My post history has some context for people who are curious or just don't know what I'm talking about.

Recap TL;DR: I came out to my wife and she was afraid that if I transitioned she would stop being attracted to me. Since I was afraid of divorce, I decided I'd hold off on transitioning indefinitely.

Since then, my wife and I have been bouncing all over the map this week. She was freaked out initially, but then she flipped to being ok with me transitioning - with the caveat that she might not be attracted to me, but she'll always love me. With that in mind, I felt comfortable looking at what transitioning might really look like.

One reason I wouldn't ~~transition~~ start HRT* anytime soon is fertility. I want more kids. I love my child and I want 1-2 more (as was always my marriage's life plan). I know freezing sperm is an option, but in-vitro is so expensive I don't know if we would want to try it. I realize kids are far more expensive than in-vitro, but my wife and I have budgeted for kids - not kids + in-vitro. We have plans to fix up our house, retire early, etc. So I don't want to put undue stress on those plans. We are considering freezing sperm, but not very seriously.

Also, based on some messages I got from users, it seems like having kids prior to transitioning is a contentious concept? I didn't expect that, but some people (mostly in DMs) seemed angry that I didn't know I was trans until after I had my first kid. I think those perspectives are related to divorce since divorce does produce worse outcomes for kids (generally not always). I guess I'm inviting people to come here and elaborate on their thoughts about that.

Anyways, I struggled to hear the harsher words from some people, but I also think they were well-founded. They were a gut-punch that made me reorient my thinking away from selfish thoughts about myself and more about my family and how my choices impact them.

I built up transitioning in my mind. I was feeling a strong sense of dysphoria. I assumed my wife would be ok with it (since we are already inhabiting stereotypical reversed-gender roles in almost every aspect of life). I assumed it wouldn't impact my fertility so quickly/drastically. I thought I was a month or two away from starting HRT. But the more I research it, the more I think I could be years away.

As an attempt to take this slower and more seriously, I have an appointment with a therapist today to start. It really should have been my first course of action anyways. It's possible I could start transitioning with non-hormonal techniques and maybe that's enough for me. If so, that would be ideal. My male physique wouldn't change too much and my wife would be happy about that. Maybe my dysphoria would go away. I've tried that in the past, but I didn't go "all-in" on it. I felt ugly and manly which bummed me out back then, but maybe I just didn't really accept myself and that was hindering the experience.

Generally speaking, I think I was just moving way too fast and unmeasured. I'm assuming that's common in "TransLater communities" because there is a lot of fear that the biological clock is stripping away my opportunity to meet my goals before it's too late. But that doesn't mean it's the right mentality. Plenty of people transition much later than I was planning and it works out fine. So, maybe that'll be my experience. Or maybe I'll never ~~transition~~ start HRT* due to the aforementioned options, therapy, etc. Who knows. I'm probably still going to be active in this community, if that's ok. I sure hate that my whole experience is practically the only thing in this community lol It's a bit embarrassing in a way. Please drown out my posts with some more positive stuff!

I'm a trans-woman. My wife is hetero-normative. She likes men. She isn't attracted to women. She likes some "effeminate" features: men with long hair, big butts, some minor make-up. But she - in her own words - likes the ineffable quality of masculinity.

As I've mentioned in other posts, my wife is politically as far left as one could go; trans ideologies are not foreign to her.

We have started "the big talk" last week and it started well. She was 100% supportive and was open to the idea of me transitioning. However, that was her knee-jerk reaction. As she's had time to mull on it, she's afraid she won't be attracted to me as I transition. She's worried that as my body/style changes, that she will lose her attraction to me. She's, frankly, not a lesbian.

We left the conversation in an uncomfortable place. It seems pretty clear that if I reached my transition goals, I would lose her. She really tried to not make that the ultimatum it sounds like, but I can read between the lines. We are both super open and we both love each other inside and out. My wife is just afraid that she won't be attracted to me anymore.

She's also afraid that I'll choose to not transition to protect our marriage. And her fears are well founded. I was thinking about starting hormones this year, but now I'm backing out quickly. To be honest, I'd rather never explore being trans than lose my wife. She's the best partner anyone could ask for. She provides love, support, fun, learning, etc. We also just started a family. I don't know what to say.

I know many of you are probably thinking that if I wait, I'll either be miserable or I'll eventually cave and transition later in life; at that point, we will have an even harder time in our marriage. That being said, my wife is leftist and open and open-hearted. She's willing to support me in trying out feminine things, but she's afraid hormones will make permanent changes that make me unattractive to her. So, maybe I can have the best of both worlds.

I have seen other people mention that they got a divorce and that was their solution. I think that's a valid solution for some people, but it's just not an option for me. I don't know how to explain it, but divorce seems far worse than any dysphoria I've experienced. I think that's the only way I can say it. I'd rather continue experiencing dysphoria than lose her.

So, is that my answer?

I'm not really expecting strangers on the internet to solve my marriage issues here. But I figured this little vent might resonate with some people and it might help others know they aren't alone.

🐰

I'm 30 years old (soon to be 31). I'm a new trans woman (still working through how I might accept it and see myself). I'm unsure how far I should go. I've spoken at some length on other communities about what it feels like to be "ugly and masc". I realize feeling like I can't "pass" as a fem is partly due to deeply rooted transphobia. I have what most older men have: masculine distribution of fat (bit of a belly), hairy everywhere, fears of balding (so far not yet), deepish voice, etc.

If I had no friends or family, I'd probably just go all in: hormone therapies, voice training, surgeries, etc. But I feel like I need to pass in front of my immediate family since I'm sure I wouldn't be accepted. I love them, but they wouldn't get it.

I don't know how far I should go with transitioning. I am currently considering growing out my hair, shaving, and trying to do exercises that conform my body to a more stereotypical feminine shape. Is there a lot of risk in hormone therapies and voice training? Is it hard to go "boy mode" after the fact? What about being 30+ years old and starting it? Should I just accept I'll never pass?

I posted this in the wrong meme community. Reposting here.

I'm AMAB who has always felt a little uncomfortable in my own skin. I'm decently comfortable occupying my body, but I do wish it was easier/more acceptable to transition. I had a dream last night that I was at a doctor's office and I was starting HRT. It has put me in a funk all day.

To be honest, I consider myself fluid enough to continue identifying as a man to anyone but myself. I just wish I could live two lives. Or go back and make the decision to transition when I was younger. I am a stereotypical guy: hairier than not, chubbier than not, deep brow, gnarled hands, etc. I don't really think I could ever feel truly "woman enough" to feel comfortable trying out the other side of the gender spectrum. I've tried growing my hair, piercing my ears, and wearing a teeny bit of eye liner, but it just never looked right on me. I just looked a bit weird.

I'm venting here to hopefully deal with the funky vibes my dream gave me. I've never been this open with any audience: virtual or physical. So, apologies if this is coming off a bit transphobic in any way.