Pregnancy and Piercings? How does it work?

I'm pregnant & want a new piercing, can I get a piercing?

No. It is not recommended to get new piercings during pregnancy due to increased risk of infection, weakened immune system and poorer healing. Existing piercings in the navel or nipples may need to be removed or replaced with flexible materials (PTFE/Bioplast) as the belly grows, and all jewelry should be removed before delivery.

It doesn't matter if the piercing occation itself is sterile and safe, there is always a risk of the piercing becoming infected, because a piercing is a puncture wound, the infection that occurs can spread to your bloodstream, which poses a risk to your baby because the baby's immune system is too weak to fight an infection.

We recommend that you wait to get pierced until after delivery, this applies regardless of what piercing you want to do. Your weakened immune system during pregnancy leads to an increased risk of infection for you and your baby, don't expose yourself to it!

A professional piercing studio will not pierce you if they know you are pregnant, because it is not worth the risk. Plan your piercing for after pregnancy.

But can I at least get my ear pierced? It doesn't matter that I'm pregnant, right?

Unfortunately, the answer is NO. Getting your ears pierced during pregnancy carries exactly the same risks of infection as other piercings.

Do I need to take out my healed piercings during pregnancy?

There is no direct medical reason to remove your healed piercings when you become pregnant. Your doctor will likely approve of keeping your healed piercings during pregnancy & if you choose to keep your piercing jewelry, it is extremely important to clean them thoroughly daily. You want to keep bacteria as far away from your piercings as possible. If any of your piercings start to itch, throb or otherwise become irritated, or if you notice your piercing getting caught in your clothes, strongly consider removing it. If you have a relatively new piercing, it is extremely important to keep an eye on potential infections and contact your doctor or midwife if you experience any of these symptoms: pain or burning in the piercing area, redness or swelling at the piercing, discharge or pus coming from the piercing, a swollen lump near the piercing, fever.

Navel piercing and pregnancy

For most people, it works well to keep the belly button piercing for most of the pregnancy, but your belly button piercing must be completely healed. This means that you pierced your belly button at least three months before you found out you were pregnant. There is always a risk that your piercing will stretch or that the bar will feel short as your belly gets bigger and bigger. Remove the jewelry if you feel any discomfort. There are long Bioplast bars that some people choose to use at the end of pregnancy, when their belly gets too big to keep the regular piercing jewelry. They are soft and flexible and mold to your new body. But these will also need to be removed in the final stages.

Nipple piercings and pregnancy

All piercings come with risks, but there are additional risks associated with nipple piercings during pregnancy, for example: An increased risk of infection, because the tissue around the nipple is sensitive, some people have problems with their piercings during pregnancy, an infection can lead to irritation of the nipple, an infection in the area can lead to an increased risk of mastitis/engorgement.

During pregnancy, the breasts change, you may experience that the piercing jewelry gets caught in your clothes or interferes in other ways. In this case, it may be a good idea to take out the jewelry.

Things to consider around piercings and pregnancy:

  • Avoid new piercings: The body is focused on growing a child, which makes healing worse and the risk of infection significantly higher.
  • Navel piercing: The stomach grows and the skin tightens, which means that a regular navel bar can become uncomfortable. Many people switch to a longer, flexible bar made of PTFE material (Bioplast). If the navel pops out or the skin becomes thin, the piercing should be removed to avoid unsightly scars or it growing out completely.
  • Nipple piercing: The breasts change a lot and milk production can irritate the piercing. It is often recommended to remove breast piercings during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  • Risk of infection: An infection during pregnancy is risky and should be avoided by not exposing the body to new healing processes.
  • Before childbirth: All piercings (especially in the navel, abdomen and breasts) should be removed before childbirth
  • In summary: Wait to get pierced after pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you already have piercings, check them over so they don't tighten as your body changes.

Piercing and breastfeeding

Having a nipple piercing while breastfeeding can pose risks to both you and your baby. A nipple piercing can scratch your baby's mouth and palate, and pose a choking hazard to your baby if it comes loose. A nipple piercing while breastfeeding can also cause nerve damage that can affect your milk flow and milk production. If you plan to breastfeed, you should remove your nipple piercing while breastfeeding.You should also not take your piercing out and in every time you breastfeed, taking it out and in multiple times a day only increases the risk of infection. If you choose to do so, make sure you disinfect your hands and the piercing thoroughly each time, and honestly, how likely is it that you will have the energy to focus on it while breastfeeding? Focus on your baby and yourself, you can always put the piercing back in when your baby is older.

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