The Natural First Aid Handbook

by Brigitte Mars

  If you’re carrying a whistle, use it to signal. Or shout when you hear people.

  To prevent getting caught in an avalanche to begin with, never go onto mountain slopes within 24 hours of a big snow or during warm-weather intervals and spring thaws.

  Sun and heat can cause avalanches, so travel only on slopes that have already had sun exposure and are holding solidly. Slopes with lots of trees and irregular surfaces are often at a lower risk for avalanche. If you need to traverse a dangerous slope, travel in a party and cross one at a time, roped together, so that others know where you are and can help should a rescue prove necessary.

  On long trips, have a professional guide who knows the area accompany you. And if you venture into the snowy winter wilderness, make sure you carry a shovel strapped to your backpack as well as an electronic locating device.

  Bear

  Don’t run away from a bear. The bear can run faster. Instead, stay calm and do not make any sudden moves. Try to determine if it is a black bear or a grizzly. Grizzly bears have a distinct shoulder hump; a concave face; and short, rounded ears. Black bears do not have a shoulder hump, have a straight face, and have taller ears.

  If you run into a bear with cubs or one that is eating, it will likely act defensively. Slowly back away at an angle, keeping your eye on the bear while talking in a calm, even tone. If the bear isn’t moving and there’s a tree you can climb, move slowly toward it. Drop anything you’re carrying — it will make climbing easier and may distract the bear. Grizzlies won’t climb higher than 10 feet (3 meters). Black bears climb trees, but they are likely to run away, not chase you up. If you have bear pepper spray that is easily accessible while moving, get it ready.

  Should the bear move toward you or charge you, make yourself appear as big as possible, look the bear directly in the eyes, and shout loudly at it. Let it know you will fight if it comes too close. Give the bear a good, long dose of pepper spray if you have some.

  Should the bear make contact, lie down and play dead. Lie flat on your belly with hands over your neck to protect it and legs spread apart to prevent the bear from turning you over. It will be hard, but don’t move or scream. Though the bear may swat at you, it will lose interest if you are still. Do not move until the bear is far away, as it may attack again if it detects movement or sound. If the bear does not leave and tries to turn you over or starts to eat you, then fight for your life! Use any weapon, stick, or rock you can get your hands on, or even just your fists, to deliver hard blows to the bear’s head and snout.

  To prevent chance meetings in the first place, never set up camp in an area that has bear prints, bear scat, or animal carcasses. Always hang food at least 10 feet (3 m) up a tree and 5 feet (1.5 m) away from the trunk. Keep a clean camp, and get rid of garbage daily. Wash utensils after use. Make noise while walking — sing or talk so that you don’t startle bears, or wear a small bell around your ankle that jingles as you walk.

  If a bear is trying to get into your house, make loud noises to drive it away. Never corner a wild animal. Give it plenty of space to escape.

  Bull Charge

  Drop any object you may be carrying in the charging bull’s path. Bulls will often stop to investigate, which gives you time to escape. If the bull starts after you again, keep removing clothing items, keep dropping them, and keep running. Try to put obstacles such as trees, boulders, or ditches between you and the bull. When moving across open ground, run in a zigzag pattern so the bull cannot reach full speed on a straight charge. Climb a tree if opportunity allows.

  Car Accidents

  Don’t panic in the case of an impending accident — keep your head and steer to do the minimum amount of damage. Make sure your seat belt is tightly fastened. If the brakes fail, shift the engine into a lower gear and use the hand brake.

  Once the accident has occurred, switch off the vehicle but leave the key in the ignition. Set the parking brake and turn on the flashers. Watch out for other cars, get out of your vehicle, and drop flares to warn traffic approaching from behind. If you don’t have flares, ask someone to warn traffic.

  Do not allow cigarette smoking near the vehicle. Treat injured persons as necessary, but do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger. Cover victims lightly with a blanket, and reassure them that help is on the way.

