MTFs, how far do you go?

[ChelseaAnn]

I was wondering something of other MTFs and how they feel about this particular subject. Since many of us want to transition (fully or not), and present as women, how far do you take it? Obviously, even with a full transition (SRS included), we will never have a period. But, would you still put pads on for a few days a month? There are things we will never experience that ciswomen experience, but does anyone make the effort to be as close as possible? The pads were the only example I thought of, but maybe there are other things?

[Zumbagirl]

When I had my srs surgery that was the first and only time in my life when I needed to wear a pad for real and you know what I think? It sucked and now I understand why so many women hate their periods. The less I have to do the better. But what else is there though? I'm as physically female as medical science can accomplish. I never thought of a period as a must have or even a nice to have. In fact I like the way I turned out, all the gear with none of the problems.

[MariaMx]

lol, no. I did in fact have to wear pads for a while after srs, but beyond that I don't see any reason to wear them now. I have however considered keeping some tampons in my purse because I ahve been asked for them in restrooms before. Unfortunately I can never seem to remember to buy them.

I'm pretty content with what I have and I don't feel not being able to have a period a loss. It would however have been great to be able to get pregnant. Not so much because I hunger after the experience of being pregnant but rather because I would like to have kids and I'm not allowed to adopt because of my trans-status

The other day I was visiting a friend of mine and when in the bathroom washing my hands I noticed a wet spot right over my right breast nipple. I'm pretty sure I was lactating. Did I get excited about it? No, I got really annoyed because of the tacky looking stain on my brand new top 

Apart from full cis-privileges I have everything I need as a woman.

[Nicolette]

Sorry, why would one want to put on pads for a few days per month? The only reason I can see is if you have a fetish for that kind of stuff. I've know a few who talked about pads and stuff, but they were occasional crossdressers.

[Lesley_Roberta]

I have had a polysoydnal (that is not even remotely close to spelled correct, I merely sounded it out) sinus operation on my backside long in my past. Basically they open the sinus glands in the crack of yer butt.

I was permitted to wear pads for several weeks as a result, yippee I felt so glad Here's your truck load of sarcasm Lesley hehe.

I also suffer from roids, oh I know full well the thrill of needing to wear something to protect against periodic bleeding (no pun intended), or the problem of stray random seeming discomfort. I have only missed out on the bloating I think.

How far will I go in 'simulating' my womanhood?

Hmm I will NOT simulate anything at all.

I am what I am, I deal with what I deal with and I will not actually go LOOKING for grief though.

If the weather is dreadfully hot, I still wear my top, hey I don't actually have breasts, and as such, it's not like I am in a situation where going topless is going to be me casually exposing hooters to view eh. But I feel like a woman and that means acting like a proper one.

My health simply doesn't look kindly on me forcing my posture to be like how a female normally would sit. It just leads to a lot of knee and hip joint discomfort. I won't sit legs wide open if I have a skirt on though.

I talk like I talk, I am just more aware of why I say what I say now. It just makes more sense to me now is all.

I like what I like, I just have a better understanding of why I like it now.

I personally am of the sort that thinks women wear dresses and skirts and pants are only for garden work, servicing the car, and warmth in winter. I don't actually consider pants to be women' wear. That's just me though. I'd rather be in something very female in manner of clothing all the time given a choice. I am not in a hurry to buy women's jeans, I hate jeans in the first place.

I often wonder, will HRT make me less anti male?
I often wonder, will I finally make peace with my own sex organ, or will it be the case I will never be happy till it's gone.
Will I ever over come my own built in brain washing and be able to wear women's swimwear? I never go swimming anyway.

The truth is 90% of my life as it stands currently, is indoors, and in no way in need of my impressing anyone. If there is no reason to expect company, odds are I am wearing a shirt and nothing else. All I see in the future, is my eventually sitting around the house bare assed in something meant for a woman, rather than me just wearing a longish male polo t-shirt. I don't think it is an odd notion, my wife lounges around in her night gown, and my mother tends to be about the same, and my niece is prone to sitting around her place like that.

I like to be bathed and perfumed and wearing some jewellery when I go out. Currently it is really all I have to work with. Doing none of that just means I have nothing at all to make me feel good. Its for me in the end, I don't do it for the observers.

