A Prep For Women During That Time Of The Month And Post Menopause
Guest article by ‘Peanut Gallery’
I know that this subject can be an embarrassing one to touch on (women’s needs for ‘that time of the month’), but I realized that it’s hard to find information from a prepper standpoint. My purpose for writing this is to help other preppers with information about this, a dual purpose reusable washable prep (sanitary pad), rather than stockpiling countless disposables.
About 10 years ago I started thinking about reusable feminine napkins. I figured there are reusable diapers, handkerchiefs, dinner napkins and other assorted items that are normally purchased as a disposable, so why not washable feminine sanitary pads. When I first started the search, I was directed time and time again to sites that only sold disposable pads. I would give up for a time and try again every so often.
I gave up again until about a year ago:
When I started the search again, I actually found much more this time around. However I was no longer in need of feminine pads as menopause changed things for me. After menopause women produce less estrogen, a hormone that helps keep the lining of the bladder and urethra healthy. Deterioration of these tissues can aggravate incontinence. It may start out small and brought on by coughing, sneezing, and laughter.
LBL otherwise known as “light bladder leakage” will affect 1 in 3 women in their lifetime and is more common in women than men.
Now you must wonder how does this affect me as a prepper.
Well if you are stockpiling disposable sanitary pads for your monthly needs, you know how much you go through in a typical month. So you multiply that by the number of months and years that you feel you will need them, whether it be pads or tampons.
Now menopause comes along and you find that you now have a new issue. Okay, so you decide you will now store Tena, Poise, or some other product to deal with your new issue. Okay how much do you decide to store?
Well unlike your monthly cycle which can be pretty regular and predictable, incontinence is totally unpredictable. So in order to avoid embarrassing issues you need to wear protection every day. Which means that when you have LBL, you will need to change the pad. So how do you figure how many you might need in a typical day? If you decide maybe 4 a day, multiply 4 by 365, and then by the number of years that you feel you will need them. I can’t imagine trying to store that much for a problem you may or may not get!
This is where the reusable products that I have found will not only save you money but if you don’t end up using them, you will have a valuable barter item. I know some women use the Menstrual Cup. However I like the washable pads as when you are done with your monthly cycles, they can now be used for incontinence. Multiple uses for one product!
-Peanut Gallery