When I say it is all me - I mean the breast and hair growth is real.  I am wearing a shaping sports bra with normal padding.  So neat as I do not have to wear breast forms any more.  Dawn

Yes, congratulations! I stopped wearing breast forms too for a couple of reasons. The first is that although at size C they are consistent with my body size they are likely much larger than what I'll grow naturally. If I grow to B's I'll be delighted. The other more pressing reason is that my breasts are very sensitive and sore at times; having those heavy breast forms on top of them was quite uncomfortable. So now I'm wearing padded B bras with a cloth-covered insert so they hold their shape. All in all much more comfortable. I have my next appt with my doctor in three weeks and based on my recent estradiol level blood test it's a safe bet she'll be increasing my estradiol dose. Yay! We'll then see if that gives them a kick-start into a higher gear!

Dear Dawn,

Love your hooks with the picture of the three horses on it.

Don't know what percentage of cisgender women use breast forms and padded bras, but I am sure there are many, especially among the younger set!

Your friend,

Monica

Dawn,

May I add, that I rejoice that you got 20,000+ views, because you are helping to encourage and inspire many people, most who are "lurkers," rather than people who leave a post, but these "invisible" people need help and support the most. Many people start out as "lurkers" first.

Your friend,

Monica

The younger set wear a lot of padded and shaping bras.  You don't see very many of this demographic using forms, as most of them can't afford the really good cosmetic ones (and I have seen REALLY GOOD ones, but they cost nearly a thousand: there is dissention here, Nikki says apiece I thought it was for the set) and tend to wear clothing that would show it a little on the top and sometimes sides.

One that spans all age demographics that I know of is the chicken cutlets, those little silicone pad things that even you out. One of the many things they don't tell us about our physical development, very few women are actually truly symmetrical(although I think most are close enough it's not an issue).  Quite a few are so asymmetrical that we have two separate cup sizes, and it can be awkward since for whatever reason the manufacturing industry of bras refuses to deal with this reality.  Jerks. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to make ribcage sized harnesses with eyelet hooks and separate cups so each woman can get what's needed.  I vary with c and d, but I know one woman who has a b and d, and due to other medical issues is not a candidate for either implant or reduction surgery.  So I learned that it could be worse, don't complain. LOL  I imagine this would also be a thing for some transwomen as genetics does their unpredictable things.​

However, my understanding of the breast forms origin is for the ugly issue of breast cancer and removal of one or both breasts.  And quite a few people of all genders fall prone to that ugly disease.  And society unfortunately judges women by the size of our chests still, and removing them entirely was socially traumatic on top of the physical and emotional trauma.  So there are unfortunately MANY cisgender women sport them for that purpose.  The numbers are slowly going down thankfully, as early detection, advances in medication, and lumpectomy surgeries become reliable alternatives to mastectomy surgery with equal survival rates, at least among those with breasts, as those without often don't detect it early enough.  Some find emotional comfort in not seeing a reminder in the mirror, others find social relief by not looking dramatically different in public.  Although several do the cloth forms for the same reason Emma spoke of, either early after the surgery during the healing process, or permanently if the scars are sensitive.  There are a scattered few I know of that use the forms that give you one extra size and fit over your breast, but without exception the ones I know are extremely vain and unable to afford implants, as it's quite hot and uncomfortable to wear them around the breast.  I have to wrap my equalizer cutlet in cloth, or I get a nasty skin rash from it personally. 

Nikki once asked if I'd be willing to play around with them for fun time, and I was like NOPE, not getting massive rashes for that.  Wisely dropped the issue.  Nikki is fortunate that the irritation and heat doesn't do much to his skin beyond somewhat irritating sweat that can just be wiped away as needed, and can use them for long periods when girl mode lasts a while.  If he had my skin, it would be truly ugly.  He prefers the forms for the sense of weight in addition to the shape I believe.  And I think he likes that i can use them to prop my head up when we're watching a movie, more realistic feel than a cloth set that would just sorta go down like pillows if I tried that.  When he's in girl mode I still go outta my way to physically interact like I did when I was dating women for the small moments, and I don't think that would work with cloth, so another reason I'm glad he can use forms, he gets more outta it.  Sometimes I think I go overboard trying to hard, but he says it makes him happy, so I'm not gonna get an Emmy, but I have a happy spouse.

I wonder if some of the cancer victims also find that comforting?  I'm not sure how I would feel about it if I ever pop a positive on that and it becomes an issue.  I suspect it would be cloth forms for me due to my overly irritable skin.  I'm also not sure how well I would adjust to a massive physical change like that, I'm clumsy.  Even being on crutches when I twisted my knee and bound around my waist so I couldn't bend after abdominal was dramatically crazy for me until I healed, I injured myself and Nikki in the goofiest ways trying to adapt.  I do know a girl who had a double, and she loves it(had massive back issues, and was considering reduction once she'd saved enough), but she did tell me there was a balance learning curve after the surgery.