Who’d have guessed that healthy, young people use microwave heating pads routinely? I always thought heating pads were for the aged and the ill until a good friend enlightened me.

She said all of her seven grandchildren each received a microwave Bunny or Bear for a gift at birth. Each of their moms would lay the heating pad in the bassinet to warm it for a few minutes, then take it out, and place the sleeping newborn down. The baby is not shocked awake by the cold sheets. If I had only known this years ago when my kids were a few days old, it would have saved me hours of extra rocking and maybe some much needed sleep.

As toddlers, my friend’s grandchildren became attached to these comforting companions and took them to bed at night. Heat helps relax muscles and can actually help children, as well as adults, go to sleep. My friend tells me she knows when they (now in elementary school) are going to bed because she hears the beep-beep of the microwave.

In sports or just in routine play kids sometimes come limping home with sprained ligaments or strained muscles. The doctor will often recommend icing an injury for a few days to reduce the swelling and then use heat to increase circulation and flexibility.  Check out KidsHealth.org or the Mayo Clinic about treating these types of injuries. These “warmers” can be frozen and used as gentle ice packs to reduce swelling.

In their teenage years, girls often find a heating pad helps ease pain associated with premenstrual cramps. Plus, teenagers may find school to be very stressful as exams and projects loom over them. Heating pads may not take away the causes of stress but they will help a teen “chill” for awhile, which we all know can have a direct impact on the rest of the family. How nice it would have been to have microwaves when I was a teenager.

If you know someone who is going to have a baby, the gift of a Maine Warmers’ Comforting Creature will give that child years of comfort and warmth for routine needs. They are made in Maine, washable and lovable.