Cherry pit pillow—a good alternative to a hot water bottle for babies?

Hi again,
I just posted something about cherry pit pillows in the “July Trends” thread, but then while Googling, I noticed something else that I didn’t want to bury somewhere deep in the trend thread. That’s why I’m starting this separate thread:

cherry pit pillows are supposed to be a good alternative to hot water bottles for babies, for example, when they have a tummy ache. That’s what I’ve heard—I don’t have any personal experience with them.
I mean, cherry pit pillows don’t contain hot water that could leak out and scald the baby. I’m not sure, though, how hot cherry pit pillows get when you put them in the microwave for 2 minutes?
I found a tip on Google that says you should just leave the cherry pit pillow on the radiator in the winter so it’s nice and warm whenever you need it.

You can also use different kinds of grains as filling, not just cherry pits.
Do any of you have experience with this? Which is better, grains or pits?
I’m just not entirely sure if cherry pits are that comfortable—they’re pretty big and irregularly shaped. But you don’t actually lie on a pillow like that; you place it on your stomach or something, so maybe the shape of the pits isn’t such a big deal. What have been your experiences with this?

I was thinking that it might actually be a good idea to offer more patterns in the shop for cherry pit or grain pillows specifically for babies or something like that. It’s also a great gift for a new baby or as a little present. Parents of babies suffering from tummy aches probably won’t have time to crochet or knit something themselves. And cherry pit pillows are also supposed to be good for grasping exercises—or learning how to grasp things—maybe even as stuffing for grasping toys to make them a little more exciting? And for slightly older kids, it might also be a good idea—or actually, I don’t think there’s really an upper age limit.

What do you think? Have you ever tried this, or is it just not really your thing?

Yes, I had those for my little ones too, though they were filled with spelt. I find that it distributes a bit better than cherry pits. But you can also use rice, grape seeds...or something similar.

My oldest sewed a larger one at school two years ago—one that can also be used as a small pillow. It was filled with rice and dried lavender flowers. Those have an additional relaxing and calming effect.

I think 2 minutes is a bit long in the microwave; I’d rather check it after 1 minute.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Thanks, Nici
even if, once again, the weather doesn’t really match the question at all : )
You have to wash spelt before putting it into a pillow, I assume?
Isn’t it uncomfortable to rest your head on spelt or cherry pits?

Hey muetzekatze,
I use regular spelt grains from the grocery store. Spelt gets much warmer — that’s because grain kernels contain a certain amount of moisture, which heats up faster in the microwave than dry materials.
Caution: Spelt husks are NOT suitable for the microwave; they can burn.
You should never wash a spelt grain pillow, as the individual grains can stick together and grow moldy. But you can sew spelt pillows with a separate, washable cover.
I don’t find it uncomfortable to rest my head on it. Spelt grains are very cozy because they adapt very well to the body.

Best wishes
Sandra