Pregnancy and Body Piercing
In this installment of my piercing blog on removing jewelry, I will be covering Pregnancy and Body Piercing. I think it is important to point out right from the start that if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, you should not consider getting a piercing at all. This is especially true if you are considering areas of the body that are greatly affected during pregnancy, like the navel, nipples, or genital area.
The most significant risk of getting a piercing during pregnancy is the possible introduction of a foreign pathogen during or after the piercing. Thus, causing an infection that could spread and affect the health of both mother and child. There is also the increased stress caused by getting a piercing that could could cause unforeseen complications. In addition, healing a piercing during pregnancy can put unnecessary stress on your immune system. Additionally, the extra strain on the immune system and your body can prolong the healing period, thereby increasing the risk of infection.
When it comes to existing and well-healed piercings, it really depends on the location of the piercing and whether the birth is going to be natural or not. If you are pregnant, I'm sure you have been spending a great deal of time planning for your near future and taking steps not only to ensure a healthy child but also to prepare for the child's care after they enter the world. Part of that planning has included taking steps to reduce risks to your health and that of the child. One of the risks you should consider is that if something goes wrong, it may require an intrusive procedure, such as surgery. Suppose you are at a high risk of this possibility. In that case, I suggest removing the jewelry and replacing it with a non-metallic material, as I mentioned in my other blogs on medical procedures and body jewelry.
You also need to consider that your body will undergo significant changes during pregnancy, often altering its shape. I'm sorry to bring this up; the size of your body will also change. Since a majority of jewelry is made of rigid materials, it will not expand or flex during these changes. This can cause piercings to tear, migrate, scar, or become embedded. With navel piercings, even if the piercing doesn't become damaged during pregnancy, the piercing will more than likely migrate or move.
You may come across flexible "Pegnacy navel jewelry," and yes, it may reduce some of the risks of migration and rejection. However, they are made of man-made chemical-based materials. There are two issues with this: the first is that since the manufacturer refuses to disclose the material's composition or submit to third-party testing, it may be toxic and contain PFAS, also known as "Forever Chemicals." The second reality is that the changes in the body that pregnancy brings will often require the piercing to be abandoned and redone. Also, if you are having a hospital birth, they are likely going to demand that you remove your jewelry for the birth.
If you are going to breastfeed and have your nipples pierced, it shouldn't be affected. Nipple piercing does cause some of the milk ducts in the nipple to reroute or close, but since a majority of the ducts are located in the areola, the piercing should not affect breastfeeding. I want to stress that if the piercing is not well healed or not well healed by the time of birth, remove it to reduce the chances of infection and other problems during breastfeeding. Not only because you create a problem if you don't have to, but also because you don't want to create a situation where you are unable to breastfeed. However, you really should consider that jewelry is not the best thing to have in a newborn's mouth. Meaning the jewelry should be removed when feeding, adding yet another complication to it. You may find a balance wearing larger standard barbells and then removing them during feeding, but this can be a hassle, to say the least. Additionally, you should consider that tenderness and swelling may require larger jewelry to accommodate additional room for swelling.
