What kinds of problems I may encounter?

[MsVal]

I am on a quest to grow my own breasts and am off to a fair start, with reasonable expectations. I want to ask those that have gone before me what kinds of problems I may encounter?


Best wishes
MsVal

[Natasha V]

Soreness and itchy areoles.. Good luck to you

[I Am Paula]

Mine were very badly behaved. They stayed out late, and ignored curfew, came back smelling of booze, and covered in lipstick. The key is discipline.

[Angela Campbell]

Only problems I had were hiding them before I was full time. and yah they might itch.

[MsVal]

Paula ... you are BAD! <grin>

I am beginning to have some itching and tenderness. I've been expecting that and to a degree, I'm happy to have the validation that what I'm doing is beginning to work.

What kinds of social or emotional issues have others had? How did (do) you handle them?

Best wishes
MsVal

[Angela Campbell]

Emotional? hmmm I fell in love with them...

[celeste26]

MsVal, you have not said that you are part of a proper HRT program. I hope you are, then both the breasts developing and the emotional issues come from a common cause, the HRT. It is not the breasts themselves which might cause the emotional issues.

If you are not part of a proper HRT program and are doing this by yourself, be very cautious. Damage to your liver can result and even worse depending on just what you are doing to yourself. This is something not to toy with.

If you are doing it as part of HRT, then ask your medical professionals, they are there to help you in this effort.

[PretzelGirl]

I guess the question back is, what kind of problems are you expecting? HRT by itself has side effects, whether your breasts grow or not. But as stated above, you can be sore and/or itchy. I am not sure what else there could be.

I keep mine harnessed down, so they can't get out and misbehave like Paula's. Thats what happens when you don't restrain them and set them free!

[arbon]

the only problem I have had with mine is they never grew very big.

[Cindy J Angel]

plenty of water

[LeaP]

The TS perspective isn't about looking like a woman, it's about reaching body-mind congruence. Transsexuals often have issues with breast growth prior to social transition. It's an acceptable trade-off for the psychological validation for most of us. The problems I've personally encountered include relationship damage as the reality of transition settles in, and hyperkalemia from Spironolactone. Others have conflicts over augumentation. Some wrestle with limitations in activities and (male) clothing choices. We stress over anatomical differences as they relate to breast size, bra fit, and figure. Some of us spend a lot of time agonizing over genetic potential. We have issues and concerns ranging from mammograms to lactation to prolactinoma. We worry about serum levels of estradiol, administration route differences, and the merits (or lack of) progestogens. About clots and cancer risks. Blocked ducts, bleeding, uneven growth, lumps and cysts, tanner stages, tubular growth, regression prior to surgery and more.

For a crossdresser perspective on living permanently as a man, identifying as a man, with breasts, I suggest asking other CDs (you identify as a CD, per your earlier posts). Their issues, whether on the way or on arrival, are no doubt different.

[MsVal]

Thank you all for your responses. They range from the silly <grin> to the serious <thoughtful> and all are helpful.

I want to address Lea's thought provoking post.

I am a slave to logic and reason, a worshiper of planning.

As I've come to learn more about myself. I see that my center, my comfortable place long ago left the 'M' side of the spectrum and is moving well into the 'F' side. I have no reason to believe that it will stop where it is. My therapist earlier said that I was a 'plain vanilla crossdresser' but now wants to avoid labels. I am beginning to question that earlier label.

This past year was a year of discovery and learning. I believe that 2015 will be a pivotal year in many ways.

Organic breast growth and other feminization take quite a while to achieve results, if they do at all. I've lived longer than any of my ancestors, save my mother who passed away 10 years ago. It may be time to develop a plan that is achievable in my remaining years. Plans involve risk. Risk needs to be understood and managed. I expect to be blindsided by some Unknown Unknown, but shame on me to be blindsided by a Known Unknown.

And that is why I am thankful for the information and advice I receive from any of those who have walked the path before me, regardless of their label.

Best wishes
MsVal

[Kaitlyn Michele]

With regards to your OP, what is your concern specifically?

[MsVal]

Thank you for your question, Kaitlyn.
Sometimes one does not know what questions to ask. That is why my original post was intentionally open ended.
I can think of these, but there may be more.
- Health
- Social
- Emotional
- Practical

Can you offer some insight?

Best wishes
MsVal

[Kaitlyn Michele]

The biggest thing I would say is that you can't have the answer you seek.

It's totally and completely unpredictable based on you genetics, your doses, your delivery methods, your testosterone (are you blocking that?) and even your emotional state going into it.
Bursting into tears for no reason for example. Not the biggest issue but I know people who for weeks cried multiple times daily!

