Are Things Budding

[Aly Cat]

Ok, so my question is...can someone define budding nipples? My nipples have become sore and are constantly erect...if that's the right word. I was wondering if that is what people mean by budding? The rest of the breast area is not sore yet, its just the nipples. Does the pain extend out from the nipples? What can I expect here?

[whowhatwhen]

After a month mine definitely feel funny sometimes, ranging from tingly to sore.
Their configuration hasn't changed though, they're usually both innies but sometimes they both go out or just one does like it is right now.

Kinda sore this evening though but it changes during the day.

[Aly Cat]

It's been about a month for me and the soreness just started a few days ago. They are pretty consistent about being sore too. I have noticed that going just by feel (nothing visually noticeable yet) the breast area tissue is becoming softer. When I flex my pecks, I now feel mush over my peck muscles whereas before, it was just hard muscle and then skin. I'm getting excited and can't wait until I'm able to visually see a difference. I'm just curious about what everyone means by the whole budding thing. And im wondering if me "nipping" all the time is what they mean.

[JohnH]

My experience is breast buds were observable by vision. They grew out to become breast tissue. I don't recall my timetable of the initial observation unfortunately. When I started wearing bras I wore B cup. After about a year I went to C cup. It is likely a year after I got C cup bras I will be going into D size since I continue to have breast growth pains.

But my breast growth aside from the initial appearance of the buds are my experience only; there are variations with trans-women as there are with cis-women.

Johanna Anna

[Aprilrain]

For me it happened as you describe, sore, tender, itchy, erect, nipples and then eventually I could see that they were becoming cone shaped, Especially under the areole. My nipples doubled in size over time as well. All I got from HRT was barely a 36 A. I had to take silicone supplements to get them to their full potential:heehee:

[GabbiSophia]

I also am a month on and i have had nothing happening. I keep waiting for the soreness or the tingling and so far I am bla. I hope it starts to happen soon though. I am sure though I have saline in my future.

[Angela Campbell]

I started with tenderness and itching, after about 3 months I could feel a mass under the nipples. That is still growing and sore at 1 year in, but not itching much anymore. I have solid B, s.

[LeaP]

Budding doesn't refer to the nipple, strictly speaking. It refers to the appearance of a firm mass under the nipple's center as the first indication of breast development. The medical term is thelarche.

[Aly Cat]

Thank you Leah, thats good info. Id say that my right one is starting to feel like that. When I push down on the nipple, I feel a very small ballish feeling in the center. Its also much more tender than the left one. The left one is still sore, but not quite as bad and there is no ball underneath it even though it still stands erect most of the time. The right one feels like its kicked into overdrive or something. I hope things balance out soon. I dont want to have a uniboob!

[Jorja]

Eva, keep in mind it is normal for one side to develop at a faster rate than the other. Don't worry too much about it, the other side will catch up sooner or later.

[becky77]

I was surprised how quickly it has become uncomfortable to run down stairs.

[LeaP]

Lord yes, Becky, and you'll quickly find how natural certain female body gestures come with the territory. In this case holding your arms in certain ways to minimize bounce when movement threatens!

[Kathryn Martin]

the budding you are referring to is the very initial beginnings of glandular development, that is the tissue is becoming activated through estrogen receptor uptake. It's awesome and will continue for many years. I cannot wear t shirts without a bra anymore - apropos erect nipples.

[LeaP]

... I cannot wear t shirts without a bra anymore...

No way, no how. It's become almost obscene.

[whowhatwhen]

Both mine still point inward most of the time but they do get a bit more sore by the day :)
I'm not 100% sure but I think the areolas are a bit bigger as well.

[rachael.davis]

Silicon "daisies" like this http://www.rickysnyc.com/braza-silicone-gel-petals.html were a lifesaver when I started

[whowhatwhen]

*pokes nipple to see what happens*
OW! ****!

[vetobob9]

I have firm mass under both nipples but the mass under the right nipple is bigger than the under the left. Of course my right nipple has been bigger than the left for a while. (since high school)

[whowhatwhen]

Things I can no longer do:
Flop face first into bed... ow

[StephanieC]

At least in my case, the areolas grow as well. I used to use coins to measure the growth...I don't know if this is commonplace

[GabbiSophia]

At what point should you start to feel something vs see? I do realize that all are different bit what is an average? Say the third month?

