Friday, December 13, 2013

Henna Art for Pregnant Bellies

What could be more relaxing for an expectant mother than having her belly decorated!  She is sitting in a comfortable chair, relaxed and perhaps sipping a cup of tea.  The artist meticulously works with the Henna to make beautiful designs!

Henna Belly Art can be done with henna applied to the belly and using decorative art patterns. 
Henna or Lawsonia inermis is a flowering plant from which dye is prepared.  The henna plant is native to northern Africa, western and southern Asia and Australia. 

Fresh henna leaves are crushed into  a powder and can be mixed with lemon juice, strong tea or mildly acidic liquids to make a toothpaste-like preparation.

After the paste is applied to the skin, the longer it is left on the skin, the darker the stain will be.  You can create your own patterns or purchase pattern suggestions online.  The Henna Page has a lot of great information and free patterns.  After time, the dry paste is brushed away, revealing the stain/tattoo!  With time, this tattoo will fade.

Also called Mehandi, Henna has been used for thousands of years to dye skin, hair and fingernails as well as fabrics.  Many cultures have traditions of using Henna during the third trimester of pregnancy to bless the mother/baby dyad and protect this dyad from evil spirits.


Henna Belly Art can be incorporated into baby showers, baby fairs, and Blessingways.  Doulas, midwives and childbirth educators may also offer henna belly art as a service to their clients.




In addition to local health food stores and retailers, here is where you can find Henna Art Supplies online:

http://www.earthhenna.com/

**We'd like to thank Megan and Janis for sharing their Henna Art with us!

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