Once a Month...

Since it is a shy topic there is never much talk on what a woman should do if she gets her period in a survival situation and has little to no supplies, even though it's an extremely important thing to talk about. Not only are there health concerns, but also the dangers of attracting animals with the smell.


So imagine this; you are lost alone in the forest and, guess what? It's your time of the month. So what do you do?


Blood:
First thing you have to deal with is the blood. You want to keep as much as much away from touching your clothes as possible, so you need something to soak it up. Some ways I have heard of this being done is by creating a makeshift pad with plastic(such as from a bag) to keep from leaking and the cotton seeds from cattail to soak it up, then on the other hand some people tell of diving into a first-aid kit and using material for patching up wounds, while others simply use a cloth of some sort that can be reused and cleaned.


Something you have to remember though is that the smell of blood attracts predators. That means if you use rags, switch them out and wash the one's you are not using. If you use something like the makeshift pad, bury it when you are done to mask the smell. If it is hot enough(and the water is considered clean enough), consider bathing in a river or lake to keep clean and smell free.


That being said, you do not have to panic if you do get yours. While your period may attract wild animals, there is also a high chance that it will not. It is good to make precautions so it does not happen, but don't fret about it too much.


Diet:
During your period, you need to make sure you drink lots of water and also try to consume iron(which some women become deficient in at this time) and vitamins to keep your energy up. Stinging nettles, chickweed, basil, thyme, chives, spinach, and turmeric root are all plants that are high in iron.  I would also recommend a raspberry leaf tea, which is supposed to help with the pain.  


History:
The Native American "Hopi" tribe had a theory to reduce blood flow, and that was to drink tea of the "Indian Paint Brush" flower. Please note that the Indian paintbrush soaks up toxins from the ground, so too many can be harmful to your body, eat no more than three flowers at the most. If you do end up trying this, I would recommend eating a small part of one until you are sure that it will have safe effects to your body.

Awkward subject, I know, but someone had to bring it up.