it out and the other is fleecy and has a fleecy belt. We've had a trial and the pump just can't fall out/off. We got our from a UK site funkypumpers I think.

Annette

 

[emmaw_13]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

Anne that sounds fab will check that out your son will be so much better on the pump its so much more flexible wish him all the best.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Re: How can I try to remember I'm attached to a £3000+ machi

No, I just secure it between 2 layers of tubigrip that I buy from chemist. Comes in 1 metre lengths and I cut to the length that I want.

I wear one piece if tubigrip directly next to my skin and then place the pump on it with tube feeding downward and then it comes back up my arm and the other layer of tubigrip goes directly on top securing the pump and tubing in place. The pump is between my shoulder and elbow, and I use 70cm or 90cm tubes which allow me still to position the sets anywhere that I like, and my favourite places are bum and legs.

Don't often wear short sleeve vests etc, so don't often worry about it showing, and to be honest it doesn't bother me anyway. Have only worn a swimming costume once in 3 years, so not particularly showing my pump or sets off. I know at nights it is always still facing downward.

I would love to have accuchek to provide an armband to wear pumps on arms, but they don't, so I have had to devise my own due to non bras, and hating it on my waist, trousers, pockets etc. Now, I am a total happy bunny with it.

I do believe this will only ever work with accuchek combo pumps, because of the fantastic remote they have, it means I never have to take it off......if I had a pump only to do my bolus' and alterations on all the time, it would absolutely drive me crackers, as I would have to take it off my arm all the time to do anything.