How do you create the Belly Cast?

Creating the belly cast is a very simple and enjoyable process. You can have the cast made
(as part of your Pregnant Celebration)  in the comfort of your own home or come to Rev. Ivy's
beautiful place in Brooklyn, NY.

A protective plastic cloth is laid down and we fill a small bin with warm water to dip the gauze
strips in.

After your comfortably situated, the lubricant is applied to your belly so the cast pops off easily
when it's done.  Then, the stripes of gauze are applied with warm water. They are layered until
a solid cast is created.  Just the belly takes about 15 minutes, to do the entire bodice is about
30 minutes.

When the cast has become stiff, it is carefully removed. It's placed some place very safe for
24-48 hours to dry.   And that's it - Voila'!

What materials do you use?

Our materials are from Proud Belly, a company dedicated to providing the highest quality all
natural,  non-toxic materials for belly casts. 

Here is the Proud Belly Belly Cast product descriptions:

Casting Strips

The casting material we chose contains a fine cotton gauze and generous amounts of gypsum.

When applied to mom's skin, it is creamy and able to capture all the fine details of a mom's
expecting form. The combination of the fine gauze and generous amounts of gypsum allows
the caster to get an incredibly smooth finish during the casting itself. We chose quick setting
material to minimize the amount of time mom needs to sit and wait for her cast to dry.

We tested both medical-grade casting material and artist's casting material in our testing
process. We chose the artist's casting material over the medical-grade casting material
because the artist's casting material makes a smoother cast due to the finer cotton gauze
and more generous and creamier gypsum contained on the cotton gauze.

The medical-grade casting material uses a coarser gauze and there is not as much gypsum
contained on the gauze. It also dries a more off-white color than the artist's casting material.

The casting material is made from 100% natural materials and is non-toxic and safe to use
on mom's skin. There is no heat reaction when applied to mom's skin unlike bulk plaster of
paris that can be purchased in a hobby or home improvement store.

We have received and reviewed all of the safety certifications obtained by the manufacturer
regarding its use. The casting material conforms to the health requirements of ASTM-D4236
and requires no additional labeling as mandated by the Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials
Act (LHAMA).

All-Natural Belly Rub Lubricant

We’ve done a lot of research and testing on what lubricant to use in our kit to provide the
best barrier between mom’s skin and the casting material.  We tried it all! 

When we first tested lubricants for our kit, we considered Vaseline®, generic petroleum jelly,
unpetroleum jelly and oils.  We found that Vaseline® provided the best barrier between
mom’s skin and our casting material and it is a trusted name in providing safe, high-quality
skin-care products.  Since that time, we have tested lubricants like Udderly Smooth Udder
Cream and Nivea as other kits came onto the market. We were not satisfied with the amount
of barrier protection these other lubricants provide.

Over the last few years, we have received requests from customers wanting an all-natural
lubricant and we listened!  Unable to find a product on the market that provided the same
amount of barrier protection to mom’s skin as Vaseline®, we had a lubricant especially made
just for us: Belly Rub.

Our all-natural Belly Rub lubricant provides an excellent barrier between mom’s skin and the
casting material so the belly cast is easy to remove from mom’s skin after it has dried. Plus,
our Belly Rub is body and earth-friendly.

ProudBody Belly Rub is made of all-natural ingredients: Beeswax, cocoa butter, olive oil and
vitamin E.  Belly Rub is easily washed from mom’s skin once her belly cast has been
removed or she can allow it absorb into her skin. It is so much easier to remove than messy
Vaseline but it provides the same excellent barrier protection!

Can I decorate the belly cast?

Yes! The possibilities are truly endless. The beauty of the belly cast is you can
personalize it. You can decorate it yourself or have an art consultation with a gifted artist.

Please ask for my referrals.