It can cause health problems including high cholesterol and worse, it can cause emotional problems especially if you are not doing this to live as your true self,..
You should be getting regular blood work to make sure you are not creating outside health issues. I have my blood tested 4x a year and I pay extra because those tests are not covered.

Physically its possible almost nothing happens and its possible that they grow enough to cause you problems socially..
At our age, its much more likely that nothing or very little happens. You need to prepare for that

That's kind of why I asked...I thought your question might be very general and there is really no answer to it..
This is something that you do and see what happens. People will try to answer with what happened for them, but frankly if you lined up 100 of us, you'd get 100 answers all over the map...its no help to you..

If you are doing this, see what happens, and if something develops then i'm sure people here will be able to relate to your experience and figure out the best way to handle things.

[Frances]

Problems? For me, it's finding bras that "really" fit me. Everything is a compromise. I wish they made 40A's with small cups.

The other major problem is patience. It took me 6 years to get something that looked like actual breasts.

[Kathryn Martin]

The real question that would I have for you is: Why?

Are breasts something special for you - and to have them is important? For what reason?

Lea hinted at this when she made a statement at the beginning of her post, but she did not frame it as a question.

What if after all the hormones the results are unsatisfactory, what will you do then? Frances pointed to something that is kind of important, how to find the right fitting garments. Have you taken your measurements? Some may think that is a weird question ut the garment industry is geared to women's bodies in women's clothes and especially with bras.

And it all comes back to why. Sliding along the M/F spectrum what is it that makes you want to have boobs? What will you do with them? Will you hide them most of the time and sometimes let them out to admire them - their growth in minuscule increments. Are you planning to live the life of a woman?

I know, you asked for information and all of that is abundantly found around the net. But how do you assess health, social, emotional and practical risks if there is no discernible reason to take them. Or is it just a fancy?

[Angela Campbell]

Knowing what your expectations are would be helpful. Do you plan to transition? Are you already living as a woman in public? Do you plan to? Do you suffer with gd and hope hormones will give relief? Would breast enhancement possibly be a better choice?

[Frances]

Actually, not having expectations would be more useful.

[whowhatwhen]

^^^
After reading sad stories of transwomen who got no or next to no growth in the range of years this is the best way to go.

One problem is walking boob first into things or even worse squeezing through somewhere and slamming the side of your boob on a wall.
:(

[Kaitlyn Michele]

or the worst...

that fricking corner of the car door...

[whowhatwhen]

That hasn't happened to me. Yet.
Only a matter of time though because I'm very clumsy.

Last night I kept tossing and turning because somehow I'd end up resting on my boobs and grumbling a bit each time.

[LeaP]

Actually, not having expectations would be more useful.

+1




that fricking corner of the car door...

Oh
My
God ...

[Kaitlyn Michele]

So if I can sum it up.

Taking HRT to just grow breasts is a health risk, its iffy(especially if you are older) at best and unless you want to be disappointed you should probably assume you'll get no growth or very little..

If you do get a lot, then you will have to for the rest of your life bind them and hide them.

All the while, you will bang them against things and it will hurt.

[KaceyR]

Well.. Can't say on some of this.. Don't think my levels are where I get too drastically emotional yet (most of the time) but I will just state what I've noticed on the medical/technical side myself.

This is early on..3-months experience. Yes, they get sore..and more sensitive. Started for me by 10-14 days in.
In my 'young' experience.. It seems they grow (especially with standard E and blocker) in cycles.
And this is mainly more under the areola section..
As the areolae section (and nearby tissue) aches, it seems to be defining where areola may end up growing to each time. (At least for me...). Basically... Started with aches. More solidness grew under nipples/areola.. A cycle seemed to end then with bigger outer visible areola and nipple itchiness. Then back to more aches, covering bigger core areas and so on.
The cores are the center of aches/pains at least for me.
Oh.. And my nipples sort of vanished.. I had neat nipples. The areola cores grew up more around the nips so they didn't show anymore.
My Outies Became innies :)
Although recently there's indications of those starting to grow more on top of the new cores again.

Getting some outer area (outside the areola center) growth, but not as much. (Mom was a 34AA so didn't expect miracles :/ )

Anyways..that's it so far for me. Some may be different from others as I know I've had some T spikes yet. And I wonder if that causes some pauses in the process...

