Belly Casts...

[onlyAngil]

I want to do one! (37w tomorrow)

Would you buy a kit? or just buy the things on their own?

Dose anyone know what is needed? I kinda want to stock pile things to offer my clients to have me help them... I'm a doula.

Have you done one for your self or with a friend? How did it go?

[swimswamswum]

DH and I did one when I was 38 weeks. It was really fun and sweet. I remember having to pee during it because it takes a while, so tell your clients to go in with an empty bladder. DH bought me the kit as a surprise and it was nice because we had everything right there. It would have been easy to buy everything too, but the kit was convenient.

The cast turned out well. We're going to decorate it with DD in a few years when she can tell us what to put on it.

[AllisonR]

You can buy the plaster bandage material at the pharmacy. You need a TON to do a cast. I expected to use about 12 but ended up using 16 rolls, for a very light cast that covered shoulders, breasts, belly. The rolls are not super cheap, but they are expected to go on skin, which means they do not heat up as much as regular plaster, which can be dangerous on skin (burns). And the rolls are easy to use for non-artists. (I think. I'm an artist, so maybe not as easy as I think?)

The most important thing is to cover the whole area with a thick oily substance. I used vaseline, but have heard others use a thick layer of coconut oils and creams. Then VERY IMPORTANT - cover your yoni / armpits (anything with hair) with a layer of saran wrap or plastic or something - because vaseline is NOT enough - you will painfully rip out all your hairs if you don't. Now get someone to wet the strips in a bowl of COLD water and put them on your belly. Work in layers in alternating directions to build up stability. Plaster dries super fast, so by the time you are done the first parts will be dry and 5 min later the rest will be dry as well. Lean over, giggle and pull off the mould. Let it sit somewhere 24 hours to set (though its 90% set after 15 min or so.) The best is to make a practice run and get the feel of everything.

(Oh - and do this in week 38-39. With my second I waited until labor started, on purpose, because and I was totally excited about making a 2nd cast for the new baby, but once in labor the whole thought of being trapped in it (which you are, even though only for 20 min) during mild contractions was totally unappealing. So no cast for baby 2)

[red_trillium]

i can't wait to do another belly cast this time around! we did one with dd(my sister helped me) and it turned out great.

i do a fair bit of life casting and order all my supplies from artmolds.com. they have a ton of great information on the site all about life casting, and lots of different supplies for different kinds of casts.

i have their popart plaster gauze bandages from there, and it takes about 3-4 rolls to do a full torso cast, and about 1 or 2 to just do the belly. (http://www.artmolds.com/product_deta..._name=Bandages they are about $3.75/roll + shipping a bit cheaper than you can get at the craft store if you want a bulk order) they are not the best quality for smoothness, but they work good. i cover the finished cast anyway, so any roughness is smoothed out.

i cut them into strips and dip in warm water. they set up in about 5 minutes, plenty of time to get them adjusted. when it's all covered(about 2-3 layers thick) i leave it sit for about 10 minutes or so, and then pop it off, and let it dry for 24 hours.

after it's dry i make sure it's clean on the inside(where the oil or vaseline was) and i do some more plastering(with the bandages) to thicken it up, and all around the edges for stability. i don't do much on the outside so you don't loose detail(if you want nipples and belly button to show up, for example). after that's dried for a good 24 hours i give it a skim coat of joint compound all over, let that dry and then sand it smooth. if it's still bumpy, or you can see bandage lines, i do another coat/sanding. when that's all done i cover it in a primer coat and it's ready to paint.

last time i made a belly bowl for someone. i made it really thick and flattened the bottom just enough so it would stand up. i put a faux bronze finish on it, and it was really cool! functionable too!

i'm going out this weekend to do some casting for a friend of mine. should be fun!

have fun with your cast! if you want any more info or specifics, just let me know.

[eemama]

I would have bought a kit for sure.

I was inspired by my Midwife's ongoing project. She had dozens of belly casts all over her cottage. They were beautifully decorated by her clients and some by herself. It was like walking into Wonderland.

The book "Birthing from Within" walks you through it. I used that as a guide.

I found the plaster wrap at Michael's. I only needed to buy two bundles of the wrap. My husband did most of the work which can get messy easily. It was a great bonding thing for the two of us. I would suggest doing it in the bathroom near a sink for easy cleanup. Cut the strips ahead of time too. Slather on the cream or Vaseline in spots mentioned by Allison R. It all washes off easily.

It took just a few minutes to complete it and then a day or two to completely dry.

After it was completely dry, I put Modge Podge on it to seal it and strengthen it. It actually made it a little floppy but kept it from flaking off. There is probably something better that can set it. I then hot glued silk flowers and ivy to it. Then it is ready to hang.

My DH and DS helped on my second one. Quite fun to get messy and very memorable.

I have heard a joke that some use them for chip and dip bowls. Wouldn't that be a conversation piece at a birthday party?

Have fun.

[rere]

I just used the rolls and did it myself but it was not my first time using the stuff.I do think it's really easy though.Well,as long as your baby cooperates and doesn't decide to do a whole body reposition in the middle of your casting.

Do be aware of the amount of vaseline or slippery stuff you use.I did one for a friend and we used too much vaseline and it started to slip off before I was done.