Breast Binding

The casual reference to cracked ribs as a side effect of binding. Do they know how painful and potentially serious broken ribs can be? Binding is really not something to be encouraged (imo). Perhaps pink news could also run some articles aimed at helping women who want to identify as men to come to terms with their natural female body?

This article primarily focuses on the issue of funding medical care for people who are transgender in the USA.

It also describes the serious medical complications for a young person who had been binding for three years and then started to take testosterone.

(extract)
"The testosterone, when combined with the binding and other mental health therapy, started to turn things around for Moog. Then, they started to have panic attacks. Full-on-call-911-while-you-pass-out-at-the-kitchen-table panic attacks. Moog's hormone therapist hypothesized the long-term binding had trained Moog's chest muscles to not fully expand. The testosterone treatment exacerbated this because its intended effect (increased muscle mass) created an unanticipated side effect (making it harder to breathe).

Their doctors agreed a breast-reduction surgery would be the best and quickest solution to get Moog breathing normally again."

digg.com/2017/transgender-crowdfunding?amp=true

I do hope that there is good medical guidance for young people taking these steps.

The tone and content of a recent Pink News 'How to' article though pragmatic, concerned me:
www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/04/30/chest-binding-transgender-transitioning/

@Thorsday whatever you want to do, it is your choice. You don't need to justify yourself. But if you want to talk we are here. I am sorry to hear about the problems.

I don't ever want to give life/have children or breastfeed and they're uncomfortable, make (my own, nobody else's) me nauseated to look at and I definitely don't want them when I have enough joint problems as it is. I've explored the reasons plenty and I'm happy with getting them removed - I really can't wait until I can afford it.

Night all, I cannot watch any more Holly Oaks it is too depressing.

@Thorsday lots of the women on here have a real mixture of stories and some have had dysphoria about their bodies. I hope that there might be a chance to explore the issues around breasts and why so many young women are unhappy with them. (I am assuming you are young, I may be wrong), like Terfulike I am fifty something, My body is overweight but I am making my peace with my body and it feels good.

Thursday
Breasts are beautiful
I used to hate mine
But just as animals are beautiful, so are us human beings
Our toes are beautiful
Even my 53 year old ones.
I'm not going to reject them
Please don't reject your body's cells
They belong together
We'll support you whatever you decide

@Thorsday have you explored the reasons why you feel the need to flatten your chest down and want to have you breasts removed? You've said you identify as non-binary but I wonder why that should mean you cannot find peace with your body as it is.

May I ask how old you are?

You do not need to answer these questions unless you want to.

I must go to bed now so I just wanted to say that in case you wonder why I don't reply again tonight.

Uh...I wear a binder because I identify as non-binary and it makes me feel a lot better in my body until I can afford a masectomy.

I think Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria has a big part to play in this.

www.parentsofrogdkids.com/

The social contagion is a big part of it.

I've heard that there can be three factors that often contribute to girls wanting to be boys - those who are lesbian or bi, those on the autistic spectrum, and I know from reading a bit about this some girls have experienced sexual abuse or assault.

I had not thought of the age of puberty being a part of it too. I wonder if this is documented anywhere?

In 1860, the average age of the onset of puberty in girls was 16.6 years. In 1920, it was 14.6; in 1950, 13.1; 1980, 12.5; and in 2010, it had dropped to 10.5.

Way back when, this was the topic of my first ever A level Sociology lesson! It combines with the average age of women's first marriage in the 1600s in England being mid-twenties. Of course, we all thought there were gazillions of child brides - failing to realise that child brides were simply part of property and power alliance agreements at the very top of society (royals and nobles).

I'll never forget that lesson even though it was thirty-plus years ago. It was such an eye-opener.

kesstrel

Really not sure about that

Developing breasts (and getting pubic hair and all the rest of it) obviously is a change and I was quite sad when my daughter started her periods at just 10 as they are a pain in the neck and it feels so early

The breasts thing though is specifically about it being an external sign that the girl is "growing up" and the discomfort is about the reaction of others especially men. I don't think that it's anything to do with physical or emotional maturity it's to do with not wanting people staring at your chest. Breasts are fetishised in our society and a large amount of men don't bother with context , if they see tits then she's "old enough". Not necessarily to do anything extreme but girls notice the unsubtl eyeing, and of course any comments and so on. I wasn't comfortable with men treating me like a sex object at 12 or 15 or 20 or 30.

So, not really sure about that.

Also 16? Wow! Was this global? That's mind boggling. A lot of it is down to improved nutritition, it could have been up and down over milennia!

I think you must be right, kesstrel

That's certainly how I felt, kesstrel, If I'd known binders were an option, I would've done everything possible to get my hands on one, and worn it whenever I could get away with it.

I'm wondering if this is perhaps an increasing problem due to the sharp reduction in the age of puberty.

In 1860, the average age of the onset of puberty in girls was 16.6 years. In 1920, it was 14.6; in 1950, 13.1; 1980, 12.5; and in 2010, it had dropped to 10.5.

Could this mean that a larger percentage of girls are not emotionally and mentally ready to develop breasts, because they are too young, and still feel like children?

bd67th - if your bra wires are stabbing you in the armpit, get thee over to the bra intervention thread and find your proper fit. Sounds like your band size is too big

P.S. I worked for a bra lady for a while. Even properly fitted bras get sore because of the way they are made. All of this fucking tech in my life and no one has mastered the art of fully supporting breasts without pain.

SardineReturns gosh no. I'm only a G cup/FF cup depending on how much I want to torture myself and I wouldn't go braless. I've nursed three babies and my boobs just ain't what they used to be...

I do often take my bra off at some point in the late afternoon/early evening when it gets too sore which always earns me a raised eyebrow from my DSs/DH. Even though I don't show an inch of flesh when I do it. I like to think that they all know by now that boobs can be a pain but who knows...

I was a teen with small breasts btw but still hid them. If I'd known of breast binders back then, I'd have worn one. I wanted no attention from men. None. Still got it though which I hated. And I wouldn't have believed anyone who told me they would or could damage my body.

I don't think people would leer. I really don't.

i think they'd be horrified.

I've had more than one female friend tell me when they think my bra fit / size / silhouette is sub-optimal.

I know that the men I work with wouldn't know where to look if I bibbled into teh office with my tits swinging (comfortably) round my waist, bouncing about and with my nips in all their not-as-small-as-before-BF glory

I am very pleased that you are able to do this but no fucking way will I be giving it a go!

I'd be interested to hear if others on the thread - especially the larger of breast / older - would feel comfy doing this.

@sardinereturns

The first time I went without a bra, I was terrified, but I'd been in work all day with it on and it was causing so much pain in my armpits (why do bra makers think my breasts start almost behind my armpits and make underwires that stab me?) that I took it off. I was really nervous going to the male-dominated social event I was heading to after work, but no one said a word and I caught no one leering. So, a few days later, I tried taking my bra to work in my bag as a safety net. Again, no one said anything and no one leered. After a while, I binned the bra.

YMMV, but it might be worth a try, even just going around the supermarket or something. Take your bra in your bag so you can nip to the loos and wear a lightweight scarf hanging over them.