I know there isn't a huge population of ftm's around here, but I'm more than willing to take any advice given. Haha. So I recently got a new binder, the 997 from underworks. For the first few weeks it was okay. I had the usual uncomfort from a binder.. but recently my back is REALLY hurting. I laid down and a spot under my rib felt like it was on fire when I breathed. I never noticed anything at all when I sit up.. it's just when I lay flat. Today I woke up with a terrible back ache, but I honestly can't tell if it's from binding or just sleeping on a pillow. :rolle: I only wear it while I go out, school is roughly 8 hours and that's usually all I wear it for before ripping it off. I'm getting a bit concerned, I know binding will always feel at least a bit uncomfortable... but I dunno. Any advice for me?
I think that there more of us here than we think, but all spread out. I wish there were some sort of subforum so we could run into each other more often. I only got a binder a couple weeks ago, so I'm not going to have the best advice. But if this ends up happening to me after a couple more weeks, then I'll probably just take a day off it and see if that helps.
A subforum would be so great. Honestly I've only seen around 3 others, but then again I'm still kinda new and haven't run into a lot of people yet. I usually take mine off for weekends, and it's stretched out a bit from me wearing it a lot. I came home from school today cause I had a lot of pain.. I'm hoping it'll die down a bit so I can wear it tomorrow.. especially since I made plans to go out with someone.
I don't bind (fortunatly very small) but I have read it can cause rib injuries so you really need to wear it as little as possible and try to find a better solution
If your binder hurts, you really shouldn't wear it. It can give you lung and rib damage, and even crack ribs. That's all I know really... You should probably not wear it for a week or so and see how it goes.
You're extremely lucky. I got like,36 D's and their the biggest problems ever. Literally! I've been really cautious about the lengths in which I do wear it. The maximum I've allowed myself to do is 12 hours. I'm really stumped on another solution, because they're never even close to being flat even with a proper binder. I tend to have to layer shirts or I still look like I have boobs. ---------- Post added 7th Feb 2013 at 12:27 PM ---------- I done that last week, giving myself a break. The pain went away. But again.. I'm just really stumped on what other to do about it.. I feel like total shit without it because of how huge my chest is unbound.
The binder that you bought is the medical grade that we recommend. It is less likely to damage the skin or the chest wall since the pressure is distributed across the fabric unlike the wrap-type binders that can be harmful. The problem is probably the size and proportions of the binder. It is made for men's chests. Several of the members here have had good luck with that particular model but with a 36D nipple-line, you're adding about 10-12 inches of uneven pressure to the middle of the garment. That pressure is not too different from the uneven pressure that would be delivered by a wrap. And it certainly too much pressure to tolerate for 8 hours at a time. Regardless of the benefits of the flattening effect of the garment, you must be able to breathe and you should never have back pain after wearing it. You may need to go up a size or you may want to look at women's "active" or post-surgery binders. They have a bit more of a taper that isn't quite so tight around the nipple line.
Haha, ugh. Alright, thanks. I honestly only got it because a lot of people swore by it, cos it worked. It does I just... pain. I guess I'll just have to weasel away a few bucks for something else.
I'm not exactly FtM, but I do have a binder, and a similar sized chest to you. I've never had pain from my binder :/ maybe just wear it every other day, see if it hurts less? What KB said is better though.
It's a good binder- very good quality and a nice price. Most of the others that I have seen were about $20 more expensive. It sounds like you may need a larger size, though.
I'll defiantly try with a larger size. This was my first binder from underworks and I actually liked it a lot until this happened. :lol:
I know the feeling.. I may also consider getting a larger size as well, since it sometimes hurts my rib area and under the armpits. I hope your able to get a larger one because comfort is important. Good luck!
What about wearing some thick material around your waist to even out your profile? It'd make you look chubby, but not feminine. Has anyone here tried that? I haven't, so I'm wondering whether it would work.
I bind with a homemade binder, and never had a problem with it...but since my chest is way smaller than yours I doubt my method will work for you. But I do agree with the previous posts, if it hurts don't do it. Give yourself a break, because you may run into major problems, like bruised/cracked ribs and bruised lungs.