TOPIC: Fluid retention but underwhelming pressure?

Hey guys.

I've known about manual PE exercises for a couple of years and dabbled for a few weeks at a time but never managed to stick to a routine. Then I read about the BM and decided to give it a serious go.
I measure at about 6.5" x 4.7", so I am looking to increase my girth. I got the Hydromax 7 and have been using it for a month now following largely the newbie routine. I did increase my erection % a bit quicker than what is indicated in the routine, but I am always very careful and attentive to not overdo it. I am probably doing less time than indicated in the routine though (I will start timing it from now on), likely around 7-8 mins max right now, I think.

Anyway, recently I have been going in with a 100% erection, pumping up to full pressure pretty quickly and keeping it under pressure for the longest time thus far (I estimate ~7-8 mins). I get a decent amount of fluid retention in the skin just below my glans, but I don't really get the "pump" at all. Even when I wait a bit and then get an erection, it's pretty much the usual size, whereas I maintain the fluid retention for an hour or two.
How come I am not seeing the pump? When I'm using the BM, I don't feel the pressure incredibly strongly around my shaft. Only when I have compressed the bellows completely and then give it a few last hard tugs, I feel it. Am I maybe nearing the max size for my BM? I almost reach the 7" mark on the BM (without comfort pad), so I've been thinking that there perhaps is not enough water available inside to be expelled in order to achieve a high vacuum. My girth is on the low side though, so volume-wise I'm far from filling out the BM.

When I exit the BM, my penis feels firm, but it is not genuinely erect and is smaller than my erect size. Are you supposed to be at or larger than your erect size immediately after leaving the BM?

I've also been wondering about edging/masturbating. I often edge for 1-2 hours during the day and then use the BM in the evening. This edging entails being at pretty much a 100% erection level for that duration. I'm not experiencing any problems related to that (apart from sometimes needing ample manual stimulation when I'm with my girl to get hard), but I remember reading/seeing somewhere that BM gains may be reduced if you have been edging/masturbating too much prior to use? Does anybody have any experience with this?

Thanks in advance for reading this wall of text!