Many pregnant women have a piercing of some kind. You might have an ear piercing, a tongue piercing, or a navel piercing. No matter where you have a piercing, chances are you’re wondering, Now that I’m pregnant, do I need to take out my piercing?

There is no simple answer to this question. Every woman’s skin reacts differently to pregnancy hormones. You may find that your jewelry, which you’ve been wearing fine before you became pregnant, is starting to bother you now. Since it’s common for pregnancy to make your skin more sensitive, keeping the jewelry in may be uncomfortable. If this is the case, you should probably take it out.

If you decide to take out your jewelry, it’s a good idea to contact a piercer for advice on how easy it will be to refit after your baby is born.

Belly Button Piercings

If you have a navel piercing in pregnancy, you may be wondering whether or not to remove your belly ring.

As your waistline expands, your favorite pair of jeans starts to get tight, your belly ring might also start to feel tight and uncomfortable. Your navel jewelry might also come out – whether you want it or not – since your belly expands to the point that your navel sticks out. After your belly button pops out, there’s a chance that navel jewelry won’t stay in.

You do have options when it comes to belly button piercings, though. You can find companies that sell pregnancy belly button rings – made with a flexible, medical grade plastic – that are more comfortable to wear during pregnancy than stainless steel navel jewelry.

When your belly rings gets too uncomfortable, other options you have include Teflon body jewelry, which flexes as your belly gets larger, or using a piece of clean fishing line to keep the hole open. Keep in mind that if you’ve had your belly piercing for at least three years, it’s unlikely that the hole will close just because you took out the piercing.

The decision to take out your navel piercing when pregnant is up to you. If your doctor or healthcare provider agrees that it’s OK to leave it in, and you are feeling comfortable, then go for it. Talk to your doctor for his or her advice in your particular situation.

It’s unlikely that your belly button piercing will interfere during labor and delivery. Your OB/GYN or midwife can always work around it. If you happen to give birth via C-section, your healthcare provider will either tape over your piercing, or ask you to remove your navel jewelry beforehand.

Nipple Piercings 

If you have nipple piercings, your doctor may recommend that you take it out, but the decision is up to you. Since your breasts get more tender and swollen when you’re pregnant, you may find that your piercing starts to become uncomfortable. This discomfort may be a good reason to remove your nipple jewelry.

In addition, moms-to-be can leak colostrum (which is baby’s first breast milk in the first few days after birth). If you have nipple piercings, colostrum can leak through the hole.

You should take out your nipple jewelry if you plan on breastfeeding. Besides the fact that the jewelry serves as a choking hazard for your baby, it also will interfere with your baby’s ability to latch on – which is crucial to your breastfeeding success. Plus, your nipple jewelry can damage your child’s gums, tongue, or the roof of his or her mouth. 

Tongue Piercing

Having a tongue piercing is perfectly fine during pregnancy. However, if you are having a cesarean section to deliver your baby, it is a good idea to take it out beforehand. A tongue bar can make it hard for the anesthetist to put a tube in your mouth, in the event that emergencies occur your C-section.

Because emergency cesarean sections can occur when you least expect it, it’s a good idea to take out your tongue piercing when you go into labor.

Genital Piercings

If you have a clitoral piercing and it’s not uncomfortable, then go ahead and leave it alone. However, you should be aware that your clitoral piercing might become uncomfortable during pregnancy, since your genitals tend to become swollen due to the increased blood down to your vagina and the area near your pelvis.

You should, however, remove your genital piercing before you give birth. The stretching, tugging, and pulling that occur during childbirth can cause the jewelry to get ripped out. The jewelry may also get entangled while you’re giving birth. 

Can You Get a Piercing While Pregnant?

If getting body piercings is your creative outlet – or perhaps, you just want to get your ears pierced during pregnancy – you should probably wait to get any new piercings until after your baby is born. Anytime that your skin is punctured, like with a piercing, you increase your risk of infection. Because infections can spread into your bloodstream, this is something you want to avoid during pregnancy.

In a woman who is not pregnant, her infection can easily be treated with antibiotics. Pregnant women, however, have to be more careful of all medications they take. Not all antibiotics are safe for a mother-to-be. For this reason, you definitely want to avoid piercing infections when pregnant.

You are also more susceptible to getting infections during pregnancy, because your immune system is suppressed (lowered) to prevent your body from attacking your developing baby. It is also possible that piercings may not heal well during pregnancy.

The bottom line – New piercings should wait until after your pregnancy is over, and your baby has arrived.

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