Hi!
Soo, I started my HRT yesterday! (yay) I feel very satisfied that I started it tbh :)
But I have concerns about something - swimming.
I am aware that hrt will make changes in my body, but how long can I still swim 'as a male' in swimming pools? Unfortunately as a women I believe that it would be quite hard to do it without doing srs? :s
How you are doing in the pool? Are you still swimming (how?) or you've made a break?
Thanks for sharing experience :)
Hi Emma,
I had that same question a couple of years ago and concluded my swimming pool days were over especially since I do not tuck. Since then I have been very happily surprised by my transition. After a couple of months going topless was no longer an option and i won't ever live as a man again anyway. I found nice one piece swimsuits that have a mini skirt built in or as an option that cover my rather diminished bottom bits nicely. I have been in several public pools with no problem at all and, as usual, most people are busy with their own fun. You don't need SRS to be comfy in a swimsuit IMO. We have friends here who are outstanding in bikinis too.
I grew up on the east coast and around Wilmington, NC. Women are not confined to bikini's or one piece bathing suits; they make feminine "board shorts" and other apparel that is both seasonably fashionable and comfortable. A t-shirt along with board shorts sounds perfect until you're comfortable with presenting as female; then I'd just add a bikini top and rock the shorts. For imagery: think Blue Crush. :)
It really depends. I can wear a two piece bikini with minimal tucking and it looks pretty decent. No real bulge to speak of. But some of us have bigger problems down there (to use a pun) so that may not work.
I like the board shorts with the bikini top idea though. I'll need that for the water parks this summer with the kids. It's our favorite activity. :)
I haven't quite figured this one out yet. I've always disliked swimming growing up because of my protruding sternum and was afraid of getting made fun of. Being that I have small but noticeable breast growth due to hormones, I can't swim in male mode cause of the breasts and not in female mode because I didn't have enough female features as of yet. I'll work on it one of these days.
I uses a rash guard last season. This season I will need something with a design. Use areola and nipple protectors. Prior to HRT I used a t shirt. I never felt comfortable with an exposed chest.
I would have had to stop going out topless within the first month of HRT (except it was winter, thankfully), so my advice is the same as it was for myself - when the shape of the breasts starts to look female, that's the time to quit taking your shirt off in public. Well, not that I ever took my shirt off, but it was also when I started being unable to go out without a bra. ;)
As for swimming, it's perfectly possible to wear a women's bathing suit without GRS. I specifically went looking for the ones with a cute little skirt that they make for middle-aged women who are self-conscious about their bodies, and it worked perfectly; in fact, I got a two-piece where the top accented my bosom and the bottom had the skirt. I have never even tried tucking, and I was not tiny down there, and I wore that to the beach and the pool for 2 years without a second glance from anybody. I would think that it'd even be possible to wear a second, tighter/smaller bikini bottom under the skirted bottom if need be, though I was fine without anything additional.
Hey Emma, Yes the changes do become very apparent and will depend on your endo systems... as for swimming, I used to wear tight rash vests and sometimes a loose tee over the top, depending on thickness and material of the rash vest... however I no longer swim unless alone at this stage in moving towards a very transitioning stage, harder to hide body shape, boobs and womanly limbs now :)
I was a late in life HRT starter, for many reasons not of my doing, however the process also takes a lot longer in later life than younger life.
L Katy :-*
I found that starting out small and working my way up to wearing a two piece infront of all my family and friends was smart. I started wearing all male clothes (boardshorts, tshirt ect) then swapping the shorts for womens swimshorts and I don't really care about the general public so wearing female swimwear was never a problem at the beach. I also tuck with tape before swimming.
Yup, no swimming pools and gyms for me anymore - now, home and street are my gym (not swimming pool, lol).
Theoretically, I could venture into guys changing room, but I dunno, in the end of the day, who would be more confused - me or them.
It really depends on quickly you develop - even then, depending on the size most people will probably think they are moobs rather than boobs for at least a little while. After that you're going to need to look at covering them up or going in female more. I can do female mode with a little bit of tucking and a one piece female swimming costume. Looks good!
