Question for the women only!

[Friendly Jen]

I'm a big girl and I tend to have a heavy flow, out on the playa it's really lessened. Actually after about 2 days it stops all together from all the running around I do. What I have found works is using the handicapped restroom, and making sure to bring babywipes. If saving whatever you are using is a problem in terms of odor just buy one of those baking soda boxes from the grocery store you would normally put in the fridge. MUCH cheaper than crushed asprin. I have also found it nice to have one of those battery powered showers with the movable showerhead because then you can actually reach those private areas and feel really clean.

if you want an example of the one I used it can be viewed here:
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemanc ... id=827-500

[AntiM]

And another bump for the newbs.

[Simon of the Playa]

Dear gentlemen,

this is why brown towels were invented.

thats all im gonna say, except i earned my red wings YEARS ago....

[lemur]

I stumbled upon this community today as I was looking for information about using menstrual blood to paint with. It's an idea I've been interested in for a long time. I promised a friend of mine I'd make a painting for him with my period blood, and decided that today was the day...

..thanks to your encouragement and support I have finished my second painting. This is a re-make of my original highlighter-drawing of myself being killed by a bear. I think it's better in some ways, but lacking in others. I absolutely suck at doing hands. Maybe I'll add more grass around them to hide them a little better. The blood looks great, especially in real life. Super gory! I changed the bear to a brown bear b/c I originally didn't have a brown highlighter and there aren't really polar bears in regular forests, though the white would've looked awesome with all that blood

http://blood-art.livejournal.com/

[theCryptofishist]

I think the hands are a lot less funny looking than the bear.

[catinthefunnyhat]

I think the hands are a lot less funny looking than the bear.

...and the grass, for that matter.

[theCryptofishist]

I do think that the levitation over the grass as she is devoured is a nice touch. Sorta like what you'd expect in a hagiography (sp?).

[catinthefunnyhat]

The bear is earning his Red Wings. That's why he gets to fly.

[theCryptofishist]

And then there are the classic exes for eyes...

[catinthefunnyhat]

I think we can agree that it's a masterpiece.

[ohCarie]

One word : IUD. No periods, no worry.

[theCryptofishist]

It varies. I'm from the generation that heard of and saw pictures of the Dalkon Sheild. Anything that spikey inside me, would cause me worry.
The thing about birth control...every one's different. One more reason to develop more methods. I think the pill is poison, but I'm glad to see that it's now acceptable to have a period every 6 months or every year. That would work, in this case, too. I dealt with it when I was bleeding on playa. As far as I can tell, it's not likely to be an issue this year. And maybe not in the future.

[BoyScoutGirl]

One word : IUD. No periods, no worry.

Clarification: only the progestogen IUDs stop menstrual bleeding. The copper-only IUDs tend to increase flow, if anything.

The thing about birth control...every one's different. One more reason to develop more methods.

Here, here! Also, you were good to trust your gut re: the Dalkon Shield. According to Wikipedia, its use was discontinued after causing "severe injury to a disproportionately large percentage of its users."

[delle]

DIVA CUP!!! (or as someone suggesting on crimson tide: TWO DIVA CUPS!!!)

Crimson Tide: http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... e&start=30
Diva Cups: http://divacup.com/?gclid=CLGB8PvturECFYao4AodGx4AWA

Then you get to save all the nice pristine non-stinky blood for art. Surely someone can put it to good use.



Seriously, why anyone uses anything but this is just a mystery to me. It changes everything all year round!

[theCryptofishist]

I tried one once. I found it difficult to insert. Back in the day a preferred a slight squat for tampons. Forced to do full on sitting and over the toidy (when I might drop it! and then have to figure out how to sterilize it!) did not equal a fulfilling experience.
Just as in birth control, different people with different bodies have different experiences and different preferences. You don't have to understand someone else's experience to accept that she knows best for her.

[delle]

True enough.

Except yours is the first account I've ever heard from someone who rejected it AFTER having tried it.

Most just go Nooooooooooooooo. and never even gamble that it might be a godsend.


And why full on sitting. Same slight squat (if that) is all that's necessary. Fold it in two and in you go.

[delle]

And why full on sitting. Same slight squat (if that) is all that's necessary. Fold it in two and in you go.

For ME, of course.....

[delle]

Oh fuck.

I just realized who I was talking to.............


I'm so sorry.

[danibel]

DIVA CUP!!! (or as someone suggesting on crimson tide: TWO DIVA CUPS!!!)

Crimson Tide: http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... e&start=30
Diva Cups: http://divacup.com/?gclid=CLGB8PvturECFYao4AodGx4AWA

Then you get to save all the nice pristine non-stinky blood for art. Surely someone can put it to good use.



Seriously, why anyone uses anything but this is just a mystery to me. It changes everything all year round!

I agree. My first burn I was lucky enough to start my "monthly" in Reno right before we arrived...wow. I ended up buying 2 boxes of "extras." I had so many extra pads and tampons, I could have opened a theme camp and handed them out as gifts

After dealing with that - zip locks, paper, wipes and all that craziness, I bought a Diva Cup. I love love love the Diva. I am shocked that anyone would think it was harder to deal with than tampons. True - it takes a cycle or two to get used to, but after that, it is simply so much easier than tampons. My third burn I was at the end of my cycle when we arrived. It was so easy to take a wipe and zip lock to the porto - empty the cup and give it a wipe and reinsert. Only the wipe to stow and carry.

[ohCarie]

Yes, sorry. The Mirena is the IUD du jour. It has the hormones and works wonderfully to all but stop the flow. Oh, and stop the flow of inconvenient microhumans too. Of all options, it's fool-proof and very few side effects. It's taken a long time to shake the stigma of the dalkon shield. A real mess.

Anyway, back to discussion of tips for my bleeding brethren

[BoyScoutGirl]

...stop the flow of inconvenient microhumans ...

I prefer to call it "the flow of inconvenient micro-half-humans," myself.

[ohCarie]

See, an IUD stops the flow of ALL humans. That's kinda the point. The other flow stopping is just a delightful bonus

[shroom]

An option I tired was to get a bucket of kitty litter for your tent. Dump part of the litter in a box, then use this bucket for pee only. As you use it, use the kitty litter you dumped out to sprinkle on top. It gives you your own "potty" and cuts down on the smell. You can put your wipes and sanitary products in there too. You of course need to pack it out and dispose of it and use the porta potties for "2".

[Lassen Forge]

Best invention ever for on playa use to keep clean - the Peri-Bottle. Someone gifted me one a long time ago, is like a 8 oz squeezie bottle with a small closable spritzer on the end; fills from your water source, like a porta-bidet for the portasquats, and none of those damned fuqin' baby wipes to get dropped in the squats. Whether or not Auntie Flo comes to visit you while you visit the playa.

[Savannah]

What's really fun is to look up "Peri bottle" on the website for my usual favorite online retailer . . . aha! these are just little squeezee bottles! cool! . . . and note that the top result has 23 reviews, averaging 4 out of 5 stars (incredible! I simply must click through and see why this is so amazing) . . . while another bottle, further down the list, has only 1 tragic and ignominious star.

That's some low karma right there. Being just a lowly peri bottle in this life, and not only that, but a one-star peri bottle.

[Lassen Forge]

Do NOT, repeat, do NOT get the ones in artist supply stores with the single "needle jet" opening - unless you really like your girly bits in pain - get the real deal. I just noticed that a case of 50 are all of $14... I may do that for gifts this year... Hell of an idea.

[LostinReno]

Yes, sorry. The Mirena is the IUD du jour. It has the hormones and works wonderfully to all but stop the flow. Oh, and stop the flow of inconvenient microhumans too. Of all options, it's fool-proof and very few side effects. It's taken a long time to shake the stigma of the dalkon shield. A real mess.

Anyway, back to discussion of tips for my bleeding brethren

The Mirena was awesome when I had it! I've since had a tubal ligation and the novasure ablation. Haven't had that issue in over 5 years! If you're not into having children....ever, or are done having them I strongly suggest looking into it. It's been worth every penny.

[MacGlenver]

Ok, this will be a weird one coming from a guy, but, ladies, give me some advice please.

On the subject of showering -- I had a long convo last night with a friend of mine (girl) who will be going to bman for the first time this year. She will be on her period during bman, and seemed to be of the opinion that she could just take a shower bag with her and another girlfriend out into the deeper playa and shower. She explained that there will be some... red drainage... involved in the process. I explained to her that the concept of leaving a bloody patch on the playa (regardless of where) is not acceptable. A tough thing to try to do as a guy, but I forged ahead regardless.

My suggestion to her was to shower in a bikini, at camp, with a tampon in, over our grey water tarp, then get rid of the tampon with the processes discussed here (paper bag + burn, or ziplock bag and pack it out). She said that part of the showering process is to clean up down there and allow some drainage... I didn't have a good solution for this. The only way I could conceive of doing this would be to shower naked and bleed on the tarp & let it dry.

This obvoiusly doesnt seem like a good thing, and she said she wouldn't be comfortable leaving blood on a tarp near our camp to dry in the sun (she's cool about most things, just not that). The only non-burgin girl in our group was not on her period last year, so I dont know what advice she can offer on showering, but I told this girl to ask her.

Suggestions, please?

Thanks!

[FeetOfClay]

yes, i did some occult calculations and divined that i would be menstruating during event week. i cannot abide that.

so, i am gonna be taking my BC pill packs back to back that week to avoid the menses week. i usually never mess with my hormones like that, but as a first year Burner, i have way too many things to worry about already without adding blood to the equation.

[MacGlenver]

yes, i did some occult calculations and divined that i would be menstruating during event week. i cannot abide that.

so, i am gonna be taking my BC pill packs back to back that week to avoid the menses week. i usually never mess with my hormones like that, but as a first year Burner, i have way too many things to worry about already without adding blood to the equation.

So best idea is for her to load up on BC pills prior to and during the burn? I also mentioned that to her, so she is going to pursue that option (is this a guaranteed solution?). In case it doesnt work, is there a preferred method for showering while on one's period?