Saturday
Sep122009
Pregnancy and Tattoos: What's Safe, What's Not?
Today's tattoo topic focuses on getting tattooed while you are pregnant. Gina asks:
Hi Jinxi, I schedule my tattoo appointments months in advance, but recently found out I was pregnant. I have heard that it's not safe to get tattooed while you are expecting, so was wondering what you did when you were pregnant with your kids? Do you think I should cancel my tattoo plans for now? - Gina
You can read my answer here in the Tattoo Corner.
If you are a tattooed mom who has dealt with this situation or know of someone who has, please share your stories and recommendations.
Photo by Adraria
Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 10:16AM
Reader Comments (7)
Great question and topic...I took my daughter for her first tattoo as a gift for her 21st b-day, she got her 1st sons footprint name and birthdate done but what we didnt know was that she was preggers again at the time. thankfully all went well with baby and tattoo. had we known this she definately would have waited.
First off, CONGRATULATIONS!! YAY BABY!! I am a "Tattooed Mom', and wanted to share my experiences. I had tattoos pre-pregnancy, and I actually had a large outline started on my ribcage before I found out I was pregnant, (less than 4 weeks). I chose to hold off on any further sessions until I was finished breast feeding. I had no complications with my pregnancy and my son Marley is perfect.
As Jinxi said, I wanted to stay as healty as possible. After a session my body goes into shock, and I feel as if I have been poisoned. I know that may be a bit extreme, and when I go under the needle I usually "Go Big". I just wanted to avoid any complications. It's worth the wait, for the lil one, and the tattoo.
Many Blessings
Just wanted to throw in a comment about my friend. Sort of the same story as Tammi's above. She got a tattoo, then like 2 days later found out she was pregnant by maybe 6-7 weeks I think(not for sure on that). She then got a infection around the tattooed area. Her pregnancy went well and the baby was healthy, but she was scared for a while there. Not to mention the tattoo was on her waist, so now it looks like an amoeba blob instead of a tattoo. Like Jinxi said, I would re-schedule, it's not worth the worrying. Plus you get the time to think about all of the amazing possibilities for your tattoo(s). Congrats on the pregnancy!!!
I agree with your answer! I am a body piercer and I work in a tattoo shop, and that's what we tell people when they come in wanting to get tattooed or pierced. I also tell that that a piercing is a trauma to the body. Although you may feel well while getting pierced, sometimes afterwards the client will get light-headed. Since the pregnant body is so wacky and hormones are doing all kinds of crazy stuff, so you never know how it will react after a trauma such as a piercing!
Hi I am a tattooed mommy,who is also married to a tattoo artist!!!! I would NOT recommend getting a tattoo while preggo!!!! My best friend got tattoed when she was about four months along (she did not know at the time) she got very sick and passed out. I do not know if it was from being pregnant or not, but she had been tatooed before and after this experince whith no such side affet again........hope this helps!!!!!!!!
I am a tattoo artist/piercer, and I will officially tell you that I WILL NOT knowingly tattoo OR pierce a pregnant OR NURSING woman due to the trauma it causes to the body. Also, there is a risk of infection by self-negligence, or infectious disease such as Hep-B. You may ave an allergic reaction to tattoo ink, or body jewelry. You may bleed profusely. You may loose consciousness or vomit. You also may go into shock or have seizures. These are all things people who are NOT pregnant may experience, so to risk potentially having one or all of these things happen to you is not only morally repugnant, but dangerous to the health of you and your child. Just WAIT until you have delivered and finish breastfeeding! It will be worth it when your child and yourself are healthy!!!
I also got myself tattooed during a pregnancy, but I didn't know yet that I was 2 weeks pregnant. The tattoo was just on my ankle but I was still scared if it had affected the baby somehow. Thankfully, it hadn't. My daughter came out healthy and I had no complications whatsoever.
Shirley Grace
http://pregg.net