Am I pretty yet?

Be prepared to hear this. A lot. I mean a lot lot. I know I have. Mind you, I am not complaining about it, but by the same token, we need to understand that our partner is going through a transformation. They are going from one gender to the other, and after spending the first part of their life as the incorrect gender, there are going to be some self image issues.

The other thing to take into account is your partner's background and history. Growing up as a gender dysphoric individual will expose your partner to other stresses that will have an effect on their self image. While you may fell that the constant asking if they are looking good is overbearing or overwhelming even, our job is to stand by them and give the needed encouragement to get through this transformation.

Between the self image concerns and the hormone therapy induced mood swings, we have a lot of stuff to hold up under during this transformation. This is where we need to look to our own emotional well being and learn that it is not our fault. (Really, it is not anyone's fault, merely a byproduct of the process.) We can not take any of this personally. We have to learn to let it roll off like water off a duck's back. The more we practice this, the easier it gets. Don't get me wrong, I am not telling you to not care, but to care enough to realize that every little blow up or re-asking of the question of looks is not a casting of doubt on our emotions, feelings or integrity, it is part of the process of the body adjusting to hormones and changes that it is not used to.

While it may seem difficult, if you truly love your partner, you will find the strength to do it.

We found that our work schedules ensure that we do not spend a lot of time alone together, which I honestly believe has been a life saver to our relationship during this time of change. It gives us each time to ourselves, which allows for decompression. While I am not saying that it is the best situation for everyone, but it works for us. What you need to focus on, is keeping communication open between both of you and making sure that you are talking about what is going on through every step of the process.