Woman's Survival

I rarely ever see this addressed anywhere on all the message boards I lurk, so I will ask it myself.

This is mainly a question for the girls out there.

If/when the time comes when America is under attack/martial law/whatever, and you're in full-blown survival mode, there is only so much preparation you can do right? So how do you deal with menstruation? I'm ready to deal with whatever comes my way but I am still trying to figure out exactly how I'm going to prepare for those "special" (specially annoying) times of the month that could either be a major hinderance (ie. no "supplies" and it's soaking your pants) or just an annoyance.

I mean, other than totally stocking up on feminine products, what is there to do? And that's assuming you will be bunkered down somewhere. What about when you're backpacking out in the middle of nowhere? I'm especially worried about that situation because I have no idea what I would do. Find a stream and sit in it all day? Are you supposed to use leaves or something? Please help me out and give me some tips.

And I left the title open to other tips and worries that could pertain to females only.
If anyone has anything else on their mind, feel free to post it here.
Maybe dealing with pregnancy?
Or newborn babies?

One thing is for sure, I definitely wouldn't want to be pregnant when s**t hits the fan.

I'm a guy so ignore everything I say here, trust me i'm no expert on menstruation. Still.

I did know a lovely lady who kept a sea sponge for just such an occasion. It's natural, it can be cleaned, etc etc....

She could have been lying to me though

God I love being a man....

How about a Moon Cup:
www.mooncup.co.uk...



The manufacturing of tampons and pads are a fairly recent invention when you consider the history of humans. I've also heard of the use of dried moss wrapped in cotton to absorb menstrual flow. The cotton is washed for reuse and the moss is discarded.

EDIT: If you want a chuckle check out this YouTube video for the Cherokee Hair Tampon.
www.youtube.com...
It's a South Park gag.



But there are reusable options also available that you could add to your bug-out kit.



www.youngwomenshealth.org...

And yes, the sea sponge is an alternative.


I'm also glad I'm a male and don't have to worry about this.
But have a happy period, there's plenty of alternatives available after all the stores have been looted and the supply chain has collapsed.

[edit on 26/12/2006 by anxietydisorder]

Cloth diapers.

Not such a big deal really - anything washable and cotton will do.

As far as pregnancy, that's a different story. That would not be any fun at all. I imagine the key would be to find a safe place for the final few weeks, and hunker down there until labor is complete.

Mothers would have to rediscover the nesting instinct, collecting food and bedding months in advance.

On the other hand, I've heard of women who gave birth in a few minutes, in bathroom stalls and department stores - even heard of women who didn't know they were pregnant (sounds unbelievable to me too, but who knows). So maybe you could keep moving if you absolutely had to.

Still, I would think it would be better if you could find a safe place for a while.

In any extreme survival situation you need to expect infant mortality rates to rise dramatically. The same will go for the mortality rates of birthing mothers.

It's the advent of sanitation, nutrition, antibiotics, drugs, skilled doctors, etc.... that caused the death rate to fall over the years.
If society breaks down for whatever reason you can expect the rate of infant survivability to decline per the conditions.

If you look back even 100 years you'll see that women had many more children than they do today. Some women birthed as many as 12 or more and many children would not survive to reach puberty. In todays world most women only have 1 or 2 children and it's becoming rare for families in the western world to have even a family of 4 kids. But most of them survive...

Just check this chart:
Historical Births, Birth Rates, & Infant Mortality, 1920 - 2003
Los Angeles County
www.laalmanac.com...

There's quite a difference in mortality in less than 100 years.



In a survival situation when your on the move it's the nutrition of the mother that will be most important because you won't be carrying cans of simulac or formula to feed newborns or young children. You'll need to rely on your breasts to feed the baby, and for that you'll need to be well nourished.
Plan for that.

Sorry, this thread has me chuckling.

What on earth do you think women did for thousands of years prior to the invention of the tampon?

And, secondly, what does it matter? If your in such a "survival" mode, does it really matter if your a bit....drippy?

Honestly, women.... Any excuse to have a moan...

I thought the original post was a valid question.

Individual needs will vary greatly in a survival situation and women need to plan around that. A bug-out kit for a healthy 25 year old male will be very different than what you would plan for an elderly person with medical needs or an infant.