[PretzelGirl]

I think you will find a wide variety of answers. I have seen some that didn't have anything change in the feel until the third or fourth month. Others in the first month. I had itching and soreness in the first month, but the level of soreness doesn't seem to be quite at the level others describe. So either that is just the way it will be or it will increase over time. So I would think that you just have to look at it as a range of possibilities which unfortunately goes from 1 month to forever depending on dosages and biology.

[GabbiSophia]

Yeah I have read that already. I am in month 2 now and do not have soreness other than work making me sore. Which I have found happens easy now. I am not sure if it is a lack of using them or the hormones. Either way I haven't noticed anything budding except the 15 lbs I have put on...grrrrr

[whowhatwhen]

It's funny because when the soreness starts you'll look back on that post and laugh.
:)

[Aly Cat]

It appears my breast development is developing quickly. My left nipple has been sore, but not near as sore as the right. Over the last week and a half, my right nipple has been super sore and puffy. It has a lump underneath the nipple that takes up most of the area. Today, I was feeling that lump and when squeezing gently, clear fluid started to come out of the tip of the nipple. It caught me off guard! I wasnt expecting that until several months in! I can also tell that my breasts are starting to develop outside of just the nipple. They are both starting to take on a relative cone shape. Its kind of crazy really. I havent noticed any other changes like face shape, fat distribution or anything like that. I wish that stuff was happening more. I could really use my face to look more feminine. Oh well, Ill have to be patient. Real success on the breast side of things though!

[Rachel137]

I'm jealous! I am thin but wish I could develop some chest. Oh how I wish...

[aussie24tg]

I'm thin also rachel, I'm a 36AA, I still get some cleavage if I wear a certain pushup bra.. It just takes time, I been on HRT for 10 years and I only got AA.

[JohnH]

Let me tell you something about feminization of the face. After over two years of HRT in my case one morning I got in front of the mirror in the morning and I looked at my reflection. I said to myself, "Holy crap, I look like a woman". The feminine reflection crept up on me. However, my voice has been unaffected - if anything it has gotten deeper into the basso profundo range, for which I am grateful. Unlike most members of this forum I really want to retain my deep masculine voice.

About breast growth - I am now at a C cup and I still have intense breast growth pains. So it is quite likely I will attain at least a D cup if not an E (DD) cup. My paternal grandmother had huge breasts and my father and one of my brothers have developed breasts. So genetics really play a huge role.

All I can say is be patient with the breast growth. It takes a looong time for breasts to develop in young genetic women so why should we as trans-women expect anything different?

Johanna Anna

[aussie24tg]

HRT don't change your voice. You need to change it your self via training it.
Also if your thin you won't get much breast growth cause breasts are made allot of fat tissue.
If you are someone with a bit of weight on you will get bigger breasts compared to someone that is very thin..
This rule applies to thin cis females also. You don't see many thin females with C cup unless they gone and get breast implants.

[Aly Cat]

I am pretty decently proportioned. I am not skinny and Im not overweight either. Im 5' 9" though Im not so sure Im that height accurately anymore. I weigh 155 lbs. I have been gaining weight lately and I have heard that Progesterone (which Im taking) is causing it. That and I havent really been working out much lately. Ive been settling into a new place and waiting for my new job to start and I have been somewhat lazy lately. Im getting back into working out though. I have restarted biking recently so hopefully that will help keep me trim. I dont want to be super skinny and I certainly dont want to be overweight. I just want to be fit. The fat that I have will hopefully be moved to the right places like breast development, hips, and junk in the trunk!

I know my voice isnt going to change but Im working on that on my own. Im starting to see some success in that area too. My range is getting better. All I can do is keep practicing and working on it. Practice makes perfect!

[KellyJameson]

You can save yourself some future stress if you start making it a habit to automatically protect your chest now.

You will be amazed at how many things you will have to learn or unlearn.

I always preferred to sleep on my stomach but I cannot get comfortable now and I don't sleep as deeply on my side and this is causing me problems and I am not (thank God) that large.

I really miss those deep sleeps.

[LeaP]

You will be amazed at how many things you will have to learn or unlearn.



Here's a simple example: I just came in from 3 hours of weeding. I've always pretty much moved along when weeding in sort of a duck walk, getting down on one knee when needed to spend time in an area, bending over from there to dig and pull weeds. I can still do that - but at the expense of squashing one breast, which hurts. Two alternatives, squatting or bending over from the waist (standing) are much too tiring. The third - sitting and working from my side - works best, but at the expense of having to get up and down a lot more. Ever wonder why women so often weed sitting like that? Well, there's a reason!