How to Make a Belly Cast

Supplies needed:
Rigid Wrap. (http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=gc0027) You can buy this at most craft stores. I would buy 3 packs, maybe 4. They should cost about $4 a pack.
Vasaline.
Old bra
scissors
bowl of warm water

Directions:
Wear the old bra. Wear grubby pants down low under your belly.
Slather your belly and breasts with the Vaseline. Make sure you cover every area you plan on casting. This will allow the cast to come off easily.
Cut the rigid wrap into smaller pieces. Some about 8 inches, some 12 inches, some 18 inches.
Dip the larger pieces in the warm water and lay on your belly. Smooth it out.
Do that all over and in different directions. Smothing as you go. Use smaller pieces in touch up areas.
Do a few layers.
Try to make a nice edge.
It will harden quickly and you can lift it off.
Shower off and wash all the Vaseline off.

I've also heard of women using plastic wrap (like saran wrap) instead of Vaseline. I've never done that.

I hope it works for you.

Blessing Ways

What is a blessing way? It is a celebration of the mother and her journey to motherhood. It is an event to fill the mother with positive energy for her upcoming labor and delivery. It is a time to boost the mother’s confidence in her ability to birth her baby. It is also a time to support her and surround her with love.

Introductions

At the beginning of the blessing way it is fun to go around the room and do introductions, even if everybody knows each other. Some fun ways of doing introductions are to:

Have each woman introduce herself by saying, “My name is Jane. I am the granddaughter of Esther and Emily. Daughter of Karen. Mother to Megan and Tyler.”

Have the guests each light a candle.

Have the guests pass a ball of yarn around. Continue through the evening. Let the “web” created show the support circle for the mother. After the evening is over, everyone can cut a piece of the yard and tie it around her wrist as a reminder. They can wear it until the baby is born.

Pamper Mom

There are many things you can do to pamper the mother at the blessing way. Here are some ideas:

Foot rub

Belly cast

Henna

Belly silhouette (trace mom’s shadow on a large paper or poster hung on the wall while a lamp shines on mom’s side profile. Can decorate it)

Pedicure

Hand massage

Facial

Take photographs

Massage

Rose petals

Clean her house

Blessings

The blessing is a well-wish or an uplifting thought. Here are some ideas:

Poems

Songs

Scripture

Thoughts

Quotes

Balloon release

Birth art/ postpartum art

Gifts

Gifts at a blessing way are not traditional like a baby shower. They are centered around the mother and usually go along with the blessing given. Here are some ideas:

Soaps

Lotions

Beads (usually they go with the blessings and the mother can make a necklace or bracelet with the beads from all the guests)

Poster (this is something everyone could draw birth art on or write on for the mother to hang and look at during labor. You could do this with the silhouette.)

Coupons for postpartum service, complete with date, time, and what you will do. (example: June 4^th, 1:00 I’m coming to fold laundry and hold baby while you take a nap.)

Scrapbook. This could easily incorporate the blessings. If everyone knows before coming the size of the book, they could prepare their blessing on the correct size paper and then the blessings could all be kept together. The mother could look at the book during labor for encouragement. This would be ideal if the mother plans to birth outside her home. It is easy to transport. Even if she plans to birth at home she could neatly hang these on her wall and put them away when she is done with them. Then it is an easy way to store them forever.

Candles. These could also be tied into the blessings given.

Piece of fabric. Then later they could be sewn together to make a blanket.

Tokens, figurines, cards, or anything symbolic of the blessing.

Music. Is there a song with special meaning?

Food. What new mother doesn’t love a frozen casserole?! Or better yet, chocolate.

Sometimes the mother will prepare a gift for her guests to take home. Here are some thoughts:

A candle. The mother can ask someone to call the women when she is in labor and the women all light their candles to remember the laboring mother and say a prayer for her.

Music. The mother can prepare a disc of music and give it to her guests to have them play and remember her during labor.

Lotion or soap. Maybe the women could wear the lotion when they find out that the mother is in labor. As they smell the lotion, they will remember her and think of her during her labor.

Bracelet or something the women could wear during the mother’s labor.

Flowers, flower bulbs, or seeds.

Other things to consider are invitations (just a phone call? Email? Or something mailed?), food (are you bringing dinner, fruit, desserts? What ever it is don’t leave it up to the mother to prepare.), decorations, and entertainment (a video, song, or maybe even a belly dance?)

Blessing ways are wonderful and uplifting for all who attend. And so much fun! Please add comments if you think of any other great ideas or things you have seen done at blessing ways. Or just tell me what you think of blessing ways, especially if you have never heard of them before.

Good Article

Look here.