My breasts don't seem to be growing and it's starting to really bother me. I'm still taking my hormones regularly and as my endo directed, and I began my HRT in April 2014.
Anyway, my breasts seemed to have stopped growing but the buds are still below my nipples so I guess they are. I was hoping to have big breasts naturally because I've seen a couple other transgender women with naturally large breasts and was hoping I'd be one of them. My mom's are not that big though.
I have the same problem, I've been on hormones for 6 months now, so hopefully I still have a bit if growth to go; but they seem to have pretty much stopped at a AA cup. I wasn't expecting anything massive, but I was hoping for at least an A cup.
Maybe a visit to the doctor is due and a discussion about possibly changing something about your HRT, upping E, adding progesterone, etc.
Quote from: AnnaiyahStarr on April 19, 2016, 05:58:52 AM
My breasts don't seem to be growing and it's starting to really bother me. I'm still taking my hormones regularly and as my endo directed, and I began my HRT in April 2014.
Anyway, my breasts seemed to have stopped growing but the buds are still below my nipples so I guess they are. I was hoping to have big breasts naturally because I've seen a couple other transgender women with naturally large breasts and was hoping I'd be one of them. My mom's are not that big though.
You could have a look here:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,206787.0.html
and here:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,205886.msg1827645.html#msg1827645
*hugs*
At the 5 year mark with much of that at a transition dose, I still was at a AA cup size. Some of us may never develop much and others may take close to 10 years to reach full potential. Personally I have been on three different types of estrogen and it seems the estradiol has been the most effective one.
It would be helpful if you let us know your estradiol levels from your blood test so we can tell if your blood levels are in the proper range.
Quote from: Dena on April 19, 2016, 05:46:36 PMIt would be helpful if you let us know your estradiol levels from your blood test so we can tell if your blood levels are in the proper range.
There is, as I can tell from any scientific studies, no proper range as levels fluctuate so much in ciswomen (with the range being VERY wide) and in transwomen, sensitivity varies and no range has shown to cause better results vs. another range. Some respond well to low levels, some to higher levels. Also, a level tested at time X may be significantly different vs. at time Y. Testing is inaccurate in this context.
Well testo levels may be intersting too, levels above 60-80 ng/dl might hinder some feminization.
*hugs*
To Dena and the two people who replied after her: unfortunately i don't have my exact lab data to display, otherwise i'd be more than happy to share it. But what i can tell y'all is this: around the time i started my HRT my doctor had to keep increasing my Spironolactone dosage because my testosterone levels were too high. I will be seeing her again next week and i hope to find that my previously high t levels are the reason why my breast growth is kind of slow.
Also it would be really disappointing to be stuck in the AA range because I am NOT getting breast implants so i want as much growth as i'm going to get.
Because I am getting tested at a lab, they set up an online account so a day or two after the draw, I can get a copy of the report. If the doctor draws the blood, see if you can access the account on line or request a copy of your records. When I moved from California to Arizona, it was a little work but I was able to get them to send my my medical records - about 30 years worth. It's handy to have access to them should you need to see another doctor and questions come up about your past medical history.
Unfortunately, if you are in Spironolactone there's been some studies done that it somewhat inhibits breast growth as it is estrogenic and mildy anti progestogenic. Estrogen signals the body to start growing the breast tissue and progesterone is responsible for the ducts to grow which we all want. However, spironolactone inhibits progesterone activity if I read it correctly.
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2012-2030
excerpt:
Antiandrogen type
The use of spironolactone as an antiandrogen seemed also to be associated with an increased incidence of breast augmentation in transwomen. The other, more specific antiandrogens and GnRH analogs were not. Spironolactone is a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that acts as an androgen receptor partial antagonist as well as an estrogen receptor agonist. As such, in addition to blocking the androgen receptor (which is its primary purpose in this situation), it also has a significant estrogenic action at the doses used in transwomen. One can postulate that this could lead to an excessive estrogenic action and consequent poorer breast outcome by the same mechanism as that seen when patients self-medicate with estrogens. It is interesting that the other antiandrogens, cyproterone acetate and finasteride, do not appear to be used more frequently in those requiring breast augmentation compared with controls, suggesting that this is not a class effect of antiandrogens.
- See more at: http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2012-2030#sthash.7Vf9uYc7.dpuf
That was the study done comparing trans women on Spiro vs Cyproterone Acetate. There's a big percentage of women on spiro that gets BA than those ones on CPA as per the study.
I hope this helps.
April, there's many problems with this study as I had earlier stated on this forum many months ago which prevents us from making this conclusion...
Here is where I commented on this study
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,203293.msg1808580.html#msg1808580 (near the bottom of the page)
Hello,
What I have found from research is breast development varies a great deal from person to person. Also while both age and genetics play a big role in how big they will get, generally speaking transwomen can expect to be smaller than their female relatives in their immediate family. For me, I was at a B cup, my mother is a C cup but again it can depend on age and genetics, hormone dosage and no doubt life style choices may also play a part with breast development.
