Have medical questions about the opposite sex? Ask here

[ladyhk13]

Ok, we seem to have a void here for some help in answering questions for people who do not have a spouse willing to parcipitate in prepping but needs to be prepped for nonetheless. Since men are not mind readers and can only go through our cabinets with glazed eyes at 10 different boxes of tampons as Sniper T has pointed out, feel free to ask your questions (and women too for those of you who have husbands who refuse to prep) about medical/hygien subjects and hopefully we can help each other out with some answers.

Sniper, you asked about tampons (I actually thought you were single, sorry). Ok, the reason you will find so many kinds could be 1) women use different types depending upon if it's the beginning of the cycle, middle or end. If you look at her boxes you will probably see that they will say something like "lights" or "Super" or something to that effect. 2) Some women will buy what's on sale 3) Some will buy a brand to try out and find she doesn't like it so won't use the box after one month and go buy another brand the next month but keep the other one as an emergency back up just in case - she's already spent the money on them after all. Look and see what she has the most of and just buy those. Better to be on the "super" side and be safe than on the "light" side and have leaks though.

Tampons are NOT reusable. You can buy her pads to use in a pinch if she runs out of tampons or if she may have an infection and doesn't want to use them but look and see if she has any around to see what kind she would use. Most woman would not want big bulky kotex, they have some nowdays that are slimlined but still very absorbant. You are going to have to just go to the isle and read lables. Just think about how you would feel with a big bulky thing shoved between your legs all day and try to really look at the sizes and shapes on the bags. These are also non reusable.

If you are looking for something that can be used again, you will be looking for cloth. She will probably have to make them herself. You could always find good quality cotton baby diapers and she can cut them into the sizes she needs. They can be bleached so any bacteria/yeast can be taken care of. I'm sure someone else here will have some other ideas as well.

Midol...well, that question is all hormones. Shit happens. You can stock up on it though. She can't prepare for when she is going to need it. Sometimes there are good days and then there are days that you can't fit into maternity clothes and your head is pounding so hard a pin dropping will split it open. Yours is not to question why. Just is. Accept it and buy boxes.

I hope some of this helps you. I'm sorry if you felt you were being left out on the female issues but I honestly don't remember you asking about this stuff before and I always invite anyone who has a wife/girlfriend to join the Ladies Forum - I'm the Mod for it so of course I would love to see all of our members spouses join us.

[Sniper-T]

Tx Lady. Great start. Knew about the light vx heavy thing, but why different sizes of each? I thought that her size is her size.

Just think about how you would feel with a big bulky thing shoved between your legs all day

Um, yeah... It's called being a guy...

So ladies, after the SHTF, when the stockpiles of tampons/pads are used up, what are your plans? I don't have kids, so I know nothing about diapers, and that would certainly raise a flag or three if a box of them appeared in the cupboard. I don't imagine that my stockpile of shop towels would be the first choice, and towels/clothes would also be of a limited quantity.

[mollypup]

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about what to use for periods. Just about anything will do. Washcloths, clean shop towels, paper towels, toilet paper, socks, torn-up sheets, clean rags....it's only needed for a few days and then 3 weeks off. That's where the term, "she's on the rag" came from. Women just used rags to absorb the flow. It's no big deal. Really. Start reading about herbs and teas that can be used to relieve pain (a lot of women don't even have any pain or symptoms with their periods). This knowledge will be useful for anyone who is in pain, not just menstruating women.

Baby diapers will have to be made out the same above materials. I suggest buying diaper clips or pins now, while you can still get them. And cloth diapers too. Purchasing those plastic over-the-diapers will be very useful, except they get torn easily. I would probably buy a bunch of them. Eventually you won't need them anymore and people will want to barter for them.

Women and babies for thousands of years survived without tampons, kotex or disposable diapers. Do some research on the old methods and see if you can improve them with materials you have available to you today. I have 2 girls who some day will be starting their periods. I haven't bothered to stock up on Kotex or tampons because they will run out and I assume will no longer be available. I have some old rubber raincoats that I plan to cut into strips and sew into the crotch of their underwear for when they have their periods. They will have to make do with rags and the underwear. It won't be unusual to them because that will be all that they will have known. I really think stocking up on tampons and kotex might be a waste of space, time and money since once they're all used up, they're probably gonna be gone for good. Just like toilet paper. Stock up on clean rags and soft cloth.

