Topic: Just another mtf tale

[Ellie_Arroway]

This is the only way I can share my cake with you all!



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[ChrissyRyan]

This is the only way I can share my cake with you all!



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Ellie,

Thank you for sharing.   


Chrissy

[Ann Jolene]

Diolch yn fawr i ti! 

  Mae croeso cynnes i chi ferch!...,
  Hope had a wonderful day.  😀

[Ellie_Arroway]

Hormones progress: I have been offered an appointment on 3rd November 2020 for the first of the two consultations, so I can now book the second one which needs to be at least three weeks later but will probably be January.

Shame it couldn't have been done through primary care... Ah well. I think eventually it will be.

Breasts next year? Hoping

[Ellie_Arroway]

I have a date for the endo as well now - it's March next year. A long time to wait, but at least I now have that date.

I spoke about breasts in my last post. It blew my mind today when I filled my 36A bra completely!

I measured my body, and sure enough, there is now a 10cm difference between the size around the breasts and the size where the band goes.

OK, it may not be the case that I actually need a bra at this point - but the fact that I'm big enough to fill one is yet another indication of my trans nature! And that's not as if I needed any more!

[Pammie]

I have a date for the endo as well now - it's March next year. A long time to wait, but at least I now have that date.

I spoke about breasts in my last post. It blew my mind today when I filled my 36A bra completely!

I measured my body, and sure enough, there is now a 10cm difference between the size around the breasts and the size where the band goes.

OK, it may not be the case that I actually need a bra at this point - but the fact that I'm big enough to fill one is yet another indication of my trans nature! And that's not as if I needed any more!

And is that even before you start taking hormones?


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[mm]

You will know when you need a bra; they will start to giggle when you run or up/down stairs and you feel like you want some support.

[Northern Star Girl]

@Ellie_Arroway
Dear Ellie:
Regarding boobs and when a bra may be needed, here is a "test" that has been handed down by mothers to their teen daughters.......

I had posted the following last year and perhaps on several discussion threads but here it is for your thread.
           
                    "The Pencil Test"
     For anyone growing female breasts it is always a
     good milestone to pass when one can place a
     pencil under the breast in the inframammary crease
     and let go of it,
     If the breast can hold the pencil then that is cause
     for celebration, it means that one is really growing
     breasts and one is most likely to need to wear a bra.

check out the following thread on this link:
   https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,235365.msg2214675.html#msg2214675

Hugs and well wishes,
Danielle

[Ellie_Arroway]

And is that even before you start taking hormones?

It is!

Maybe it partly explains my dysphoria? I don't know. My waist-hip ratio is 0.8, right in the middle of the "ideals" for women and men. I'm a rectangle, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if I approach or even attain hourglass after going on hormones... I don't know how much the waist-hip ratio is likely to vary on hormones.

You will know when you need a bra; they will start to giggle when you run or up/down stairs and you feel like you want some support.

I don't need a bra right now. I do find one useful for reducing discomfort while running, however.

My understanding is that nobody actually has a medical need for a bra... which makes sense really.

@Ellie_Arroway
Dear Ellie:
Regarding boobs and when a bra may be needed, here is a "test" that has been handed down by mothers to their teen daughters.......

I had posted the following last year and perhaps on several discussion threads but here it is for your thread.
           
                    "The Pencil Test"
     For anyone growing female breasts it is always a
     good milestone to pass when one can place a
     pencil under the breast in the inframammary crease
     and let go of it,
     If the breast can hold the pencil then that is cause
     for celebration, it means that one is really growing
     breasts and one is most likely to need to wear a bra.

check out the following thread on this link:
   https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,235365.msg2214675.html#msg2214675

Hugs and well wishes,
Danielle

It's gonna be a while before I can meet that test! Thanks for that...

[ChrissyRyan]

I have a date for the endo as well now - it's March next year. A long time to wait, but at least I now have that date.

I spoke about breasts in my last post. It blew my mind today when I filled my 36A bra completely!

I measured my body, and sure enough, there is now a 10cm difference between the size around the breasts and the size where the band goes.

OK, it may not be the case that I actually need a bra at this point - but the fact that I'm big enough to fill one is yet another indication of my trans nature! And that's not as if I needed any more!