Forgot to add:
I was at the doctors last Thursday. They said I should get my blood drawn. I didn't because in panic, i had them opt me to have my blood test done at the Mazzoni Center. Here's the problem: i faint when I get my blood drawn... and i'm going to the Mazzoni Center on Thursday... ... ... Uh-oh! :(
It's important to measure yourself properly as trans women tend to have shallow and wide breast tissue. While I'm not totally flat, I appear small yet measure at a 32F.
Quote from: AnnaiyahStarr on April 24, 2016, 11:05:04 PM
Forgot to add:
I was at the doctors last Thursday. They said I should get my blood drawn. I didn't because in panic, i had them opt me to have my blood test done at the Mazzoni Center. Here's the problem: i faint when I get my blood drawn... and i'm going to the Mazzoni Center on Thursday... ... ... Uh-oh! :(
I'd say tell them.
Its possible they have you lie down or sit you down.
*hugs*
Quote from: ChloëAri on April 25, 2016, 12:02:03 AM
It's important to measure yourself properly as trans women tend to have shallow and wide breast tissue. While I'm not totally flat, I appear small yet measure at a 32F.
According to the tape measure, my underbust is 34" and my overbust is 37.5". This puts me squarely in between a 34C and a 34D according to the charts. However, I ALMOST fill a 34AA bombshell pushup from Victoria's Secret. I'm about 3/4 of the way to filling it from where I started 10 months ago. My measurements back then were 36" underbust and 36.5" overbust! There is slight mounding occurring with it on though. They have been growing fairly steadily since the beginning. Slow and steadily, but steadily.
Part of that underbust shrinkage is from where I lost about 15 pounds since the beginning, and I'm slowly gaining it back now over the past month thanks to a dosage increase probably. Keeping my weight down has kept my body lean, but not overtly feminine. Hopefully gaining about 5-10 pounds back will help flesh things out all around, boosting both my cup size and my hips.
Quote from: KristinaM on April 25, 2016, 10:10:24 PM
According to the tape measure, my underbust is 34" and my overbust is 37.5". This puts me squarely in between a 34C and a 34D according to the charts. However, I ALMOST fill a 34AA bombshell pushup from Victoria's Secret.
Have you tried a 34C? Many times unfilled spaces can occur due to shape and volume mismatches.
I stopped at a A borderline B cup at the age of 17 without hrt,never took any drugs to cause this. I know with my body type to stay away from estrogen for my body would take too it like a duck takes to water. Kidding aside I wear a38 B when I wear a bra.
The size doesn't worry me so much as a good or reasonable proportion does. Even on cis-gender women, I think it looks odd to be so little and to have such large breast. I think I'm pretty happy with where I am at... I fit comfortably into a 34B. My chest measurement is around 35, under the bust is 32, waist is 29, and hips are at 35. Although these measurements look awesome, I am still worried about the curvature from up front. I've been doing a lot of exercise to see if I can improve it a bit because I am sure hormones cannot or will not do much about it. From the side... as I can tell, and as I would imagine others could probably tell such as my profile picture... I think I'm pretty good (or at least I feel good about it).
Good for you young girls, maybe with nice HRT your bodies will improve naturally. Mine are maybe a B cup after 2 years of HRT, darn!!! I guess another visit with my plastic surgeon one day for some full c cups is in order.
Quote from: ChloëAri on April 30, 2016, 10:04:54 AM
Have you tried a 34C? Many times unfilled spaces can occur due to shape and volume mismatches.
I understand what you're trying to say, but it's just because of the shape of my chest/ribs I'm sure. The 34AA and 34A bras I have are a tad narrow side-to-side from outside underwire edge to outside underwire edge. I have a 34B that fits my chest size much better from side-to-side, but it's a front-closure, so who knows if it's an apples-to-apples type of comparison.
Either way I don't fill any of them, but they're all pushups. From AA to A to B, the cup volume gap gets bigger each time. It's just how I'm shaped. I need lots of volume to get things where they need to be.
On the other hand, I have a 34A un-wired, lightly-lined bra that is very comfortable and flattering. It fits to my chest size/shape more readily without a rigid structure. It fits, but I have room to grow in it still too.
UPDATE:
My last visit to the Mazzoni Center I didn't have any blood drawn. Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing because I was going to show you guys.
But my breasts do seem to be growing slightly bigger because I'm devoting myself to breast massages for the entire month of May and positive thinking and affirmations for them to get bigger. I'm going to do this until June and look at my results. I hope I get a cup size or two bigger at least.
I think so because I've been experiencing nipple soreness, tenderness, and occasional itchiness so that must mean they're growing. However, my t-blockers are running out. I should be taking three a day but I'm just taking one so they last longer even though I don't have enough for the rest of the week until i refill. :(