[mollypup]

I don't mean to keep yapping about this, but if we have an economic collapse, EMP, get hit by a large asteroid/comet, or something really big happens that causes a world-wide disaster, our entire PARADIGM (way of thinking about things) will have to radically change and adjust to our new situation. Things like condoms, tampons, disposable diapers, midol, birth-control pills and many, MANY other things that we think we have to have in order to survive will no longer be available once the immediate supply of them is used up. It's unfortunate that we will have to do without them since they make life so much easier and healthier, but until we realize that the things we have taken for granted are no longer available we will continue to discuss stocking up on them. Yes, stock up all that you want and can of these items, just keep it in the front of your mind what your alternatives will be if and when you no longer have them.

In China, in many areas the toddlers wear "split pants" which mean their pants are totally crotchless. They're old enough to walk and can learn to go to a certain area to stand and do their business. Usually over a small hole dug into the ground. Kids can be taught this at a young age. I saw a lot of kids while in China wearing split pants. Our babies even had them on when we adopted them.

Just think outside the box and be resourceful and stop worrying so much about it. Worse comes to worse, and you and your wife are stuck inside your BOV and she starts her period without any tampons or pads then she'll just have to bleed into her pants. So what. Our society just isn't used to seeing such things anymore whereas 100 or so years ago seeing red in the crotch area of women's clothing was not unusual.

[Sniper-T]

I'm not trying to make it a big deal Molly, and thanks for the info. But I think that the longer we can maintain our 'usual' type of routine the easier the transition would be. for instance, tampons only during the heaviest flow, and then taper to something homemade. (pads). As it is, neither of us have any issue doing our business in the bush, and have camped for 10 days after we realized that we forgot the toilet paper.

BUt particularly around here, predators are abundant. if people are dying and there is no trash/body pick up, the number of all kinds of predator will sky rocket.

As an example, often when I gut an animal, I'll take it off a distance away from my hunting 'zone' and clean it. last year, I cleaned one deer, hooked onto it behind the quad and dragged it home. Then I went back out to get my bag from where I was hunting. It total less than 20 minutes passed, and by then the gut pile was completely gone, and the bloody grass and dirt was ripped up too.

I've been inside my garage hanging a deer, and after 15 minutes gone outside to find coyote tracks in my driveway and all the blood licked off the quad.

working in the bush with a red crotch is probably not that good of an idea.

I spent some time in Columbia a while back. most kids were naked. little ones were just held at arms length (and aimed) to do their business, older ones just went wherever. But this is a country where the temperature is temperate year round. Up here, with up to 6 months of well below zero temps (typ), split pants, crotchless pants, and running around naked isn't an option. and when we would have to be heating snow to melt for water, limiting how much laundry needs to be done becomes a little more important. It takes much less effort to wash a rag pad, than it does to wash underwear, longjohns, pants, and ski pants.

[mollypup]

Yeah, I don't have 6 month below zero here, hardly even 6 minutes, so it would definitely be harder on those in colder climates to do the split pants thing. Better figure on not having your wife butcher the kills while she's on her period.....no wolves here either glad to say!

[ladyhk13]

Yes Sniper you guys do have your own set of problems being so cold but it actually might work to your advatange. She will have to stay indoors while on her period but since it is so cold there are less chances of infection and the draw of bugs/flies from the blood. In warmer areas disease will be wider spread. I agree about not stocking up on too much tampons/kotex. Make sure however that you put some tampons in her BOB's. Keep some baby wipes around too if water is an issue where you are so she can stay clean.

[IDTANDY]

Bear bait.

[Sniper-T]

ROFL!!!

The tampons? Or the WIFE???

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

I hope to God you meant the tampons, otherwise that poor poor bear!

[IDTANDY]