@ria For me, mood swings started way later than expected. But then again, I always was emotionally flexible 🤭

First physical changes are not really SFW.

Boobs had a head start because I was already taking spironolactone for half a year for blood pressure. With HRT CPA was added to the mix.

@ria Let's gooooo!  

Honestly though, the thing that hit me first was the emotional changes.
How I've taken to describing it, your emotions will become more vivid, higher highs and lower lows.

It'll be much easier to cry, that's a big one lol. Not so much in a 'everything will set you off' way, but moreso it's much easier to open the floodgates when you're sad. For me, I much prefer it. I tend to feel much better after I let it out, honestly, and it's nice to never have that feeling of wanting to let it out and not being able to.
Sad stories in movies/TV and the internet are a big one too. There used to be sad scenes where I was barely able to hold back tears, now I just straight up bawl  

Only thing I don't quite remember the timeline with is libido changes. I just remember shortly after I started, it plummeted for me, but rebounded with more intensity like a year later lol.

I made a post about it a while ago if you wanted to read it.

@ria it's very variable from person to person. For me:

week 1: calmness, libido loss
week 2: scent changes
week 3: skin improvements

This I believe was all due to the anti-androgen, estrogen itself didn't start to kick in for a month or two.

@ria I started CPA 17 May and added estradiol 16 June.

CPA lowered my libido a lot. I'm fine with it, and there aren't physical problems. Things feel different in a way I can't yet explain.

My face started feeling amazing.

I have difficulty separating emotional changes due to HRT with the fact I've started ADHD medication earlier this year and that had already made me more open and available and caring to people.

Nicole (brainclean) describes crying changes quite well. Maybe week 3 after E I cried a lot for the first time in ages. Last night, I very unexpectedly went in and out of crying for about 2.5 hours because of nothing specific.

The important bit you've been waiting for! About 3 weeks on E (low dose) my nipples clearly felt different, with a lot of hardness behind them. Just feels like a bruise if I touch them. People told me I'd need a crop top due to sensitivity, but I haven't. Definitely a problem if I hit them against something or if my partner climbs over me and is suddenly, "oh yeah, I shouldn't put half of my body weight right there anymore, should I?!"