Belly Ring Piercing

http://www.pregnancypiercings.com/

They are pretty smart though - you order one and it's long...then you cut it to size, but if you continue to grow - you would need to buy another. Unless you choose to wear it really big, which is uncomfortable. But anyway, I wore this particular piercing my whole pregnancy...until delivery and they made me take it out....but I'm back to my old one!

I also kept mine in the majority of my 1st pregnancy, and plan to again this time. When I started to expand, I got a maternity piece from www.maternitypiercings.com I got a pink one with my daughter, and now have a blue one for my son on the way! With my first it started to get uncomfortable towards the end, so I took it out. I wanted to keep my piercing though, so I just ran the bar through the whole once a day (after the shower or whenever it came to mind) to keep the hole open. It worked really well for me and I didn't have any adverse affects.

Hey K.,

I have a belly ring and I kept it in the whole time I was pregnant with no problems. I was not told to take it out most likely because I had a midwife and gave birth in a birthing center, whichs allows the mother more of a say so about lots of things, including her navel ring. I had the piercing since 1997. I now have a 3 year old and the navel piercing looks the same as always. At my most pregnant point the ring stood out a bit more but never caused me discomfort. Good luck and congratulations!

M.

Like an earlier post said, you are the best judge. Bottom line, some people's skin isn't able to tolerate even flexible maternity hardware, while other people (like me) simply switch to the flex. hardware when the metal hardware became too uncomfortable and are fine thereon. I have no stretch marks, scarring, etc. (but I'm a minority and our skin is more elastic as well). I swithed to flex hardware when my metal ring became too itchy, then took it out when I went into labor. I didn't put it back in right after delivery but waited until a few months later and had no problem (but I had had the piercing for over 8 years when I took it out). But that was MY experience. The elasticity of your skin, your daily activity level, and the size and shape of your pregnancy are individual "X" factors that will determine your experience of course.

Basically, you may or may not get stretch marks, it may or may not be uncomfortable w/out flex hardware, and your piercing may or may not close up if you don't put it back in after delivery. In general though, the barbell flex hardware worked great for me b/c it is not prone to snagging, you can cut it to whatever length you want (cut it a bit longer to allow for belly growth if you put it on fairly early), and most reputable piercing shops will sterilize your flex hardware and put it in for you for FREE or for a nominal cost. Taking out all hardware just prior to delivery may be prudent though in case an emergency procedure is needed as esp. the metal hardware can possibly get in the way of medical equipment (so I was told).

Lastly, everyone has their own opinion, but I loved wearing form fitting sweaters and tops even when I got big (felt better than wearing a tent like top that just emphasized my girth!). The ends of my barbells did poke out (my belly button never popped so only the barbells poked out) and I thought it was cute! My mother in law was horrified, but like I said, to each her own. In my opinion, with all the involuntary (but yes, wondrous, but still somewhat overwhelming) physical and emotional changes that came w/my pregnancy, keeping my belly piercing was a comforting way to "hold on" to a piece of myself, my identity apart from the "mommy" identity. That was important to me. Do whatever you want, and know that others like me out there support whatever keeps your baby healthy AND makes you happy and sane as well!

Good luck to you and congrats!

Hi K.,
I kept my belly ring in through 3 pregnancies. After the first one, I noticed that there was a pink scar where my belly button had stretched and the ring did not. It faded pretty well and it didn't bother me at all. It wasn't really noticable after a couple months. I won't tell you how it looks after #2 and #3 because I gained waaaaaay too much weight, but I'm keeping it in to remind myself that I look darn good minus 100 pounds, and should a miracle occur I'll look that way again! :-) Congratulations and good luck!

A friend is an OB nurse, and she warned my daughter that it is possible for the skin to rip (just as your earlobe can if you snag your earring). If it feels tight, I'd take it out.. Good luck

I got my belly button pierced about a week or 2 before I found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child. Since I had just had it done I didn't want to take it out. I'm not sure if just having it in general did it or if keeping it did it but I ended up having to take it out during my 8th month because it was so uncomfortable and after having him (almost 4 yrs later now) I regret doing it. My belly button looks kind of yucky, I have seen worse but I wish I wouldn't have done it. And there's a scar from my ring so that makes it look worse. I am average size, not over weight, but I don't feel comfortable in a bikini because of it.

I kept my ring in through both of my pregnancys the entire time. I had no problems and I have a pic I can send you of it to prove it can be done and still look good. I used baby-belly balm every day to keep my skin from getting dry and cracked. Good luck, R.

K.,
I took mine out in the 7th month and my holes closed up by the time I was 6 weeks post partum. I am waiting until I have my 2nd, and most likely, last child before getting it re-pierced. I have heard that the "maternity" belly button rings are great, and as a nurse who worked in ob/gyn for a few years, I can say I have never heard of any problems associated with belly rings and pregnancy. I think the website www.mom4life.com carries the rings.
Good luck!!
T.

I too had my belly button pierced when I was pregnant with the first and my husband requested that I leave it in. However, as you begin to grow it gets bothersome and silly looking (in my opinion). After awhile I did take it out. I do believe that due to leaving it in I received scar/stretch marks around the piercing ... no where else do I have stretch marks.

Hope this helps!
C.

I had one too. I left it in till I was about 8.5 months.Then I took it out. Now I have a huge stretch mark all the way around were my piercing was. Take it out and get it redone when your baby bump goes away. This is my best advise expecially cause it happened to me and now I can't stand the way it looks. TAKE IT OUT!!!!

