Can you believe you have finally made it to your third trimester? Your belly is getting bigger every week now. When you look back on your pregnancy, you may quickly forget how your pregnant belly looked. There are some fun things you can do to try to remember your pregnant belly for years to come. You may have heard about belly castings before. Belly castings are generally made a few weeks before your due date and are very easy to do. In this week’s newsletter, we are going to tell you how to make a cast of your belly and give you some ideas on ways to decorate your belly cast. If you want, you can even have a belly casting party with your friends.
What Is Going on with Mom & Baby
Baby is the size of a rutabaga!
Baby: Baby’s crown to rump length is around 25 cm. (about the size of a rutabaga). Your baby weighs about 1000-1100 grams (2.2-2.4 pounds). Your baby’s sense of hearing is developing. She may be able to recognize your voice when you talk to her. If your baby is a boy, his testes are descending now. Your baby started opening her eyes last week. This week her retina is formed and she may be able to detect light and dark.
Mom: You may be having more aches and pains, especially when walking or changing positions. As your baby grows, she may be putting pressure on your sciatic nerve, causing pain. Taking a warm bath or changing positions may give you some relief.
This Week’s Pregnancy Checklist
- Purchase a couple of bigger maternity pants or tops.
- Make sure that you have a way to reach your partner in case of an emergency.
- Purchase an inexpensive wedding band if your ring is getting tight.
- Continue taking prenatal vitamins.Purchase a breast pump.
- Take a new belly picture for your scrapbook or journal.
Making a Cast of Your Belly
The easiest way to make a belly casting is to buy a belly casting kit. You can actually purchase the materials on your own, but belly casting kits are only $30-40 and much more convenient for most moms. You will need an assistant to help you make your belly cast. It is very easy to do, but it's not a one person job.
You will want to be seated in a chair when you make your belly cast. Take a drop cloth or old newspapers and place them under the chair where you will be sitting. You may want to cover the chair as well. Then you want to have all your supplies placed close by. Fill a bucket or plastic basin with warm water to wet your plaster strips in. Open the plaster rolls that come with your kit and cut them into strips. You will want to cut your strips into 6 and 12 inch strips.
Have the person doing your belly cast cover your belly and any other area to be casted with petroleum jelly. This will keep the plaster from sticking to your skin. Then dip the strips one at a time into the warm water and have the caster apply to your belly. The caster will want to wear gloves when she is applying the plaster strips. The caster should try to layer the strips so that they overlap each other. The strips should be applied going in different directions until you have the strips about three layers thick.
Once you have the belly covered and are satisfied with how it looks, you need to let the cast dry. It will need to dry for about 20-30 minutes. When it is dry, it will start to separate and pull away from your skin. Gently remove the belly cast once it is dry. The cast will need to dry completely for about 2 days before you can finish decorating it. Once it has completely dried, use the sanding screen that comes with your kit to smooth out any bumps or rough spots. Then you can decorate your cast with acrylic paints or other decorations of your choice.
Belly Casting Party Ideas
If you would like to do something fun with your friends while you have your belly cast, have a belly casting party. Belly casting parties can be simple get-togethers with your friends, or you can have a baby or mom theme party with games and prizes. Here are some party games and ideas that you might find fun to do at your belly casting party.
The "Newly Mom" Game:
Write out a bunch of parenting or baby related questions. Have mom write out her answers on paper. Then have everyone try to guess what her answers were. This game is played like “The Newlywed Game." You can keep points to give out prizes or just play for fun.
Matching game:
Fill a basket up with mismatched baby socks. Then give each guest 20 seconds to match as many socks as she can. The one who matches up the most baby socks wins.
Mommy Pictionary:
Purchase blank note cards and write different baby and mommy words on the cards, such as diapers, pacifiers, or due date. Divide the guests into teams and take turns drawing the words on paper. Have the guests try to guess what is drawn.
Belly Cast Signing:
At the end of your belly casting party, have everyone sign the inside of your cast. The outside of the cast should be left to dry and can be decorated after your party.
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