I wear a bikini at the beach and a leotard at the gym. I'm non op. While YMMV the junk disappears and is easily hidden.
At this point - 3/4 through Aussie summer - I am very close to saying 'to hell with it' and just going to the beach regardless.
I mean, if you wander 500m down the coast at my beach, you will find old boys tanning their todgers ... so why should I care? :~D
I miss it a lot. Used to swim quite a bit with squads.
Did it for 40 years so it is part of me as a top level swimmer.
Makes me quite sad that I will not be able to swim for some time. :'(
Quote from: Jenny07 on February 02, 2015, 05:52:39 AM
I miss it a lot. Used to swim quite a bit with squads.
Did it for 40 years so it is part of me as a top level swimmer.
Makes me quite sad that I will not be able to swim for some time. :'(
Sis you just have to get use to guys being jealous of having a woman beat them in the pool. You don't have a problem being an elite cyclist!
You are a leader to transgender female athletes. Be proud! We look up to you.
Says the winner of the 400 metre supermarket wheezing contest.
Yeah I used to lead the squads for many years.
Was proud I swam with aussie reps and beat them.
Best was 6 * 100m going on the 65 second repeats. Just think about that for a sec.
That's all the rest I got but I did it while the others couldn't.
Most people struggle doing 50m in a minute.
Always liked to race people kicking as I could kick 50m in 35 sec while they swam.
They rarely beat me even with a dive.
Sort of a stress release going for a swim at the ABC after work.
It's so hard giving up the things you love for this BS.
One of the best pools in the world. Have a look at it.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DHN.608017737201354799%26amp%3Bpid%3D15.1%26amp%3BH%3D106%26amp%3BW%3D160&hash=9157e05f6934865f0ab013835dc20f900811c3c7)
Quote from: Jenny07 on February 02, 2015, 06:12:25 AM
Yeah I used to lead the squads for many years.
Was proud I swam with aussie reps and beat them.
Best was 6 * 100m going on the 65 second repeats. Just think about that for a sec.
That's all the rest I got but I did it while the others couldn't.
Most people struggle doing 50m in a minute.
Always liked to race people kicking as I could kick 50m in 35 sec while they swam.
They rarely beat me even with a dive.
Sort of a stress release going for a swim at the ABC after work.
One of the best pools in the world. Have a look at it.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DHN.608017737201354799%26amp%3Bpid%3D15.1%26amp%3BH%3D106%26amp%3BW%3D160&hash=9157e05f6934865f0ab013835dc20f900811c3c7)
Among all of us are people we look up too. Be she a trans movie star, or a model, maybe a trans Lt Colonel, or a leading lawyer. We also need our athletes. Aussies love sport! You honey are an elite athlete, I know your past :-*
You are a world leading athlete at a level few men or women can even think of approaching. Be proud! You inspire me.
Be proud. You are an incredible woman.
Quote from: ♡ Emily ♡ on February 02, 2015, 05:21:49 AM
Yup, no swimming pools and gyms for me anymore - now, home and street are my gym (not swimming pool, lol).
Theoretically, I could venture into guys changing room, but I dunno, in the end of the day, who would be more confused - me or them.
Yeah I need a new gym because I can't use the locker rooms as I'm not out at work and the gym is at work. It will be temporary for a few months though.
Wow, I didn't realize this was a concern. I just tuck back in bikini and gently lay scrotal skin around the base to give the appearance of vaginal lips and go swim. I rocked a normal bikini for the last month of this past summer, nothing noticed or said.
It is an issue here because when subsribing to gym or pool, we need to register and they often ask for ID (personal code) to issue gym/pool card. On the basis of that card, the managers issue keys for either male or female lockers - and with male ID they will obviously give a key for male locker room (which is a place I dont wanna be :D).
This summer I plan on spending lots of time at Lake Tahoe on my stand up paddleboard in shorts and a bikini top :)