Ellie, 


That is nice and affirming.  Congratulations!

Chrissy

[Ellie_Arroway]

Hi all,

It's been a little while since I've been here.

Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed by life and have to take a step back. This has been one of those times.

I'd just like to allay any concerns that I might not be OK. I am coping OK. I am still working.

Hopefully I will get back to normal fairly soon.

Thanks for all the love and hugs you all offer!

Ellie

[davina61]

Welcome back!! Great you are fine, life plods on --------

[Ellie_Arroway]

Hello all! I'm back, but due to work commitments, I'm not going to be able to visit here quite as often as I used to, right now.

Little update from me...

Some 36A bras are a good fit for me... and some are not. I need more bras. (I'm becoming self-conscious about my nipples; probably irrational as I don't think they are changing; it may well be my imagination that they're beginning to grow; but there we are).

So, buying more bras. I found that a 36A T-shirt bra from Asda's George range gaped a great deal and had a load of air underneath it. I also tried a 36A plunge bra from the same range, and that nearly fits like a glove; there is very slight gaping at the top.

So, am I an A, or am I an AA? They do not do 36AA in the supermarkets; I might have to try M&S for one of those. I don't believe a 36AA plunge bra would fit me, but a 36AA T-shirt bra probably would.

Fortunately I returned the T-shirt bra without quibble and got a full refund.

The other update I have is voice...

I've had two proper therapy sessions now - basically, lessons. I can speak easily in the female frequency range as long as I think about it, and it sounds natural, though it doesn't sound like a woman speaking yet. I am being taught to raise the larynx, keep the tongue high, and keep the lips closer together when I speak. It makes a bit of a difference and I think my voice has gone from very masculine to moderately masculine. That is an improvement for me - I could pretty much sing Hey Mr Bass Girl! 

That's all for now. I may look at a few other threads, but don't be disappointed if I don't. You can always DM me if you want to reach me directly. Thanks!

[mm]

Ellie_Arroway, you quickly learn different makers and style bra will fit differently, some only slightly and others so completely different that you need a different size. Always if possible try on every bra before you buy it.

[davina61]

I like M&S ones and you can try before you buy.

[Northern Star Girl]

@Ellie_Arroway
Dear Ellie:
It is so good for me to see that you have updated your thread....  I miss you very much when I don't find your posts on your thread and other various threads around the forums.

I am so very glad that you are finding that your voice  therapy sessions are helping you.  Practice, practice, practice.... and more practice.

Regarding bra sizing....  I will give you information that I am aware of in USA sizing hopefully you can find it helpful.
just a hint, a 34B bra has the same cup size as a  36A bra....  you can find those bra band extenders that will allow the 34 band to fit your 36 underbust.
This is true for most all bra cup and band sizes....   there is a thing called "sister sizes"

Go to this link for more information:  https://themelonbra.com/bra-sister-sizes/
.... here is the easy to follow chart toward the end of the above linked page.
                (Left Click Image to Enlarge)


Bra Band Extenders:
          https://us.shein.com/Plus-Bra-Extender-Hook-Strap-6-pack-p-841640-cat-2356.html?url_from=adplaswbra04190906639one-size&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7uOio7mI7AIVex-tBh0aJg4vEAQYASABEgI-TPD_BwE
              (Left Click Image to Enlarge)


Thank you for sharing and posting.
HUGS and HUGS,
Danielle
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hello all! I'm back, but due to work commitments, I'm not going to be able to visit here quite as often as I used to, right now.

Little update from me...

Some 36A bras are a good fit for me... and some are not. I need more bras. (I'm becoming self-conscious about my nipples; probably irrational as I don't think they are changing; it may well be my imagination that they're beginning to grow; but there we are).

So, buying more bras. I found that a 36A T-shirt bra from Asda's George range gaped a great deal and had a load of air underneath it. I also tried a 36A plunge bra from the same range, and that nearly fits like a glove; there is very slight gaping at the top.

So, am I an A, or am I an AA? They do not do 36AA in the supermarkets; I might have to try M&S for one of those. I don't believe a 36AA plunge bra would fit me, but a 36AA T-shirt bra probably would.