  If a car crashes into water, it will stay afloat longer if the windows are closed. Switch on all the lights. Keep a hand on the door handles. When water level is chin deep, open the door, take a deep breath, and swim for the surface. If there are multiple people in the car, link arms and make a human chain until everyone is out so that the door remains open and no one is trapped.

  Whenever your car breaks down, turn off the engine, lights, and radio to conserve the charge in the battery. Lift the hood (a common distress signal), and tie a bright-colored cloth to the antenna to signal that help is needed. Keep car doors locked, and roll up the windows. If someone comes to the car, send that person for help without opening the door or window.

  If your car fails in cold country, car upholstery can be cut and stuffed into your clothing for insulation. Park in a protected place with southeastern or eastern exposure if you can.

  In all cases of car breakdown, stay with your car, as it can be used as a shelter.

  Childbirth

  If medical care is far away and birth is imminent, you may need to be prepared to oversee it yourself. These instructions are only for those times when a qualified medical practitioner or midwife is unavailable — in other words, an emergency situation! In all such cases, have the mother and child pay a visit to a health-care provider as soon as possible after the birth.

  First, find a clean, warm place for the birth to occur. If you’ll be delivering the baby, wash your hands and scrub your nails. Shake them dry rather than use a towel. (Note: Keep any open cuts or wounds away from the mother and baby. If available, wear latex gloves.)

  Have the mother take a warm shower, if possible, to help keep the process clean and help her relax. A bath is also an option, as long as the mother’s water hasn’t burst. Pull clean socks and a shirt on the mother, and then prepare the bed. Put on a clean fitted sheet, then a plastic sheet, then another fitted sheet so that after the birth, fresh, clean bedding will be ready.

  For tying off the umbilical cord, cut three lengths of a clean ­material — cotton sheet, shoelaces, cord, or whatever is available — each about 9 inches (23 cm) long. If possible, sterilize some scissors and the three lengths of material by boiling them in water for 20 minutes, and then wrapping in a clean cloth. Avoid touching anything you have sterilized until you need to use it.

  Have a sanitary napkin ready for the mother after the placenta is delivered.

  Make the About-to-Be Mom More Comfortable

  Walking, standing, and squatting will help shorten labor. A 1,000-mg calcium and 500-mg magnesium supplement taken at the beginning may raise the mother’s threshold for pain. Four pellets of homeopathic arnica dissolved under the tongue may help ease the pain.

  Encourage the mother to urinate frequently; put a portable potty or bowl by the bed if necessary. For strength, offer a cup of raspberry leaf or ginger tea with honey.

  Encourage the mother to breathe deeply in and out with each contraction. She should do her best to relax and even sleep between contractions. Massaging the lower back can help relieve back pain.

  The mother should not push while her contractions are more than 2 minutes apart. As labor progresses, she will then feel a powerful urge to bear down. Encourage her. Apply cloths that have been soaked in warm ginger tea or water to the area around the vaginal opening to help the skin stretch.

  Lavender essential oil is great to have at delivery time. The mother will likely be doing lots of deep breathing and will be energized and uplifted by the smells of this essential oil occasionally being wafted under her nose.

  Delivering the Goods

  Squatting during delivery can help decrease pushing time
, lower the rate of cesareans, and reduce the need for forceps. That said, allow the mother to get into any position that feels comfortable.

  Encourage the mother to go limp like a rag doll while breathing deeply, as this will help her open. She should not hold her breath or push down during delivery contractions. Panting, short breaths with the mouth open, helps the baby to be born slowly and with less risk of tearing to the mom.

  Support the baby’s head as it emerges. If there is a membrane over the baby’s face, remove it immediately but gently. Break it with your fingernails right below the baby’s nose where it is less tight so the baby won’t inhale the fluids.

  Support the baby’s shoulders as they emerge, but avoid pulling. If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, hook your finger around the cord and loop it over the baby’s head. (Note: Should the baby’s bottom or feet emerge first, support but don’t pull the baby.)

