Belly cast

On a warm and sunny evening in July, when I was 35 weeks pregnant, Phil and I travelled to Leiden to meet a lady named Annemarie Fetz of Puur Sculptuur.

I decided some time before I got pregnant that when I finally did have a bump to show off, I would immortalise it by having a cast made of it. This is what Annemarie does - pregnant belly casts. I had to strip to the waist, coat my skin in petroleum jelly and perch on a little stool for half an hour whilst she covered my torso in strips of plaster-soaked bandages. I had to be very careful not to move or I would risk cracking the plaster. When the mold was removed we could see exactly where Michael had been lying to the right of my belly button. He had even managed to crack the plaster a little by kicking! Annemarie used this mold to make the cast that you can see to the left.

To say that I am thrilled with it is an understatement. I will always have this to remind me of how I looked when I was pregnant with Michael. I think that the pregnant shape is a beautiful one. We haven't decided yet where we will hang it in the house. There is a nice spot in the living room that isn't too in-your-face but part of me wants to keep it private and hang it in the bedroom. It is a pity that Annemarie doesn't do baby hands and feet casts. We have a do-it-yourself kit for this but we haven't got around to doing it yet. Keeping Michael still for long enough to make the mold will be quite a challenge!