Women In Wildland Fire Series: Working While On Your Period

WORKING WHILE ON YOUR PERIOD

I get lots of questions from women about how to navigate your period while fighting fires. Here are some tips on how to save yourself money and feel comfortable during your time of the month.

It’s hard to stay fresh and clean on the fireline

I use a DivaCup in place of pads or tampons during my period. It’s saved me money and annoyance because it’s useable for years, it’s easy to clean, I don’t have to deal with keeping and disposing of used tampons while in the woods, and I never have to remember to restock supplies in my bag, it just lives in my personal backpack when I’m not on my cycle. They take a bit of time to get used to, but I can’t recommend them enough. There are tons of options besides the DivaCup, all are the same and great options over pads/tampons for ladies in the woods.

All the gory details: When you’re ready to empty it out just pour it out on the ground in an out of the way spot. If you can, use some stream water or a wet wipe to clean it out. Otherwise I’ll put it back in after emptying it and clean it well with soap in a bathroom when I get a chance. It depends fire to fire how clean I feel. I've found that the unscented face wipes I use to clean my face work quite well to wipe down there every few days (or more if it's really dirty work/hot/humid/whatever). I’ve never had a yeast infection or anything like that even after 14-21 days working hard without a shower. 

My energy levels are all over the place during my cycle and I think it’s great to be aware of your own cycle and how you feel and what you need during each stage. Sometimes I need more water or a salad or some gummy bears for energy. It’s important to be gentle with yourself if you are feeling lethargic or blah due to cycle fluctuations. If you have an off day it’s ok. Everyone does and guys have no excuse :) It’s something I never talk about with the guys for obvious reasons, but I try to work to my energy levels and take care of myself as much as possible.

Keep on crushing, ladies!