  Once the shoulders have emerged, use your hands to support and ease the baby’s body slightly up so the mouth has more breathing room. Gently raising the baby’s head will help the second shoulder to emerge. It is not unusual for the baby to slip back a bit between contractions.

  Encourage the mother to continue taking panting breaths to prevent the baby from coming out too quickly. After the shoulders are out, the rest of the body should soon follow. The baby is likely to be very slippery, so be careful!

  Helping the Baby

  If the baby isn’t breathing right away, use an infant-sized, sterilized bulb syringe to help. Squeeze the bulb, and place the tip of the syringe into the baby’s mouth. Quickly move the tip around in the mouth, while slowly allowing the bulb to take in air and suck out mucus. You can also use the syringe to suck mucus out of the nostrils. Stroking the baby’s throat from the bottom of the neck to the chin with the side of your index finger can further clear mucus.

  Rub the baby’s feet and back, or flick the bottoms of the feet with your index finger. Speak gently to the baby, letting him know how glad you are that he is here and that he is loved.

  Do not spank the baby’s bottom. If the baby doesn’t start breathing within a few seconds of birth, elevate his neck and tilt the head back slightly to open air passages. Open your mouth, and seal it over the baby’s nose and mouth; gently blow a puff of air into the baby’s mouth. Blow at a rate of 20 puffs a minutes. Stop as soon as the baby’s chest starts to rise and fall on its own.

  If the baby’s breathing is fine and the cord is long enough, place the baby on the mother’s chest. Put his head slightly lower than his feet to help clear any additional mucus.

  When the baby has been delivered, he will be covered with a creamy white coating called the vernix, which is rich in nutrients. Don’t wash it off, except around the nose and mouth. Instead, allow it to be absorbed, as it helps to protect the baby’s skin.

  Encourage the mother to offer the baby her breast. If the baby starts to nurse, it will help the uterus contract and expel the placenta.

  Wait until the umbilical cord has stopped pulsing before cutting it, as the baby is still receiving oxygen and nutrients through the cord. When the cord is no longer pulsing, tie it closed with the sterilized cloth, shoelace, or cord about 6 inches (15 cm) from the baby’s belly. Tie a second cloth strip around the umbilical cord 8 inches (20 cm) from the baby’s belly. Make sure the knots are tight enough to prevent blood leakage but not so tight they cut into the cord. Cut through the umbilical cord in between the two knots with either sterilized scissors or a clean, unused razor blade.

  Care after Birth

  Place a bowl between the mother’s legs to catch the placenta. If the placenta hasn’t come within 2 hours of birth, help the mother to squat, as squatting may ease delivery. Do not pull on the umbilical cord to hasten the placenta’s delivery. The placenta should be examined by a midwife or doctor — she will be able to tell if the whole thing has been delivered. If there is any hemorrhaging, put both hands, one on top of the other, on the abdomen below the mother’s navel and lean down on the area. Continue pressing until the bleeding stops.

  Cord Care

  Squeeze a bit of breast milk into the baby’s navel area every couple of hours: breast milk contains natural antibodies. Powdered goldenseal or rosemary can also be sprinkled on the area at each diaper change. If inflammation occurs, also apply a few drops of calendula or echinacea tincture. The cord should be kept dry and outside the diaper.

  Clean the mother, and place a sanitary napkin or clean cloth over the vaginal opening. Offer the mother something to eat and drink. For the first hour after birth, keep a close watch on the mother and massage the stomach above the uterus firmly, until it feels like a fist.

  A good tea to give after birth is shepherd’s purse, to minimize any bleeding. A woman shouldn’t lose more than 2 cups (470 ml) of blood during the birthing process. If bleeding is excessive, stir 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) cayenne pepper into a glass of warm water sweetened with honey and lemon or give 1 dropperful of cayenne pepper, nettle, or shepherd’s purse tincture every 10 minutes. Massaging the lower abdomen in a firm but gentle circular motion will help the uterus become harder and decrease bleeding.

