Sooo... I have a stuffed bunny

I have had stuffed animals for my entire life, but I have never been able to actually sleep touching them. It is the same thing when sleeping next to people, I simply can't have anything touching me while I'm trying to sleep (except my cover).

But, lately I have noticed I am becoming a lot more "cuddly" (in that I don't mind if things are touching me). I can even sleep hugging my bunny now (or it sitting on top of me...or whatever).

I can only assume this is because of the hormones? Maybe doing something to my skin so I can tolerate it?

Just a random shift that I noticed recently (completely out of the blue). Anyone else run into something like this? Is it the hormones? Or is something else going on? (not very likely it is something else, because, well, I have been like this for forever I have always loved stuffed animals around, just didn't like touching them overly much or for too long).

Previously I couldn't stand stuffed animals in the bedroom, but that has changed since I have started HRT, and the switch in my brain flipped to "Girly". 
I have moved interstate and rescued a number of cute stuffed animals from my daughter's discard pile prior to moving.  All I need now is a proper bed to put them on.  Doesn't look right on a mattress on the floor. They deserve better.

Karen.

That's kinda interesting to think about. I had always taken static from my father about liking stuffed animals and stuff. Even to the point where if he'd find me sleeping with one I would get a lot of gruff from him about it (was always worried I'd end up gay). It got to the point where I would use my pillow to cuddle with instead of a stuffed animal because I just liked having something with me in bed.

Much to my SO's delight I should add. She's an even bigger cuddle bug.

omg I loooovveeee stuffed animals. Kind of always have, I just never really expressed it as much as I do now.



Here's Rover, my newest addition. I just got him Thursday. He's big and fluffy and cuddly.

Hormones can make you more sensitive to touch; but maybe you just enjoy it more because you're letting yourself open up to these feelings and desires of cuddles.

Cuddles are great, fantastic, wonderful!!!! I have a chronic cuddle deficiency. The doctor (doctor teddy bear) has recommended at least 5-10 supplemental cuddles per week.

Quote from: Samantharz on August 28, 2011, 10:00:01 AM
but maybe you just enjoy it more because you're letting yourself open up to these feelings and desires of cuddles.

Ohhh nope, I've never tried to repress "girly" feelings I have always done / played how I wanted and told anyone who objected to deal with it

That is why any changes that happen I can pretty much say are hormones... I don't really look at myself differently than I always have (I'm the same person, just now I am softer and smell better hahaha).

I've always had at least one stuffed animal in my bedroom (currently I have an echidna - he's from Australia), and grew up with tons of them, and slept holding them and everything... but then so did all my guy friends - many had collections bigger than mine. Actually, my echidna was a gift from a guy friend when I was 12. And my best friend still sleeps with his teddy bears.

I've never thought of stuffed animals as particularly girly. Don't most girls have dolls instead? Or maybe my guy friends have always just been rather feminine for blokes.

I sleep curled around a pillow sometimes now. I never used to do that. I think mainly I get colder now, so I can like things like that.

I think when you get older males tend to shy away from stuffed animals. When your a child it's ok, but a lot of time males can be insecure about being attached to something so "childish", so girls are pretty much the only ones that stick with it. And because of that it seems to be viewed as girly, and that gives even more reason for guys to shy away from them.

I've always had lots of stuffed animals on my bed. I've always liked the unusual ones, I have an octopus, a hermit crab (which doubles as a puppet), a clam, a few sting rays, a sunfish and a stuffed lego man.

i had 53 plushiz ! then my mom sad your a boy your 10 its time i throw them away  and i still can't get them i miss my lil animals i end up cuddling my pillow to sleep boo haha yea hrt made me cuddle a pillow  :

Quote from: Samantharz on August 28, 2011, 10:00:01 AM
omg I loooovveeee stuffed animals. Kind of always have, I just never really expressed it as much as I do now.



Here's Rover, my newest addition. I just got him Thursday. He's big and fluffy and cuddly.

Hormones can make you more sensitive to touch; but maybe you just enjoy it more because you're letting yourself open up to these feelings and desires of cuddles.