Sanitation is a priority when your in survival mode and menstruation is a large part of that for a female. If they have just given birth, or are expecting soon after a disaster they will need more care than other members of a group trying to survive.

I don't see this as being a case of "Any excuse to have a moan..."

[edit on 27/12/2006 by anxietydisorder]

I see it's only us Brits who still have a sense of humour around here these days (the way it's always been )

Please see smiley face and laughing face at the end of the comment...

Everyone else is so uptight!

Assuming your a bloke, surely you have noticed a womans favourite passtime is complaining? It's what they do! Keeps men on their toes...

But, back to my original statement before Global Humour took a turn for the worse, what do you think women did in times immemorial?

Carrying around a years supply of Tampax is only going to slow you down and waste space. Use a cloth, for crying out loud.

Remember, your talking survival here, not a weekend camping trip. I think a Period is going to low down your list of priorities, to be honest. finding food and keeping warm are your main things to worry about.

Bleeding for once a month is hardly worth worrying about, in the grand scheme of things.

Sorry if that seems harsh, but if your expecting to run away from whatever boogeyman you guys fear so much and survive in the wilds, then you need to make harsh decisions. A cloth will suffice.

As a woman, I found humor in stumason’s post. But humor aside, it did prompt anxietydisorder to post a very valid statement. Just as many people believe that food comes from the market; women may not know how to provide menstrual products for themselves. I’m from the old days of sanitary belts and napkins. If you can find a sanitary belt, homemade pads will stay in place better. Tear up an old cotton sheet and make pouches with tails for the belt. The pouches take up little space and can be filled with moss or other absorbent materials. Be sure to have at least two or more layers of cloth between your body and the material for sanitation.

Someone in the group should take a college or EMS course on basic first aid and emergency childbirth. NOW is the time to prepare. As you go through your daily routine, ask yourself “can I do without this in a survival situation?” Make a list of things that you really need and find suitable substitutions. Be prepared to lose family or group members due to illness. The elderly and young children are more susceptible to illness and death. Sanitation is a must. Clean all wounds immediately and cover them to prevent infection.

I'm not everyone.
I am a bloke last time I checked.
I hadn't noticed that all women complain.
And I'm a very poor gage of Global Humour.

I was just trying to give out a little information and stay on topic.

Indeed, as was I.

By pointing out "What did women do in History", one could perform a quick Google and have your answers for a quick, easy solution to all your menstruational needs.

As Darkelf rightly said, general Hygiene, good food, good shelter and basic medical knowledge is what is needed. The rest is superfluious in a survival situation.

While reading this post it occured to me that as stated previously, women had many more children in the past. Without birth control, pregnancy was probably more frequent than menstruation much of the time. I would imagine survival will include pregnancy for the woman. Might as well prepare for it now.

Stock up on birth control pills, take 3 packs in a row without a break and worry about it every 3 months instead of every month! Your periods are lighter and there is less cramping.

sorry i can't contribute any help to your question but i will say this...



when or if that time comes, your periods will be the least of your worries.

Yogurt Douche or Garlic on a string = No yeast infection

One torn up cotton t-shirt = Many reusable pads

You can go weeks without a full shower... but only days without washing your crotch and pits. All it takes is a bucket of water and a rag. Put the bucket on a pulley and boil some water and you have a hot gravity shower.

Wrapping up your hair, under a tam, etc. will keep it cleaner for longer.

Being a cloth diaper parent now makes you prepared when the corner store that sells pampers is closed until further notice.

Breast Feed... for so many reasons.

Get primal and know your historical female role. The time following situation X, is much like the time 500 years ago. No power, no corporate jobs, no convenience store, etc. So, GATHER FOOD/WATER/FIRE WOOD, STAY AT HOMEBASE with children, COOK, CLEAN, CARE for wounded.

Learn to cook on a paint can hobo stove, if you feel uncomfortable making one, ask your man to hook you up. One 2" hole in lid, 4 smaller holes near base of can. Get fire going and rig something to hold up your pot. Boils 2 quarts in 6 mins.

empty the makeup and chewing gum out of your purse and carry medical supplies and personal hygeine items instead.

The faster you return your man's little bubble on the home front to normal, the more productive he will be in either helping your family relocate away from trouble or mastering the new situation.

Watch what you "want"
Check your "mouth"
Remove all jewelery
Cover up your body
Stay in your bunker, unless
She who sacrifices today will live in abundance tomorrow.

