SHTF Gynecology
I am going to go out on a limb here. First I want to apologize for missing the last 2 weeks. The good news is that I am part of the work force again!
Now that, that is out of the way, lets talk about the OB side of sustainable and survival medicine. In my experience we men are ready to talk sun up to sundown and then some about bullets beans and women. But when it comes time to think about a woman’s needs then the conversation stops with the suddenness of a rabbit hit by a 150 grain Nosler Boat tail hollow point .308 at 30 paces. Last year Cat Ellis and I (www.theherbalprepper.com) did a show that touched on this topic. The reception for it was good and well lets just say not so good
This is for those that don’t know women are built different.
Currently with the way things are and supplies are easy to get and supplements are in good supply things are a bit easier. Now with out all the female time of the month jokes, the 28 day cycle is a complex interaction that can and does make a woman’s life hell. And most male preppers do not plan for it. Even married male preppers.
Now surfing though the SHTF Gynecology pages on the net we see everything to marking a woman’s belly for C section, to how to internally invert a breech baby. These are the extremes of OB work. But its the stuff that catches the eye.
Gynecology for SHTF is much more than how to do a C section with a Buck knife and a bottle of Jack.
During a class this weekend I was asked about herbal alternatives for birth control. And I did not have an answer for that. So out come the books and Google got a workout.
First off in past shows and news letters I’ve talked about how the expiration dates on most drugs are based on revenue. That is not the case with birth control. They are different because instead of various chemicals they are hormones bound in a talc matrix. They do break down and they do so with out warning. After a few decades of medicine I have found that the the hormones in birth control can cause more problems than an unexpected baby. And the herbs that are used for birth control can cause the same issues as the pills themselves.
Some of the methods that are available that do not include hormone pills are:
1 Abstinence. Really just say no.
2. Timing.
3. A lifetime supply of condoms (Note. They do expire)
4. Get to really like kids.
5. Getting to know her body and her cycle.
Ok So I am having fun with some of this, but in all seriousness, Item 5 is the probably the best. Its the method our grandparents (For people my age) and great grandparents used. In the early 20th century and before, the majority if people in the country were farmers or tied to the land closer than we are today. As farmers and ranchers we were pretty knowledgeable when livestock came into heat. We had to be or the rancher would go broke. No bred cows, no calves and no money. And us being mammals we have a lot of the same signs.
Every female in the animal kingdom shows visible signs of estrus. And humans are no different.
The method involves observing the changes in female mucus secretions throughout the month. These secretions follow a distinct pattern. Once you become aware of this, it’s very easy to see the differences. This takes some time and some careful note taking.
Now talking with my wife of 24 years I asked her what else women would need in SHTF. She was quick to say, feminine protection products and patterns and material for bras.
Feminine protection items have been either an afterthought or due to the times difficult for women to buy. From the 1700’s to the late 1800s women relied on stuff rags into bags and stuffing them in their underwear. It wasn’t to the early 1930’s that the first tampons were marketed and in such a way that women would be able to buy them with out shame.
Comes the early 21st century and women can find and buy any product they want. And a resurgence of the reusable pads and cups are back. An old product backed by modern materials and yes engineering.
The FDA in 2014 in its infinite and bumbling wisdom, and its lack of “balls” bowed to the pressure of Big Business and regulated reusable menstrual products as regulated medical devices. I am going to reserve judgment on that move.
The fact that there is now alternatives for women than the hygroscopic chemical filled pads. The internet is filled reusable products and more importantly patterns for making them yourself. Cleaning the pads with out the benefit of a washing machine is pretty easy. They like any other blood soaked cloth is done with COLD water. Bleach is not the best thing to use, since 1 it is difficult to get it all the way out. And 2 bleach in a sustainable environment is better used to purify water, or disinfect an area that sick people are being treated. Here the key to removing the stain is baking soda. Washing soda does not work as well by itself. It doesn’t add much to the cleaning, but it makes the water softer. Were I live our water is so hard its the reason we do not have swimming pools. Diving into Edgewood water is the same as jumping face first into your lawn.
Back to the subject at hand. A baking soda paste rubbed on the stain then washed. Will you get every bit of the stain out? No, but the cloth will be clean.
The last bit I am going to talk about is bras. Now aside from all the jokes I make with my wife about she doesn’t need a bra, I have big hands, for some they are a needed part of sustainable SHTF equipment. This is not a discussion on the pros and cons of wearing one. For a lot of women its a needed piece of equipment. I’m going to use my wife as an example. Christine is not a small chested woman. She also has back issues and even tho at the end of the day when she takes it off and relishes in the “freedom” she has told me that she could not do her normal days with out one. The historical development of the bra was according to my wife and other women I know, The original plans for the bra were taking from Torqumada’s torture chamber. Today designers have figured out that women want both style fit, support and comfort. But like any other piece of clothing they wear out. Thankfully today we have the ‘Net. And downloadable and printable and most importantly USEFUL patterns exist. The key is download and print them now and also have the material available to make more than one or two.
Women are 50% of our population. And the unique medical needs of them are the least talked about part of SHTF, Sustainable or Prepper medicine. There is nothing gross about it. In every class I teach I always tell people as a medic there is nothing gross about the human body. Its a fantastically engineered machine. At times a medic needs to see, touch and do things that may seem to be distasteful but we need to get over that and put on our big boy panties and deal with it. SHTF life includes both sexes. It includes frank and honest discussions on reproduction, health and comfort. Planning for SHTF is a team effort. Both sexes are part of the team. We have a saying. I do not want a princess to rescue, I want a queen to fight by my side.
To have that queen we need to ensure that they are treated equally and that means their unique medical and health needs are met.
Also seek out and try before its needed the various products available now to 1. See if they work. To to see if they work WELL
The Medic Shack Herbal First Aid Kit
The Medic Shack Herbal First Aid Kit is a comprehensive kit designed to supplement your standard first aid kit by using herbal and natural alternatives to the most common medicines found in your first aid kit. It is not designed to fill every function of a full medical supply. It is designed to supplement what you have in a sustainable manner.
The kit includes:
Cuts and scrapes: Sage Pine and Plantain Comfrey salve Burns: Chaparral Plantain Calundula Marshmallow salve Insect bites: Yarrow chaparral salve Rashes: Plantain Comfrey chaparral salve Muscle Aches Strains and Sprains Arnica Cayenne salve.
All Salves are made with 100% coconut oil and stiffened with Beeswax
Also supplements for internal use
Cold Flu Sore throat. Elderberry Echinacia Slippery Elm Osha glycerite
Sore throat Osha, Yerba Mansa, licorice slippery elm Glycerite
Allergy Mormon tea tincture
Pain relief Willow Devils claw glycerite
Upset stomach Mint/Mesquite glycerite
All the glycerites are made with 80% natural vegetable glycerin 20% RO water.
The 1 tincture is made with wildcrafted Mormon Tea tinctured in 50% grain alcohol
There are 2 sizes, the large is 2 ounce tins of the salves and 20 ml total of each glycerite and tincture
And the small is 1 ounce tins and 10 ml of each glycerite and tincture.
Order yours here. http://themedicshack.net/medic-shack-herbal-first-aid-kit Note it takes about 3 days to put together each kit for order. Also the ingredients are listed. Please check carefully and check for any items you may be allergic to.
Also FDA time now.
This products have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
