A review by raix
Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding by Maia Kobabe

informative fast-paced

4.0

I liked that the book showed various perspectives from people who bind for various reasons, especially someone who had been binding since the 70's. I also liked the scientific data and the fact that it's a book about binding health written by trans people who understand that people bind for various reasons. I really felt like the goal wasn't to get people to stop binding altogether, but find a way that's safe and manageable for them. The worksheets and exercises seemed like they'd be very helpful for helping people manage their binding! I got top surgery over a decade ago and tend to look back at my binding days through rose-coloured glasses sometimes, because it was the first taste of freedom I felt. But this book definitely made me remember the drawbacks (especially the ace bandage days, ouch!)  When I was younger we knew all of these risks, but we didn't have a lot of options aside from "bind" and "don't bind"--of course most people picked the first one! I'm glad we have this resource that was taken from real trans experience and knowledge to give us ways to manage healthier binding and mitigate health problems. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings