Question for all the women (okay maybe some guys too)

[burnergirly]

I am extremely excited for my second time as a burner, however, I have come to the realization that the entire time I will be at BM, I will be on my period.
Yes, I know, this is not a fun topic.... But, I need advice on what I should do while I'm there. For example, the whole porta pottie issue...

Anyone, guys or girls, with any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!

[robotland]

For example, the whole porta pottie issue...

As long as you know what NOT to do......

Sounds like a good reason for an art project....A Menses Sporran. (For conveying appropriate products, and ziplock bags for their TEMPORARY disposal.

[Bay Bridge Sue]

It's not WHAT to do, but what NOT to do... (that is the question...)

DON'T throw used napkins or tampons (or applicators) in the porta-pottys. Put them in a ziplock, for your "taking home the trash" bag in camp. Think of the JOTS as a real fussy version of a toilet in a REALLY old building which you live in. No babywipes, no paper towels, no 2 ply TP...

Just doo doo, pee pee,
and one ply T.P.
Anything else
is kinda Creepy.
and if you sprinkle
when you tinkle,
Be a sweetie,
wipe the seatie.

________


If you think that's bad you oughta see my Christmas Carols...

[okcismelanie]

If you are on the pill you can just take an extra week of pills this "period" to switch your "week". If your not on the pill you can use herbs to postpone your period-look up www.sisterzeus.com she has some awsome herbs that work to help you decide when your period is.

Other than

[MarkM3]

do an internet search for menstrual cap (spelling?)

Women high altitude climbers frequently use these since it is near imposible to change a pad/tampon at 25,000 feet (and I'm not talking about inside an airplane!)

[robbidobbs]

That's fucking hillarious, Sue.
I think there was a Red Tent thread at one time, maybe there's a camp by that name.

And yes, what they said...ziploc baggies. Wrap the tampon in tp first. And count on wearing a fanny-pack to store them in until you get back to your camp.

Why is this such an issue? Because all debris is screened out by the potty-vendor, and it becomes hazmat (by definition).

Thank you very much for asking about this, and not wanting to be part of the problem.

This really does sound like a good art project.
"Wheee! I'm fertile!"
while dancing around a burn barrel

[dr.placebo]

The Red Tent thread is not very active right now, but here 'tis:

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=7929&highlight=

[Glasshatchet]

....... And count on wearing a fanny-pack to store them (tampon) in until you get back to your camp.

Okay - this is funny cause in the UK a fanny is the part of the female anatomy that you would use a tampon in. (did I say that clean enough)

[Badger]

The ziploc bags sound like a solid idea. Place about a cup's worth of playa dust in the bag as well. Helps with desicating any moisture and actually goes a long ways towards reducing any odors should the bag rip or tear for any reason.

[Bay Bridge Sue]

When you gotta go...
__________

I'm sittin, on the pot
Inside, my friendly JOTS
Not just cuz, I gotta whizz,
But to do... my tampon bizz...
In the baggie, it will go
And not down, down in that hole
So I don't plug,
that pumpin' truck from JOTS...

___________

(To the tune of "Singin' In The Rain" - nominally, but it works...)

[PurpleKoosh]

....... And count on wearing a fanny-pack to store them (tampon) in until you get back to your camp.

Okay - this is funny cause in the UK a fanny is the part of the female anatomy that you would use a tampon in. (did I say that clean enough)

You did.

She meant a bum-bag, in case it wasn't obvious.

Any other American <-> British translations I can help you with?

[theCryptofishist]

DAng it Koosh, making my hard won knowledge useless here!

[robbidobbs]

This just in from JRS
<bedeep bedeep teletype noises>

"PORTAPOTTIES AND PERIODS

A burning woman writes: "Burning Bleeding Women - what
to do if you have a period on the playa? If you haven't made a plan in
advance, you might just unthinkingly fling used tampons or napkins or
pantiliners into the portapotties. That would be Wrong - putting anything
but human waste or TP into them is a major problem and threatens the
future of the event. I hang my head in shame to say that I myself did this
several years ago...it literally never crossed my mind to do
anything else.

Now that portapotty etiquette is a major theme, I'm
considering this issue in advance. Option 1: bring a ziplock baggie

into the portapotty with you, and pack your stuff out. A bit yucky, but
better than incurring the horrible karma of throwing used supplies
into the portapotties. Option 2: use a internal menstrual cup
that doesn't generate any waste just dump it out, wash it out with
a bit of water, and reinsert. I just tried the Diva Cup,
http://www.divacup.com, and I'm hooked for both on-playa and off-playa use. In addition to all the testimonials on their site, let me add a
playa-specific one: it's hard to be completely suave running around naked with that telltale tampon string hanging out. In contrast, the internal cup is
totally invisible from the outside!"

yay. I thought it was important to copy this here because often people glance over the JRS, and this blurb is particularly cogent to this thread.

What did she mean "yucky"??? Our bodies made the blood as a function of our fecundity. Menses should be cause celebre, not something to be embarrassed about. But that's just me spewing off philosophical-like.

And BTW, I used the word "fanny" because I felt it was more gentile than using the term "butt-pack" which is what I call these accessories, and I wear one all the time. I had no idea of it's alternative meaning.

[missmann]

As a recent diva cup convert, I highly recommend the diva cup too, but if you've never used it before, the playa might not be the best place to try it out for the first time. also, you have to be able to wash it thoroughly with warm water and soap at least once a day, which might make it a bit inconvenient despite all the conveniences of it. It is super cool though, coz it's re-usable, cuts down on so much garbage, and you're not shoving something that was dipped in chemicals, well, you know the rest...
Another option I recommend is a product called Instead. They are little polyeurathane cups worn inside the body. They are easy to use, no strings or anything on the outside of your body so if you wanna walk around nekid, nobody will know aunt flow is visiting. They are easy to deal with as far as the disposal issue, just wipe out any fluid and then put it with the waste you gotta pack out. You can wear one for up to 12 hours, they hold a lot of fluid, they rarely leak even if you are doing mad yoga and contortion, and here's a definate plus, you can have sex with them in (you won't feel the cup) without any of the physical mess that might result from sex during your moon!!

[wrong trousers]

All right, here's TMI about my vaginal activities at last year's Bman.

I DID try the 'ol "skip your placebo pills & go straight on to a new pack of pills" trick to stop my period from happening during Bman week. I had done it before with great success, but alas, it did not work that week! And I hadn't even packed supplies to deal with it which sucked so I had to bum tampons off people. ANYway, all I did was wrap my tampons in TP, carry them back to camp in my bag, & toss them in our burnable trash. I don't bleed very heavily so my tampons dried out pretty darn fast, I'm not sure this would work for everyone. If not, I'd say just wrap it in some TP, put it in a ziploc & take them all home with you, yippy! You could keep the ziploc in your bag (if you happen to carry around anything like that) inside a small paper bag, like a lunch sack, so as to keep them hidden if you wanted.

I've never used the cup, but my worry is that my fingers would get all bloody removing & inserting it, & without a functioning bathroom sink, that would be rather annoying. ?

[chinook]

I figured out I would be having the same problem and asked my nurse practitioner if there was anything I could do. She explained that it is the drop in a woman's progesterone level that signals the body to begin menstruating, so last month she had me take 10 days of progesterone beginning several days before my period was to start. This 'reset' my period to begin roughly 10 days later than usual. This will continue now naturally. I suggest you check with your MD or FNP. Sure beats dealing with the mess and hassels at Burning Man!

[AntiM]

With my wildy varying menses, somehow I usually manage to be on my period on the playa (thank you perimenopause and tamoxifen). I use a zippered make-up bag on a long ribbon which hangs around my neck; I keep a variety of ziplocks inside for clean and used pads, hand sanitizer and some extra one-ply TP. I like the make-up bag because not only is it opaque, but it is lined with plastic, easily cleaned in case of accidents, and sturdy. I think I will add a small light of some type for nighttime runs.

A small mister is a wonderful way to freshen up after changing feminine accoutrements. Spot cleaning as it were. We do a larger version with a garden sprayer and a bucket loo in camp, a playabidet.

[CagedKitty]

One night on the playa I spent out away from camp, and went to the portapotties to discover I had a mess of blood. I started to be embarrased about how much time I had spent running around not knowing about it, then I realized, hey, this is burningman, it could be part of my costume! I did however go straight to my camp to clean up, and found a generous lady with some tampons. I wish I was brave enough to smear it all over my body and wear it proudly. Anyone?

[CagedKitty]

One night on the playa I spent out away from camp, and went to the portapotties to discover I had a mess of blood. I started to be embarrased about how much time I had spent running around not knowing about it, then I realized, hey, this is burningman, it could be part of my costume! I did however go straight to my camp to clean up, and found a generous lady with some tampons. I wish I was brave enough to smear it all over my body and wear it proudly. Anyone?

[robbidobbs]

Ew... crunchy.

I like the way your kitty mind works.