Belly Casting - Your New Favorite Pregnancy Keepsake

Many mothers save mementos from their pregnancies – nine months is such a short time to see your entire life changing forever as you fall in love with someone you haven't yet met. It's an important transition to remember. Your pregnancy test, ultrasound photos and favorite maternity outfit may stay in a storage box for years, but what if you had a visually striking, completely unique and beautiful keepsake that you could display in your home? Having a plaster cast of your belly professionally made fits the bill – and it's so much fun, too.

My favorite part of being a belly casting artist – besides having fun spending quality time with the awesome moms in my community – is seeing the wonder in mothers' faces as they see their completed cast. They are so amazed that their body was that shape just a short time ago, that their belly really did stretch enough to house their sweet baby. Imagine how much fun it will be to show it to the children in a few years. “Can you believe you used to be so small that you lived right here, all curled up in this little hollow?” Turning this reminder of the beauty of their body, pregnant for such a short time, into a standout piece of artwork is a pleasure and an honor.

Casting is enjoyable and relaxing for both you and me. It's wonderful to sit down together with a beverage and talk about your baby while I start molding the soft plaster. It goes on warm and smooth and comes off dry, causing you no discomfort. You get to smile at the raw, fresh, frayed, funny-looking mold, while I assure you it will look more like the ones on Pinterest after I spend many hours trimming, edging, sanding and painting.

I admit that before I first became interested in casting bellies, I wasn't too sure how I felt about it. I didn't know what people did with them, or if it seemed weird to hang them up on the wall, or why they were so meaningful. Now I know. I take joy in my growing belly where my baby lives and eagerly look forward to finishing my own beautiful mold. I can't wait to have a 3D reminder of the new shape my husband adored and my toddler petted. This will be my pregnancy memento.