Cuddles are great, fantastic, wonderful!!!! I have a chronic cuddle deficiency. The doctor (doctor teddy bear) has recommended at least 5-10 supplemental cuddles per week.

I haven't seen a doctor but I think I too may be suffering from chronic cuddle deficiency and could use some supplementary cuddles!

I'm 27 and have always slept with lots of stuffed animal friends. My Mum subtly asked if perhaps I was too old for them (at about 18). When I calmly and matter of factly said no she decided she'd continue to be supportive, buying me more when she'd see someone who she thought I'd like and continuing to play along with all the stories that went on. I loved my Mum so much.

i always loved to cuddle, stuffed or living, at least the stuffed stay 

Oh, it goes beyond stuffed animals!  Since starting HRT, I've felt the need to have a connection to the beautiful side of life at all times.  That means being out with friends, that means hearts and hugs, that means words of love and support.  I long to cuddle and to be near people.  The entire pulse of the loving universe flows through me and nothing makes me more miserable than when I feel I've lost that connection.

Before HRT, I made every excuse to disconnect.  That way of living sounds so poisonous now.

Zoe you are absolutely 100% right.  I smile all the time now, when I certainly didn't before. This is much better.

Karen.

Quote from: Zoë Natasha on August 28, 2011, 08:23:13 PM
Oh, it goes beyond stuffed animals!  Since starting HRT, I've felt the need to have a connection to the beautiful side of life at all times.  That means being out with friends, that means hearts and hugs, that means words of love and support.  I long to cuddle and to be near people.  The entire pulse of the loving universe flows through me and nothing makes me more miserable than when I feel I've lost that connection.

Before HRT, I made every excuse to disconnect.  That way of living sounds so poisonous now.

exactly my next step i am about to let go of my need to shut down completely and survive on the bare essentials [food&shelter] and the perverse sense of security and control it gave me. However, its harder than i thought.

Quote from: Zoë Natasha on August 28, 2011, 08:23:13 PM
That means being out with friends,

Oooo i also became more social. I had friends before... but didn't go out with them often. I just would rather sit alone working or playing a game than go out with people before (simply because I enjoyed it more). But, after hormones I found myself actually liking getting out of the house and going to movies or out to dinner... so I have been doing a LOT of that with friends the last couple months.

The thing is, I know this isn't stemming from "finally being able to be myself" or anything like that. I have always felt very free to be who I was (expecially at home and with friends / some family members).

So, very interesting to discover new likes / dislikes for things (like REALLY loving spicey food now, or the being able to sleep touching things haha).

Hormones are definitely an interesting trip

Sorry to bother you girls, but I just wanted to say your stuffed animals are so cute! 

I don't really like cuddling things all that much, but after reading this topic I have a cuddle-craving. 

I have this froggy that I found at a yard sale and fell in love with;




So yeah, I just kind of felt the need to share that for some reason... lol

Quote from: .Alexander on August 29, 2011, 06:56:29 AM

Adorable!

Quote from: Zoë Natasha on August 28, 2011, 08:23:13 PM
Oh, it goes beyond stuffed animals!  Since starting HRT, I've felt the need to have a connection to the beautiful side of life at all times.  That means being out with friends, that means hearts and hugs, that means words of love and support.  I long to cuddle and to be near people.  The entire pulse of the loving universe flows through me and nothing makes me more miserable than when I feel I've lost that connection.

Before HRT, I made every excuse to disconnect.  That way of living sounds so poisonous now.

This is exactly how I have felt the past few months too.

Ive got a few stuffed animals I have kept from childhood.

one, "Fluffy" a little white dog that looks like a sheep
A little beanie baby sized bean dog with a santa hat
and a big classic teddy bear that used to be my brothers, but he gave it to me when I was little and had a stepmother who would yell at me. My cat has really taken to the teddy bear, he kneeds on it and bites its fur out lol

I think stuffed animals are fun and cute, but I would probably hide them if I had guy friends over

I was having trouble getting to sleep last night and felt I needed a cuddle, so got up and got the big teddybear out of the spare room.  Having in bed next to me did actually feel good.  He's the only male getting into my bed, but I have to say I did sleep better.

Karen, the sook.