I kept mine in for two trimesters with my first, before it got extraordinarily uncomfortable. I wish I had taken it out sooner, as I now have so much scar tissue from it that my belly button sticks out funny, and there are five lines around my belly button from stretch marks. It kind of looks like a star. I don't have any other stretch marks. I would definitely recommend taking it out!

I kept mine in while pregnant and ended up getting a scar and now I can not get it repierced. I didn't wear a flexible one, I'm not sure they had those when I was pregnant. I'll be honest, the scar looks horrible.

Hello K.! You are the only judge of your own body. Do what is comfortable to you. I have known people who took theirs out when they found out they were preg and i know people who take it out only in the last few months. It depends on how big you get. with my little guy, i was still wearing the same jeans throughout my whole pregnancy that i wore before, so of course i didnt feel the need to take mine out. one of my friends started to get an outtie about 4 months along.like i said you know your body. Take advise from yourself. when you start to show, if it hurts, take it out. Also depending on how big you get your belly button might not be the same size as before you were preg. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I had one with my first child and like you was told I could keep it in, so I did. Everybody thought I was crazy, ignore them. I did have to take it out though, the day I ran my arm accross my large belly and ripped the hole. I have not gotten it done again, had more kids, but There is a scare from the tear but you can hardly see it. Hope this helps.

A friend of mine got a flexible belly ring when she was pregnant. They are like the ones on this site
http://www.maternitypiercings.com/

She said she kept her metal one until it got uncomfortable, then she replaced it with the flexible one and kept that throughout the rest of her pregnancy.

I have a ring too, and when I get pregnant I plan on using the flexible one!

A topic close to my heart! For the first half of my pregnancy, I left my regular ring in. For the second half of my pregnancy, I got something online that was a barbell made of plastic. Here is a link...the only thing weird was that the balls did not screw on to the plastic properly. My dad had to get out a drill to widen the holes, and then we glued the balls on!
http://www.painfulpleasures.com/xcart/customer/product.ph...

For the next pregnancy though, I think I would just replace it with a small metal barbell that you can screw on and off.

The doctor was happy with it; his main concern was that he be able to remove or cut it apart in case of an emergency C-section.

After pregnancy, I just cut the plastic and replaced it again with a regular barbell. I had no bad effects, and the hole is perfectly fine!

my belly is pierced. I took it out when I was 20 weeks PG with my twins (which was equivalent to about 25 weeks for a singleton). I put it back in afterward(it was out for about 20 weeks total). It was REALLY difficult.....it was almost like re-piercing it, & I had my piercing for almost 7 years already.

When I got PG the next time, I did the same thing. When I put it back in, it went in perfectly. Not difficult at all.

I will say, my belly button has never been like it originally was. I had a very deep, round one. It isn't flush now, but not too far off(In my opinion).

Also, I did not get a single stretchmark from my twins, but with my singleton, I now have a tiny one, but it is right at the top ball of my bellybutton ring.

Good luck with your PG & your decision

D.~ SAHM to G/B twins(6) & a 3y/o girl

I also did not want to take out my belly piercing but eventually did of coarse later than what my doctor would have like. I think I finally took it out during my last trimester when I really started to "pop". Maybe 6 weeks after having my daughter I thought I could just put it back in but couldnt do it and had to actually have it "repierced" - he didnt want to stick it in the original spot because it would have not been centered - dont know if thats because it was never centered correctly in the first place or that my stomach "moved"

My friend got a scar going up her belly. But she doesnt have a flexible belly ring.

i'm surprised that your doctor said it was okay. mine said there was a risk of it actually popping out (through the skin!) as my belly grew... that's the only risk i've heard of, though...

There are no negative effects, it's a matter of comfort for you. If you belly button is inverted (an "innie") it should not be a problem. If you have an "outtie" and your belly button pops out during the later months, it might be uncomfortable. I wore mine through both pregnancies. My stomach skin stretched out and my ring didn't quite hang the same but that also depends on your size, what your belly button is like, how much weight you gain, etc. I just got a tummy tuck so I have a new, cute belly button I may or may not pierce. Babies do crazy things to a woman's body!!!!

Me personally, I looked like I ate other pregnant women when I was pregnant all three times. My belly button will never be the same and I can't imagine a belly button ring to draw attention to it. Yikes!!!!!

Hi K.,

I also had a belly ring. I bought a special ring that is meant to replace your metal one. It is a special type of bendable plastic that grows with your belly. I never actually put it in because I was afraid to change the ring myself, but I have friends that had success with it. After I had the baby and went back to pre-pregnancy weight it looks the same but since I don't plan on showing my stomach off anytime soon due to strech marks I didn't bother putting it back in. I wish I could remember the website but if you just type in a search I'm sure you can find it. I only found one website that carried it and I think it was around $25. Good luck!

Hello.My girlfriend has a belly ring and she keep it through most of her pregnancy. If you are having a hospital birth they will make you take it out when you arrive to labor and delivery due to risk of burns if they had to shock you. All that aside, my friend took her ring out in the 8th/9th month and then replaced it as soon as her baby was born. I have seen it and it looks fine now. It did look a bit strange when she was 8 months prego, pretty stretched out, but now, 10 months later it looks just like it did before she was pregnant. It matters how long you had the piercing. My friend had hers for about 10 years. If it is a new piercing (within the last 2-3 years) you might loose it if you take it out for more than a couple of days. Feel free to contact me with otheer questions. I have many body piercings (unfortunately no belly ring though) and an 8 moonth old baby.