Fortunately I returned the T-shirt bra without quibble and got a full refund.

The other update I have is voice...

I've had two proper therapy sessions now - basically, lessons. I can speak easily in the female frequency range as long as I think about it, and it sounds natural, though it doesn't sound like a woman speaking yet. I am being taught to raise the larynx, keep the tongue high, and keep the lips closer together when I speak. It makes a bit of a difference and I think my voice has gone from very masculine to moderately masculine. That is an improvement for me - I could pretty much sing Hey Mr Bass Girl! 

That's all for now. I may look at a few other threads, but don't be disappointed if I don't. You can always DM me if you want to reach me directly. Thanks!

[Ellie_Arroway]

Regarding bra sizing....  I will give you information that I am aware of in USA sizing hopefully you can find it helpful.
just a hint, a 34B bra has the same cup size as a  36A bra....  you can find those bra band extenders that will allow the 34 band to fit your 36 underbust.
This is true for most all bra cup and band sizes....   there is a thing called "sister sizes"

Bra Band Extenders:

Hi Danielle @Northern Star Girl; thank you for posting on my thread!

I'm hoping to post a little more often. I just don't have as much time as I used to.

I am aware of the sister sizes. I think a 34A would be equivalent to a 36AA in cup size and I could indeed do the bra extender thing. I would need to do so because I get pain from a 34 band. It's another option for me to explore if I need to!

I have another exciting update. I had my first professional beard removal session yesterday (laser)... Slightly ouchy, especially between lip and nose... but apparently the first is always the worst, and it wasn't as bad as me trying to sort myself out with the Tria 4X that I was trying (and seemed to be having no effect on my titanium beard hair). I've paid for my first three sessions and the schedule calls for one every four weeks. I've been advised to expect 6-9 sessions to see a significant difference.

Paradoxically, I have got really good at wet shaving now with a double-edged safety razor... a skill I never even started to learn before I started expressing as a woman!

Ellie

[Ellie_Arroway]

A little more about bra sizing...

Taking my measurements (bust 90cm, underbust 80cm), Sainsbury's Tu Clothing thinks I'm a 36A.

With the exact same measurements, Asda's George Clothing thinks I'm a 36AA.

I really have come to the conclusion that bra sizing is just like most other women's garments sizing - one brand's A is another brand's AA, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is also another brand's B. I have a garment from Lovehoney that is meant for people with B to D cups and it seems to fit me very well!

I don't know if the UK sizes bands differently... if you look at the start of the thread, I was thinking I was a 32C. I now consider that that was a ridiculous cup size for me to assume; I don't know what I was thinking! But that's what the first guides I saw on YouTube for bra sizing told me - the underbust size is the band size. It wasn't until later that I found out that you are supposed to add four or five inches. And I have seen some sites that say that adding four or five inches is an old-fashioned approach.

I can wear a 32" bra band, sure. It's very painful after a few hours. Gives me acute backache. 34 does too, to a lesser extent.

So I think that 36" for the bra size is absolutely what fits me, but the cup size will vary between different manufacturers and styles. I also think there is no way to tell in the shop whether a bra fits as we cannot use changing rooms at present, so it's a matter of buying the bra, taking it home and trying it...

[CaelaNotKayla]

I also think there is no way to tell in the shop whether a bra fits as we cannot use changing rooms at present, so it's a matter of buying the bra, taking it home and trying it...

Ellie-

Shoulder straps seem to be my nemesis!  Some brands will, even with the shoulder strap fully extended, put the band up to two inches higher than my fit.  I've been thinking of taking the measuring tape from my sewing kit on my shopping trips, so I can at least take garment measurements until more of the changing rooms open back up. 

Hugs!

Caela

[ChrissyRyan]

Ellie-

Shoulder straps seem to be my nemesis!  Some brands will, even with the shoulder strap fully extended, put the band up to two inches higher than my fit.  I've been thinking of taking the measuring tape from my sewing kit on my shopping trips, so I can at least take garment measurements until more of the changing rooms open back up. 

Hugs!

Caela

If the shoulder straps are too short, does that lift the breasts up higher than they should naturally be for you, or it is such a misfit that it hurts and does not give support?

Chrissy