[Jamie D]

Pilonidal cyst?

[Antonia J]

Consider there are some MtF members here who are non-binary. I identify female, but I am not sure SRS is right for me. Gender variance comes in all shapes, sizes and colours.

[ChelseaAnn]

Eh, was just curious

[MaryXYX]

I personally am of the sort that thinks women wear dresses and skirts and pants are only for garden work, servicing the car, and warmth in winter. I don't actually consider pants to be women' wear. That's just me though. I'd rather be in something very female in manner of clothing all the time given a choice. I am not in a hurry to buy women's jeans, I hate jeans in the first place.

You could start an argument with this!  Personally I agree with you, but I will say I could be persuaded to change my mind at some point.

[Murbella]

Personally I will probably never do the bottom surgery, or any other procedures for that matter so I'll hope that HRT does for me what it can.  But on the end of simulating womanhood, I do intend (if my wife will put up with me) to make an attempt to breastfeed a hypothetical third child we might try for at some point. 

I have also heard about trans-women who do to some extent cycle their hormones to simulate the levels that cis-women go through each month.  I'll have to read more about this.

[MariaMx]

I personally am of the sort that thinks women wear dresses and skirts and pants are only for garden work, servicing the car, and warmth in winter. I don't actually consider pants to be women' wear. That's just me though. I'd rather be in something very female in manner of clothing all the time given a choice. I am not in a hurry to buy women's jeans, I hate jeans in the first place.

Absolutely 100% not! I couldn't disagree more with this statement than I currently am.

I often wonder, will HRT make me less anti male?

Probably. It did for me. There's a saying "The newly converted is holier than the pope". I think something similar happen when we come out and start our journeys. Personally I can't think of any other time when I obsessed more over things than during my transition. A lot of emphasis is placed on the things that we think symbolize womanhood, such as dresses and not having any sort of hobby that a man would ever think to have. Well, in time all this changes. At least it did for me. I found that I didn't need to put on a skirt to feel as a woman. I just happen to be a woman who thinks jeans are awesome cause I look awesome in them when I find a cut that fit me well. Also I don't have a particularly frilly personality. I'm feminine for sure, but not frilly. As a matter of a fact I haven't even had my ears pierced.

Pants are just pants and skirts are just skirts. Neither will make me or break me as a woman. I only care if I feel comfortable with what I wear, which mostly happens to be jeans. In the years that have gone by since my transition I've come to realize clothes have very little to do with me being a woman. It's all about how I project and carry myself, which by now has become so ingrained that I sometimes surprise myself when I happen to notice how different I am now from how I was in the past.

Cool clothes, makeup and shoes are all nice, but they are basically just accessories and I no longer need any of that to be woman.

[MariaMx]

I have also heard about trans-women who do to some extent cycle their hormones to simulate the levels that cis-women go through each month.  I'll have to read more about this.

I have too, but personally I wouldn't bother. For all intents and purposes I don't think it would make any practical difference. Besides, I get terrible hot flashes if I mess with my hrt regiment.

[Jenna Marie]

Like others have said, I *needed* pads immediately post-op (and for about the first three months after each dilation, because I had to do it so often that I was always leaking), and have no desire to revisit the experience. I'm told the expression on my face the first time I felt liquid sliding out of there was priceless, though!

Count me in on the emphatically pro-pants brigade, too. I enjoy the occasional short skirt/dress now that I can get away with it, but for the most part I'm in pants, flats, and no makeup. I did go through a "high femme" phase right after starting transition... but I got over it.

(I also don't think GRS was necessary for a "full" transition. In fact, I finished transition two years before surgery; the bottom rearrangement was purely for my own peace of mind, and had nothing to do with "transition as a process" for me.)

[Nicolette]

There is nothing more feminising, and sexier, than a pair of well-fitting jeans. They can, sometimes, leave nothing to the imagination. And "how far do you go" requires some time post-transition to get perspective on what is meaningful to womanhood. Like a bra, you can't wait to get it off after a hard day's work. How far do I go? Feeling good being divested of all accoutrements, in my home, is my ultimate goal. A few more weeks to go for that..