Hello everyone, This is my first post here. I was assigned female at birth and never questioned it growing up. I was raised quite traditionally when it came to gender roles, my parents encouraged me to present as a very traditionally feminine girl. Gender roles and stereotypes are sadly very present in my family. I'm 26 but I'm only starting to figure out what I want in life and who I want to be. Last year me and my long-time partner (cishet man) had our first child. It was life-altering in many ways. So now that I'm in the process of figuring out what kind of parent I want to be, I'm starting to accept that being a traditional woman (and mother) isn't for me. I like being feminine, sometimes, but I would also like to be able to present masculine sometimes too. Some days appearing feminine sounds like a burden, like a mask I'm putting on. My body has changed a lot since my pregnancy and now I hate my breasts more than ever (I've always dreamed of being flat-chested). They feel very uncomfortable and like they don't belong on my body. The simplest way I can put it is: I don't want to be presenting as a person with breasts. What does it mean? It seems really insignificant and a bit silly to wonder about it. I feel comfortable with being called a woman and it feels right to be called a mom, so why am I questioning the way I want to present and be perceived?
Hey, thank you for sharing your story! I am currently going through something similar- I am 23 and assigned female at birth. I have never felt like my body was mine and have never liked my breast, I thought this was normal until I talked to my therapist. I told her similar to what you said on how you don’t mind being perceived as female but my therapist argued that I might not mind being perceived as female but would I feel more comfortable perceived as masculine. I’m still trying to figure this out. Sorry if this was no help, I just wanted you to know you’re not alone.
Is it possible that you are nonbinary? Have you tried using a binder to see how you would feel that way?
