Rice bag hot compress

When I was nursing, I admit, I was not paying much attention to my posture. As long as I can hold the baby securely and manage to lean against something for back support, I stayed in that position till that nursing session was over. As a result I developed cramps and cricks pretty often, and popping tylenol for each niggly pain was not really a smart option.

Hot compress was my preferred soother during those days. Also, to facilitate flow, I used to place warm compress on my chest, on and off throughout the day.



That's where these rice bags came in handy. Referred to as rice sock, if made with a sock, this is simply a cotton cloth bag filled with plain raw rice, and sealed well. The bag can be hand sewn, no sewing machine needed. And, I used basmati rice as I love the fragrance it exudes when warmed up...

When needed, simply pop it in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds (or more depending on your microwave), let it heat up, take it out, and voila, a warm/hot compress ready.

The heat lasts for about 15-30 minutes depending on how hot you started with. And, if you need it hot again, just have your friends/family pop it in the microwave again and hand it to you. They love being helpful:-)

The bags can be used over and over, and can be sewn in any shape — I had a long floppy cylindrical one I used for my neck at one point (can't find it anymore). They even make good "hot water bottles" on cold nights when you don't want to crank up the heat.

Even though it's been over a year since I stopped nursing Ana, these rice bags still come in handy for those tight shoulders and neck I get from bad posture at my office desk these days...