Medical professionals and piercing experts universally advise against getting any new body piercings. The recommendation is based on physiological changes and infection risks unique to the pregnant state. The body’s priority shifts entirely to supporting the developing fetus, which changes how it responds to the trauma of a new wound. This precaution ensures the safety of both the mother and the developing baby.
Risk of Systemic Infection and Bloodborne Pathogens
Getting a new piercing introduces a direct opening in the skin. During pregnancy, the immune system is suppressed, a necessary biological mechanism that prevents the mother’s body from rejecting the fetus. This altered immune response means the body is less efficient at fighting off bacteria that enter through the piercing site, increasing the risk of a localized infection.
A localized infection can quickly become systemic, spreading to the bloodstream, a condition known as sepsis. Systemic infection is a serious threat to both the mother and the developing baby. Furthermore, any procedure involving needles carries the inherent, though rare, risk of contracting bloodborne pathogens like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or HIV, even in professionally run establishments.
The potential for allergic reactions to jewelry metals, such as nickel, is heightened due to increased skin sensitivity during pregnancy. An allergic reaction can cause significant inflammation and irritation, which further compromises the skin barrier and increases susceptibility to bacterial infection.
Impact of Pregnancy on Healing and Swelling
The normal physiological changes of pregnancy create a poor environment for healing a new piercing. Hormonal shifts, particularly the surge in progesterone and estrogen, increase blood flow throughout the body, which can cause significant general swelling or edema. This swelling can cause the jewelry to become too tight, potentially embedding itself in the skin or leading to tissue damage.
Hormonal changes also affect the skin’s elasticity and texture, making it more prone to irritation and delayed healing. The body diverts nutritional resources toward fetal development, which can slow the wound-healing response. A piercing that might normally take a few weeks to heal could take months, increasing the duration of exposure to potential complications.
Getting a piercing is an invasive procedure that can cause pain or stress, which might trigger a vasovagal response, or fainting. A fainting spell poses a danger of physical injury from falling, which is a risk that medical professionals advise against taking during pregnancy. For piercings on the abdomen or breasts, the skin stretching to accommodate the growing body can cause the new piercing to migrate, reject, or tear before it has a chance to heal properly.
Managing Existing Piercings During Pregnancy
For piercings that were fully healed before conception, the primary concerns shift from acute infection risk to comfort and practicality. Many people with existing navel piercings find they become irritated as the abdomen stretches, especially in the second and third trimesters. To maintain the piercing without irritation, the rigid metal jewelry can be replaced with flexible, non-metallic alternatives like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Bioplast, which flex with the expanding belly.
Nipple piercings require particular attention, especially if the person plans to breastfeed. Although many choose to leave them in during pregnancy, removal is generally recommended before delivery or the start of nursing. Keeping a nipple ring in during feeding poses a choking hazard to the infant and can interfere with the baby’s ability to latch properly, which is necessary for effective milk transfer.
General body piercings may also need to be swapped for flexible retainers if swelling occurs, to prevent the jewelry from compressing the tissue. For medical procedures, such as a Cesarean section or certain types of imaging, all metal jewelry must be removed, as it can interfere with equipment or cause burns from surgical cauterization tools. It is important to note that this advice applies only to established piercings, and the consensus remains that new piercings should be postponed until after pregnancy and the postpartum recovery period.