  As for the baby, keep him or her warm. Cover the head and body to conserve heat loss, and put the baby by the mother. Placing the baby on his or her side will allow mucus to drain.

  Ideally the mother should rest for at least 5 days following the birth.

  While all births not monitored by a midwife or obstetrician should be followed up by a visit to your health-care professional, be sure to seek immediate medical attention if:

  The mother knows she has a serious health condition or is prone to seizures

  There is excessive bleeding before the birth

  Labor takes longer than 48 hours (or doesn’t seem to be progressing)

  There are feces in the baby’s nose or mouth

  Bleeding is excessive after birth

  The mother manifests signs of shock

  The mother becomes unconscious

  The mother has chills and fever

  The placenta takes longer than 2 hours to be delivered

  The placenta is not whole or is delivered in pieces

  The baby did not present head first

  Maintaining a Pregnancy

  About 1 in 10 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Seventy-five percent of the miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks. Many occur before a woman even realizes she is pregnant. Environmental pollutants, drugs, stress, overexposure to radiation, fibroid tumors, infection, structural abnormalities, fetal abnormalities, and nutritional deficiencies can all be contributing factors to miscarriage.

  Miscarriage is sometimes nature’s way of letting go of a being that may be less than perfect. This is something important to consider before trying to halt a miscarriage.

  It is only during the first stage, referred to as a threatened miscarriage, that you can prevent the end of a pregnancy. Bleeding, spotting, and cramping are all symptoms. When the blood becomes heavy and bright red, doctors feel it’s too late to prevent a miscarriage.

  If a miscarriage threatens and medical assistance is not available, lie down and elevate the feet for 24 hours.

  Black haw is a powerful uterine sedative. It also strengthens a weak cervix and has helped many women continue a pregnancy. In case of a threatened miscarriage, take 1 dropperful of black haw tincture every 2 hours (waking hours — discontinue while sleeping) for 2 to 3 days.

  Cold (Severe)

  (See also Hypothermia, Frostbite, and Making a Fire)

  Severe cold, whether out in the wilderness or in your home when the power has failed, can quickly lead to a life-threatening situation. The first thing to do, of course, is don several layers of dry clothing and a hat to conserve body heat. (We lose 20 to 30 percent of our body heat through the head and neck.) Depending on where you are and what supplies are available to you, there are several additional things you can do to avoid frostbite, hypothermia, and other cold-induced, life-threaten
ing situations.

  When exposed to severe cold, wrinkle your face and exercise your hands to keep blood circulating in those easily frostbitten areas.

  If you’re with a group of people, huddle together. Take turns putting different people in the middle (the warmest position). Toes and feet can be rewarmed by placing them on the belly of a friend.

  Avoid contact with cold, metal objects (remove any metal jewelry), as well as cold foods, water, and wind. Wading through very cold water can be fatal.

  Ditch the cigarettes — they’ll constrict your already cold-constricted blood vessels.

  Don’t drink alcohol — it will lower your body temperature.

  Sprinkle a bit of cayenne pepper between your shoes and socks to keep your feet warm. An extra pair of socks can be used as mittens to keep your hands warm. (Remember, mittens are warmer than gloves.)

  Stuff clothes with dry grass, moss, leaves, or crumpled newspaper to provide insulation.

  Replace wet clothing with dry whenever possible. If clothes become damp while you’re camping overnight, spread them between a sleeping bag liner and the bag itself. Or spread them beneath the sleeping bag and sleep on top of them.

  If there’s snow around and you’ve accidentally gotten wet, rolling around in the fluffy snow will blot up much of the moisture.

  Earthquake

  Get under something heavy if you feel the earth rumbling under your feet, to avoid being hit by falling objects. If indoors, take shelter under a sturdy table or other heavy furniture object. Standing under a door frame can offer protection, as it is usually the strongest part of a building. An inside corner of the house can also offer protection. Do not run outdoors or you may be hit by falling debris. Stay away from glass objects, mirrors, and windows.