Trust the one you love has your ultimate happiness in mind when he tells you to drop everything, because "we've got to go."

I am,

Sri Oracle

wtf?

Following situation X the last thing you want is to be hooked on pharms for birth control. And I certainly do not see the 3 packs without a break?!?

Two words: Rhythm Method

Immediately after you are done bleeding you can have sex for 7 days without risk of pregnancy. Then you can be no-sex "freaky" for 14... back to bleeding for 7... then the cycle repeats.

Don't want kinds? Be content with 7 days a month.

Tried and true.

Want kids? Focus especially on the three days before you start bleeding.

Develop rhythm to your love life and seek to reduce stress, your periods will be more predictable and there will be less cramping.

I am,

Sri Oracle

I've been thinking about this post and that's exactly what my first response to the question was. Not that I have nothing to contribute to the question of mensturation, you'd be surprised how inventive a mother necessity is - and no doubt in that situation, it would be the least of your worries.

With an erosion in the rule of law and the rise of tribal thinking, women become a commodity, mere chattle - it is the state of the animal kingdom in man and our freedoms are, as always, tenuous and imperiled. Of course we are still mere chattle to many. A possession in a coffer without the equal respect men get from one another. Perhaps because nurturing a wife and child requires greater sacrifice than men are expected to give one another. So the temptation to reduce the equation to its animal origins seems more appealing to many than creating loving environments.

The economic wage disparity and reproductive dependency hasn't completely surmounted that and what we see now is a social sexual preying on women unprecedented in history. Women, being women - crave male attention and are inducted into their own degradation in search of it. Could be that after the initial devastation, women are even more valued and respected than current social customs indicate. That would depend on alot of things.

Whatever advances have been made in freeing women from economic and physical dependence on men will be relative to who you are with and there will always be the risk of being taken from them. Men fear walking at night because they have a wallet, women have a vagina. A much more sought after treasure when money is meaningless.

Women and children and all those more vulnerable will suffer most.

I would be more worried about staying away from people and out of sight.
Get out of the city. If in a city gone mad, I would play crazy cat lady.

Yet another guy here posting. LOL

But, I was wondering about stress, and physical activity.

Is it true that when under lots of physical stress, menstruation can sometimes
cease, or change in regularity?

I'm asking because I've heard this can be true of female athletes.
Would this pertain at all to a survival situation?

Sorry if it's an ignorant question..but hey, I wouldn't ask if I knew!

The rhythm method is not tried and true and is almost a guarantee if you want to end up with an unwanted pregnancy. There are many ways to avoid pregnancy or get pregnant but working off a set 7 day on 14 day off schedule is not one of them. All women do not have 28 day cycles. There's much more to know if you want to end up with or without a baby. And seeing as I am almost 45 years old and mother to 4 children I can personally attest to the "natural" ways to get or not get pregnant since that is the method I used to conceive 3 of them. Fluctuations in body temps and changes in cervical mucus must also be monitored. Futhermore, I am not on BCP to keep from getting pregnant but to control the many debilatating symptoms of perimenopause. You are ill informed and all I can say is I wish you could spend a couple of months in my shoes before I started taking hormones. You are very cavalier about women's health issues.



If you want children you must have sex immediately before you ovulate not iimmediately before you get your period. During a 28 day cycle that would be prior to day 14. The closer to day 14 you have sex the more likely the child will be a boy (taking into consideration the acid/base balance of the vagina) and the further from (ovulation (but within 3 days usually) you have sex, the more likely it will be a girl.

The rhythm method of BC has nothing to do with the predictability of your period, that is predicited by the length of you cycle and the amount of hormones your body produces. I went on the pill because my period came every 23 days and lasted 13 days which is unacceptable. This was caused by the natural drop in hormones due to the onset of the menopause process.

I do not think all women should be on BCPs but it is a viable alternative for some and taking a few packs in a row is what I do because my doctor suggested it. If I were in a bug out situation you bet I'd grab a few packs of pills and be on my way!

Great post.

FYI - The rates of female mortality in pregnancy rose dramatically when men took over the job - because the 'doctors' were infecting women and causing septicemia - which finally led to the "discovery" of germs, and men finding yet another excuse to give themselves a pat on the back.

Get a good book on midwifery, or cultivate a friendship with a midwife. Or both.