Would you like to make a Bump Cast? It’s easy really (although a bit messy) and you can get your partner involved too. It’s a fun thing to do as you wait for your baby to arrive and you can use the cast in the baby’s room for storing things.
When is the best time to make a Bump Cast?
The ideal time to make the cast is when you are around 34-36 weeks. You want your bump to be nice and big but also don’t want to be feeling too tired and heavy right at the end of your pregnancy.
What do I need to buy?
You just need the following:
- one small tub of vaseline
- 6-8 packs of modelling plaster from HobbyCraft
- Pair of scissors
- Bowl of cold water
- An old towel
- Protective floor covering
- someone to help you make the cast
What should I wear?
The best thing to wear when doing your Bump Cast is an old pair of shorts or pants and an old bra or rolled up tshirt. You want as much as your bump accessible for the cast to make the ‘bowl’ big enough.
How do we do it?
First prepare the bandage by cutting into lengths of about 25cm. Make sure it stays dry and if you are prepping in advance keep it in an airtight container.
Then prepare your floor to protect it from any splashes or drips
Smear vaseline all over your Bump making sure you have a good covering so there are no patches without the petroleum jelly.
Ok, now your job is finished and you hand over to your willing partner or friend. They need to wet the strips one by one and place on your bump straightaway. As they add each strip they need to smooth the plaster across the bandage. Build up the first layer all over the bump and then start adding extra layers until you have used 6-8 packs of the bandage.
What happens if it starts to set too quickly?
As the layers of plaster bandage go on they will start to get lukewarm as they set. As it hardens the cast will start to loosen from your bump so you will need to use one hand to support is as your helper carries on adding the layers.
How does it come off?
The bump cast will easily come away from your stomach just by you moving a little – be careful that someone supports it before it falls off on it’s own as it may dent the cast otherwise.
Cleaning up
My top tip for getting the vaseline off is not to jump straight into the shower but first lather up soap on your bump. Otherwise the water will just run straight off and it will be hard to get clean.
Don’t pour the plaster water remains down the sink – it might block it! Instead soak up with kitchen roll or newspaper and throw in the bin.
What now?
Leave your cast to dry for 48 hours and then you can either fill with soft toys or nappies in the nursery. You might like to add another layer of plaster or filler to smooth the cast. If you do that then you can sand it down for a finer finish.
Good luck with your cast!
Let me know if you have any other questions. Have fun making your bump cast!
