How to Make a Belly Cast

Belly casting is a fun and exciting way to remember your pregnant belly. Belly casting is relatively simple to do either alone, with your partner or with a group of friends. It is becoming quite popular to do belly casts at baby showers. After the cast is done and dried, moms can hang their cast up on a wall, decorate it with different designs using paints and beads, or use it as a plant potter on a table. No matter what you decide to do with the belly cast, it will always be a treasured memory.

Things You'll Need

• Chair (if Mom chooses to sit during the casting)
• Drop cloth (maybe two if Mom will stand)
• Scissors
• Three to five rolls of plaster bandages
• Pan or bowl with warm water
• Petroleum jelly

Instructions

How to Prepare Supplies

1. Lay down the drop cloth in the area that the casting will take place. If the mom wishes to sit down for the casting, place the chair on the drop cloth and place another cloth over the chair to keep it from getting ruined.

2. Cut up the plaster bandages in 6- to 8-inch strips. This is the ideal length for casting.

3. Fill the pan or bowl with really warm water.

How to Prepare Mom

1. Have Mom experiment with positions. She can stand, sit in a chair or get into different poses. However, the casting process will take about 30 minutes to do, with an additional 10 to 15 minutes to dry. Make sure she can stay in the chosen position for that amount of time.

2. Have her take off her clothes in the area that will be casted. If she is just going to cast her belly and feels uncomfortable being nude from the waist up, suggest she wear an old bra or use an old towel to cover herself with.

3. Rub a liberal amount of petroleum jelly on the area that has to be casted. This is to make sure that the cast does not stick to her skin and cause a rash.

How to Do the Casting

1. Take one strip of the plaster and dip it into the pan or bowl making sure the whole strip gets wet. When you pull it out, make sure that it is not twisted or curled up. Run the strip through your two fingers to make sure that all the excess water is out of it.

2. Carefully place the strip over the casting area and smooth it out with your fingers.

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until the entire casting area is covered.

4. Add more strips to increase the thickness of the cast.

5. As the plaster dries, it will begin to pull away from the mother's body. After 15 to 20 minutes, help her wiggle out of the cast while you support it. It should pull away easily.

6. Place the cast in a safe place where it can completely dry for at least a week. After the cast is completely dried, it can be decorated with paints or beads.

Tips & Warnings

• Belly casting kits can be purchased that include all the materials needed to complete the casting.

• Don't lie down during the belly casting as the plaster can be heavy and uncomfortable.

Resources

• The Doula Shop