Pregnant Belly Painting

It began with a smiling belly button. This particular woman’s belly button reacted to the growing belly of pregnancy by curling into a smile shaped wrinkle. I couldn’t help but notice it while massaging the belly and baby inside during prenatal visits. One day we decided to surprise her husband by turning it into a cartoon—with two dot eyes and a balloon from the smiling mouth that said, ”Hi!”
After that, I began to notice how the burgeoning bellies of late pregnancy were actually curvaceous canvases waiting to be painted upon. It seemed right to make this painting part of a ritual marking the ripeness of pregnancy. At 37 weeks we paint the belly, celebrating the safety for a homebirth at that stage of development.

The woman can indicate her preferences as to what is included in the painting, but most leave it up to the painters. Usually the painters include me and my apprentices. The woman’s partner and children are also welcome to paint, as desired by the woman.

Women look forward to the ritual as a fun time as well as the marker that all is ready for giving birth. And it adds some fun photos to their pregnancy journal.