Let's say I don't want to be a self-sufficient farmer after the apocolypse

[conuly]

What else can I do to sustain myself? Give me some ideas, they don't have to be necessarily good or easy ones. I'm not talking *right* after, either. I'm talking when the dystopias pick up, several years down the line after things have settled down. (Ever notice how these books always assume that if you survive the initial upheaval of life as you knowing suddenly grinding to a halt, you'll be all right?)

(And yes, this entire post assumes the end of the world as we know it is coming. If you don't think that's likely to happen, speculate anyway.)

Comments

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Yes, many times it is dangerous, but in most cases, its not. So it would have been better said as "Without modern medicine, having a baby is sometimes dangerous." or something. But its that "OMG without a doctor your baby will DIE!!!!" mentality that makes childbirth such so badly in the US these days. :(I mean, crap. You can't even have a midwife assisted homebirth in New York state. Because the government has made it illegal Assholes. :(

[leora.livejournal.com]

I was talking about having babies. All of my comments were within the context of a bunch of survivors putting together a community and what jobs would be available. Having babies is dangerous. Have enough women and you will have problems come up. I'm probably okay - I'm big hipped and fecundity seems to be in my genes. But there will be problems. Some of them will be solvable with a bit of poking and prodding, but not every woman is going to be able to get a baby out without aid. Having babies ~is~ dangerous. We forget that, but childbirth used to be a statistically significant killer of women, and still is in some places. Oh sure, we can seriously reduce that from simply knowing about germ theory and washing our hands and keeping things clean, but having babies involves risks. And a community will have use for someone with midwife skills.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Big hips have nothing to do with it. I have almost NO hip width, even after three kids, and I just birthed a 9 lb, 14 inch head circumference baby, no problem. When I say that under my fat, I am tiny, I mean I am stuck with kid's sized hats, watches, glasses and shoes. When I am without all my extra weight, I wear a 00 pants.

Yes, a community would need midwifery skills. But not "modern medicine" as such. And often enough "modern medicine" has caused as many birth risks as it has eradicated.