My favorite things: Rice socks
For 2020, I am writing a series of all of my favorite things! This will include my favorites for supporting people in childbirth, doula life and recovery, small business owner hacks, books and resources, and more. With just a few exceptions, you will NOT find links to purchase these products in this blog series. I trust that you can search for these and like items if you would like to purchase them on your own.
I do not want this series to give anyone FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) though! You do not need all of these things to be a great doula, or have a satisfying birth! However, as with everything humans do, tools can be helpful and help you to work smarter, not harder, especially when you find yourself doing the same things over and over in professional birth work, or you find something particularly helpful for increasing your own comfort in pregnancy, birth, and general life.
Today is all about rice-filled socks!
These DIY microwaveable heating packs are simple and a great comfort tool. The simplest method to make your own is to take a tube sock (no holes in the sock!), fill it with uncooked rice, and tie a knot in the end of the sock. You can use your sewing machine and pretty fabrics to make your own, as well as other filler materials, some favorites include whole flax seed, cleaned cherry pits, and more. You can make them small (to soothe your forehead) or large (to cover your entire lower back) if you like. You can also purchase them online (Etsy, yourdoulabag.com, Amazon, etc), and you can probably find them locally as well. Heat them up in your microwave, you’ll have to experiment to see what you like best. I use this sock around my neck, and microwave it for about 90 seconds in my microwave.
Aching muscles and joints often feel better with therapeutic heat, and discomfort in childbirth is no exception. I no longer bring rice socks to births (I now bring hot water bottles because they are lighter to carry, and apologies to my client who found herself lying on loose rice when my rice sock broke!), but I used to do so with great success. These I use at home now, and you can use them during pregnancy and postpartum for comfort and warmth.
At a modest temperature, you can even use these with kids! My 11 year old loves to steal this one from me to put around his own neck, and a mild heat is soothing to upset tummies and growing pains. Just like with testing bathwater or bottle temperature, test the temperature of your rice sock on the bare skin on the inside of your forearm before applying it to children. Use extreme caution if applying heat to infants, but sometimes fussy or gassy babies enjoy a warm pack on their bellies.
Why is this one of my favorite items for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting? It is inexpensive to DIY, you can likely make one for yourself right now without leaving the house. You can make them or purchase them to fit your specifications for your own needs. They are quick to heat up and they hold heat for a fairly long time. The weight of the rice or your filling of choice provides comfort as well. You can adjust the heat by microwaving for more or less time. You can use it during sleep, unlike electric heating pads and blankets, because these will cool to ambient temperature as you sleep, posing no burn or fire risk during sleep. They are flexible, so you can use them around your shoulders, on your forehead, on your belly, or like I sometimes do on cold winter nights, on your feet under the blankets!
I hope this was helpful for Parents and for Birth Professionals alike, and that you enjoyed learning about why rice socks are one of my favorite things to use in my doula work!