Oh and car doors.. Yyeah. Been there.
Luckily, I'm still wearing forms in top to soften the blow.. But I still felt it...dang door snaps back too fast at times..
Can't wait till I have enough to not need the forms... Gonna be a while unfortunately, though.

[whowhatwhen]

All the while, you will bang them against things and it will hurt.

I don't think the sore boobs ever stop.
Nine months in and the nipples are still painfully sore and small dogs who love climbing always seem to step on them.

[Nigella]

Tenderness can last for quite a while, think of it as going through puberty. A genetic female has upward of 5 or more years of puberty, you will be just the same :)

[celeste26]

Look to the size of your mother's and sister's boobage to see the potential you have. If they only have small ones guess how big yours will be (without augmentation that is.) Then wait the 5/6 years. Of course nutrition helps and staying away from the things that you know are not good for you.

[I Am Paula]

Yeah...My sister has tiny boobs. All the other women in the family have huge boobs. Guess which ones I inherited.
If the lord don't bless you will good genes, better hope he blesses you with a good surgeon.

[phylis anne]

" I am Paula"
I agree my "girls are little yet but I still look at them and say "some peoples children"!!!
hugs phylis anne

[MsVal]

The biggest thing I would say is that you can't have the answer you seek. [...] I thought your question might be very general and there is really no answer to it. This is something that you do and see what happens. [...] If you are doing this, see what happens, and if something develops then i'm sure people here will be able to relate to your experience and figure out the best way to handle things.

Okay, that's a fair answer Kaitlyn. I can accept that the experiences are so varied that it is impossible to say with any degree of certainty what I could experience. I will, of course keep in touch with the fine people here as things change.



The real question that would I have for you is: Why?

Are breasts something special for you - and to have them is important? For what reason?
[...]What if after all the hormones the results are unsatisfactory, what will you do then?
[...]how to find the right fitting garments. Have you taken your measurements?
[...]Are you planning to live the life of a woman? [...]Or is it just a fancy?

Those are very good questions Kathryn. I have some answers, but I'm not personally convinced that they all are the right answer.

Breasts are not all that important to me, at least not large ones. If the goal is to blend, or maybe pass, then I could do that with forms and no one would have an issue but me. I wouldn't be authentic. I have very little authenticity as it is. This is due in large part to the promise I made to my dear wife that I would present as a man whenever the children are around, and someone is home 24/7. I get by with underdressing and imagining I am a woman.

I have low expectations for speed, size, and uniformity. As I encounter problems I will do as Kaitlyn suggested, ask the ladies on the forum for help.

Genetic women come in various sizes and shapes. Due to these differences, they may not be able to wear some styles at all, and must make compromises on some others. Realistically, I will have a greater challenge, and will make greater compromises. My measurements aren't too far off the bell curve for a 5' 5" 140# woman.

"live the life of a woman" ... that's the tough question. I want to believe that I am still a plain, ordinary crossdresser. I have too much doubt to say for sure that I am. My future will be much simpler if I am. I cannot answer that tough question today.




[...]Are you already living as a woman in public? Do you plan to?
Do you suffer with gd and hope hormones will give relief?
Would breast enhancement possibly be a better choice?

Again, more good things to ponder.

At this time, family circumstances make it very difficult to life as a woman at all. I have a plan for breaks of one to two weeks late this summer. I expect to learn much more about myself.

I understand that hormones are not a panacea, and do not expect them to fix emotional issues. I have a prescription for medication that is specific to emotional issues, and it helps a great deal.

BA is fast and effective, but costly. It would have been possible while I was working.

Thanks, Angela, and thanks everyone else for your helpful words.

Best wishes
MsVal

[Kaitlyn Michele]

I think your further thoughts demonstrate that you are serious about trying to improve your quality of life and perhaps feel HRT and breast growth would do that.
I would not dismiss the possibility that it could work for you if your expectations are low and you are lucky.

If you are suffering from gender dysphoria then you are well served to be exploring this topic but by far the best thing you can do for yourself is get dressed "as yourself" and walk out that door and start interacting with people and being viewed as the person you feel you are.. I really believe you can tell a lot from this experience both as a practical matter (passing, appearance, fear, test the waters) and as less tangible feeling that you belong or you don't. It will no doubt mitigate any negative feelings you have now and how you feel about it over time will help inform you about what you need to do... lots of older folk that live as women do not take HRT

HRT does not replace living. Trust me if you feel more authentic all that is likely to do is make you want more. That feeling of authenticity is the whole ballgame.
This means that you need to talk to your wife and negotiate time away or private time where you can get out there and test those real life waters temporarily and see how that works for you.