Pregnant women should wait until after delivery to get navel piercings because their bodies—the stomach area in particular—are changing so much. As a woman's belly expands, the hole from a new piercing may have trouble healing and closing properly. This could lead to infection.
If your piercing has already healed, it is probably safe to keep your jewelry in place. You can take out metal jewelry and replace it with plastic jewelry during your pregnancy if the metal becomes uncomfortable.
The biggest concern with any piercing is the risk of infection. A new piercing can become infected easily if it isn't cared for properly. Signs of infection include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Warmth
- Pain
- Pus leaking from the piercing
If you notice any of these signs, consult a health care provider right away.
Dirty needles can spread serious infections, like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection. HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening disease that prevents your body from fighting off other infections. Both hepatitis and HIV can be passed along through bodily fluids. This means that you can get infected from a dirty needle, and you can pass that infection along to your baby.
Be sure the piercer follows all safety guidelines:
- The piercing studio should have a machine, called an autoclave, to sterilize its piercing instruments.
- The studio should be clean.
- The piercer should wear gloves.
- Bandages, needles and jewelry should all be sterile, new, and unopened.
Tell your piercer that you're pregnant. Be sure you will be able to contact him or her if you have any problems after getting the piercing.
January 2007
