In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m Chinese-American and my husband is ethnic Chinese as well. When our son was born, my mother-in-law made him two long pillows filled with rice about three inches wide and 24 inches long. They were to be place over his belly while sleeping or on either side of him so that he would feel as if he were still being hugged or carried.
Via Jean at riceandsoup, I learned about Bean Sprout Baby pillow which is basically the same concept but filled with bean sprout husks instead.
Application & Advantages
By placing the bean sprout pillow horizontally over the infant/babies tummy when they are asleep, they will have a sense of security and comfort. This pillow will serve to calm the newborn babies/infant as such that they will not need to be swaddled to fell safe and warm. As the bean sprout husks are porous and light weighted, they are safe for use on newborn babies/infant. In addition, these bean sprout pillows are cooling too.
I can’t say the pillows really calmed my son. He still preferred me to carry him in arms or in my sling. But maybe he’s an anomaly. A century old tradition can’t be all wrong.
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Thanks Christopher! I will.
I helped build this site for a friend selling Bean Sprout Pillows for Babies as well, with custom embriodery. Do take a look at it. Thanks.
http://www.beansprout-pillow.com
Deb: That sounds toasty! Using all that rice for pillows would be sacrilege in Japan.
kailani: You can try it on your next baby! hee hee
I’ve never heard of those before. Hey, whatever works, right?
I never put the rice socks (that’s what we call them, because the first one we had was made out of an old, stretched, athletic sock. a clean sock) by the babies.
But I do heat them in the microwave for a couple minutes and use them for a heating pad.
They’re so handy that one year we bought 25lbs of rice and made them as gifts for everyone on our Christmas list. heh.
Michelle: Even if you don’t use it for its intended purpose, I can think of some other uses for these comfy pillows.
What a nice idea–or a good baby shower gift.