Hi ommama,
[quote]I am 4 foot 11 inches and 105-110 pounds.
My husband is 5 foot 10 and 135-140 pounds.
We got a new bed from European Sleep Design— their Baltic ES model.
www.sleepdesign.com/Baltic-ES-Mattress
Initially we chose the softer talalay latex (17.8 ) with the firmer springs. I had back pain from sinking in to the soft latex and also sometimes pressure point pain as I would feel the firm springs below. We changed to the firmer talalay latex (32.9/33.6) on top and the slightly softer springs.
The firm latex hurts me over my head, shoulder, and hips (when side lying).
We borrowed a 1 inch soft talalay latex topper (17.8 ) from the store and tried it over the firm latex. For 4 days I was comfortable and the pressure point issues were alleviated. Then I started having the kind of back pain I get when my body isn’t being supported enough.[/quote]
Unfortunately … I can’t feel what you feel and I don’t know nearly enough about either you or your mattress to make any specific suggestions that would be meaningful outside of more general possibilities based on educated guesswork. This would be similar to calling a doctor and telling them that your back hurts and asking what to do. In the same way that the doctor would probably suggest to visit a local doctor who can help you in person … my “best” suggestion would be to work with your retailer in person who in your case is very knowledgeable and experienced and would be the best source of guidance. They would know more about their mattresses and the types of changes that have helped their other customers in similar situations than anyone else.
In your original configuration you made two changes (the firmness of the latex and the firmness of the innerspring) which may have “jumped over” the configuration that may have been best for you. If you were feeling both pressure points and back pain then you may have only needed the single change of a little bit more thickness in the comfort layer with a topper and your back pain may have been from not having quite enough soft latex to “fill in the gaps” in your sleeping profile not because you were sinking into it too far (which isn’t as likely with only a 2" layer of latex).
When you switched to the firmer latex then it doesn’t surprise me that you were feeling pressure points because of the firmness of the latex in combination with your lighter weight.
When you added the topper … then the comfort layers may have been OK (in combination with the softer springs) but now the softness of the springs may be the underlying cause of your back pain.
Of course all of this is guesswork and I would definitely talk with them in person as they are in the best position to help.
Post #2 here has more information about some of the things that can affect the feel and performance of a new mattress and there is also more information in post #2 here and the posts it links to about the various “symptoms” that people may experience on a mattress that may help you do some of the detective work that can help you identify some of the underlying causes behind your “symptoms” but this would be much more complex than just talking with them in person about your situation.
They are very good at helping to “track down” the types of changes that may be helpful. I would also ask them if you can extend your trial period slightly to give you the time you need to try out any other changes which would certainly be preferable to a return (for them as well as for you).
Phoenix