Diving Right Into Belly Casting!

[Tiffany]

Rachel and I just started offering belly casting sessions. So far we have had four inquiries, and I have two of them booked! Our first one is tomorrow evening and we are really excited!

Since this is brand new for us, these 4 ladies are just going to give us $20 to cover supply costs. In exchange they are also letting us take pics of them for our website and they know we haven't done any yet and that it will be a learning process for us.

When we're done with our "training" we'll be offering what I've named, "Pampering Belly Cast Session" for $75. Here, the kit alone to do it yourself retails for $65. So why not pay $75 to have someone come into your home, put on relaxing music, bring all the supplies and set up, provide an Earth Mama foot soak during the casting, do the cast and finish it?

So far the idea has gone over awesome with these ladies.

For those in Canada who want to find the plaster strips, look up a local art supply store in your phone book. I found this little shop downtown that had a huge 5 lb. roll of high quality artistry casting strips (which are safe and are used on the body) for $23!! I'm assuming I'll be able to get 4 or 5 casts out of that. We'll see! Much better than $65!

We'll use Vaseline (but does anyone have any recommendations for something to use in place of Vaseline for those who do not want to have petroleum jelly on their skin?).

Oh, I had another question. What complications of pregnancy would be contraindicated for belly casting?

[waterbaby0205]

I'm new to belly casting as well. I plan to offer it as part of my doula services. Like a package, ya know?
So far I've done 3. 2 were friends and one was a shower gift for my OSD doula client.

Are you just doing the casting or are you sanding/smoothing and painting?

[AussieDoula]

How exciting! It's awesome that you have kept your business sense and are offering new services in exchange for the cost of materials and some photographs!

Something that I have done in the past (since the cast itself really doesn't take very long) is ask to do two casts of each mama - one for them to keep and one for you to decorate. The one you keep, you can display in your office, use as decoration for any birth-related workshops you host, or donate to a care provider to hang in their business place as a form of advertisement (hang a pretty tag from the cast with your contact details on it).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiffany We'll use Vaseline (but does anyone have any recommendations for something to use in place of Vaseline for those who do not want to have petroleum jelly on their skin?).

In my experience, the Vaseline is really difficult to wash off afterwards. My favourite substitute is a generous layer of olive oil (or grapeseed oil - more expensive), because it can be absorbed/rubbed into the skin afterwards. Naturally, you want to stay away from nut oils to prevent allergic reactions.

Have fun!

[Tiffany]

I have a HUGE bottle of grapeseed oil that I just recently bought! I use it as a base oil to mix an essential oil blend into to do my belly massages. Are you sure it will work as well as vaseline (and not stick to mom? cause everyone says vaseline works the best) - and then what about the oil possibly seeping through the dried plaster and making oily spots?? Do you think that can happen?

I guess we'll just have to try different things!

I went to the dollar store today and I bought a TON of awesome stuff. 4 plastic 9'x12' drop sheets, a circular plastic bin to soak mama's feet in, a rectangular bin to wet the strips, re-usable kitchen aprons ($1 each, unbelievable!), and two white towels. Visiting the new dollar store down the road is always an exhilarating experience for me. They really have some great stuff!

Also, fabulous idea on asking to do two casts! I have just the mama in mind for that. I'm sure she would go for it, woot!! Thanks for the idea. We have a baby show coming up and it would be awesome to display!

[1stimestar]

I use surgical lube. You know, the stuff they squirt on their fingers before sticking them up ya? Wipes right off mom and cast both. I buy it from the birth center. I have also used KY. It works well but is "fun" buying the big industrial sized tube of it hahahahaha. I would never use petroleum products on moms.

[Tiffany]

Nice, georganne!!! So like MUCO would work well? That is what they use here for VEs, and they are in small individual packets. I'll call the home health store and see if they have any in a larger size. I feel much safer with a muco than vaseline (plus isn't vaseline just awful to try and wash off???).

BTW We now have EIGHT mamas!!!! Our first one is tonight. Woohoo!

[bcarrera]

Great post!!!
Tiffany: Good luck today and enjoy...belly casting is so fun!

I just did my first one a couple of weeks ago and was awesome! It was for a friend of mine so we actually did it as a gift for her, we are in the process of sanding and painting it.
I think we are going to paint it as if the cast has a henna belly!!! I will post pictures when we are done.
We used olive oil on mamma and worked great, there is no way I would use petroleum products on my mammas either!

[laboroflovedoula]

i use crisco to have the mom lube up with- cheap- does not go bad like oils do sometimes and no adverse reactions!

i have a studio- i would hate to have to go to their home and bring all the stuff and then the clean up- yuck- and do you transport a wet cast back home to sand and gesso later?

i have a dental chair that i bought- moms sit comfortably- and i can raise it up to save my back!

[1stimestar]

Teresa, you have a sweet set up!

Tiffany, how did the casting go?

[doulamb]

Can't wait to hear how it went! The dental chair is such an awsome idea! Thanks for the awsome info!

[earthgirl]

There is a non-petroleum jelly, but it is a bit pricey for me because I buy it at the health food store *going to check online*. How did it go??

Make your own?

[laboroflovedoula]

the non petroleum jelly is made from castor oil- i would not use it- the idea of skin being the largest organ and on a pregnant woman having her absorb it through her skin - and that being a way that some folks feel you can get labor started- i would avoid it. in fact i had a client buy one of the kits from somewhere and it had un petroleum jelly in the kit- she called and spoke to the owners about it after her midwife said no to using it... i would not want to do anything that caused a woman to jump start her labor, especially if she was having the cast done around week 35.

[Tiffany]

I think it went pretty well. The cast is good except for the left bottom corner of the belly--the flap kind of cracked and now it folds back and fourth. I need to reinforce that area and make it stronger. I read that putting a few coats of Gesso on it will do that, so I'm going to try that.

Also, for a chair next time, I have a zero-gravity outdoor lounger that is really comfy that I will bring to clients homes. That way we'll get a good recline. I used to sit in it all summer when I had my back pain, it was the only way I was comfortable. I'm wondering if the handles will get in the way but we'll just have to try it and find out!

[1stimestar]

You can add more strips of gauze to it for reinforcements too.

[laboroflovedoula]

hmm watch the recline- some moms will have breasts that do the flatten out to the side thing with a recline... and careful about adding strips once is it dry- it does not adhere well and you don't want to wet it too much - gesso is my best suggestion as well.