Pregnancy after recent piercings

[umm.hafsah]

Hi there-

I just recently found out I am pregnant which came as a big surprise (a pleasant one though). However, I am a bit concerned because a few months back I got 2 piercings, one in my nostril and a barbell in my navel. I've had the dreaded nose bump for a long time and was treating it with saltwater (didn't work), chamomile (didn't work), and tea tree oil (looked like it was starting to work but had to stop when I found out I was expecting). My navel piercing has always been fine but yesterday it started feeling a bit sore and today I am starting to notice it getting a little red. How worried should I be? Is this likely infection? I can't get in to see a doctor until my first appointment on the 20th of this month, is this too risky to wait? Has anyone else had experience with getting a piercing very shortly before conceiving?

Thanks!

[EllisH]

I am clueless about piercings, so not much help, but will the navel piercing remain comfortable when your belly will grow?  I would dread having a piercing there right now with the navel all tight and protruded (am now 35 weeks).  Am only asking, because if you need to have it removed later on anyway, you might as well do so now....

[umm.hafsah]

I know some people buy 'pregnancy piercings' or plastic placeholders to keep the piercing open. Thats what I am leaning toward at the moment but really more like a wait and see thing right now as I am still only 6 weeks and have time to decide :). However, if it is infected, I assume the decision will already be made for me. It doesn't look noticeably red from the outside, it just seems a little up close, and its become quite sore.

[gummibears]

I have a barbell in naval. Erm, did. When we started trying I removed it. No big deal afterward it's not hard to re-open the hole. I've done it before when I gained weight and it was sore from the pudge pushing on the piercing and it opened right up. If not, then I can either re-pierce it or not worry about it. However, yours are still new, and a belly ring takes 6 months to a year to heal, so you have another issue at hand. Removing itwould be probably a bad idea right now til it's healed (my piercing is some 7 years old) and you can't keep the ring in full term either. I think they make some spacers or something you can wear for pregnancy, but I'm not 100% sure on that one.

[Oregonicmama]

I have had a lot of piercings over the years.  I had to take out my beloved nipple rings about 2 months in to this pregnancy b/c they were just irritating my nipples too much.  This was after having them in for 5 yrs.  I'm pretty sure you will need to take your navel ring out when your belly starts to get bigger.  You can always call your piercer and ask them.   The shop I go to is very helpful with any questions I have.  I know right now at 5 month pregnant my belly button is extremely sensitive and having a ring in it would be very uncomfortable.  Plus when you get real big and the bb starts to protrude it could get caught on something..... ouch!

[~Adorkable~]

I was a piercer for a very very long time, worked professionally for over a decade.
The two piercings are different issues with pregnancy.
I'll deal with the navel first, since sadly that is easiest in this case. If it is less than 6 months old or has been acting up for a while I would just take it out. Between the skin stretching and pregnancy hormone and additional friction of your belly sticking out, it is simply going to be a constant issue and scar up. If it had been an uneventful 6 months or more I could recommend doing your best with some flexible surgical tubing like another poster mentioned, but this is reapply not a good thing for any piercing that is still moist as yours sounds to be. You can always get it redone after your child is born, but I suggest to wait a while since I have seen way too many navel piercing trashed by picking up and caring for lovely squirmy babies and small kids. Parenting in the end is just more important than piercings. Think of a future piercing as a gift to yourself after you get to the older toddler stage, I had a lot of clients come in to celebrate " getting there body back for themselves" as it were.

Now the nostril. There is no reason you can hear this piercing is it has been a few months and your are prepared to really be good about it. I personally would keep everything off it besides pure sodium choride (medical salt water) the reason I use this is that it is a very controlled percentage and I found most folks that mix it themselfs mix it too strong or use the wrong types of salt that often have anti caking additives in it. I usally stay away from soaps unless you actually get the area dirty. The bump you are getting is likely caused by friction and you need to most of all not turn or move or rub the piercing or jewelry in any way what so ever!!! The other cause of bumps is chemical iratation and that can be from soap, even very natrual ones or make up. What most folks think is infections are often just part of the healing process. Please go and look around the Acociation of Professional Piercers website for tons of good info and pamphlets. Here is a link to their aftercare for the general body.
it also has a great trick for having a clean pillowcase, for a nost to heal this is a big one.


Feel free to ask more questions, and congrats on the pregnancy!!!!!

[Oregonicmama]

here is a link to the aftercare product I used on my piercings and that my shop recommends.  It's not very expensive and you won't use it all, so you'll have it around in case your nosed gets irritated again.  I used to make my own salt water solution, but this works better. 

http://www.h2ocean.com/

[~Adorkable~]

I just read a bunch on that website for that product and I and solid research disagrees with a lot of their claims. Products don't heal you, your body does, for that you need circulation most of all and true soaking and warming your body and drinking fluids incurages that way way more than spraying things on. There is no product that heals skin if they did they would win the Nobel prize in medicine!

in the APP we have many folks that study wound care as nearly full time occupations and have learned tons of the many years. One extra thing we have learned is how much companies want to make money of the popularity of piercings and the struggle and confusion of how to take care of them. I have seen so products come and go and each claim to be the end all be all for aftercare.

What I do like about that product is that it does have a decent sterile delivery system and it is at least probably the right % of sodium. But you can go to a " home medical supply" store in your town and ask for" sodium chloride for wound irrigation" and it is pure and cheap and the same thing as a pure IV fluid just not packaged for that. It does not have the crap that saline solution for contacts have in them that stuff is a no no and is what that products website is comparing themselves too.

[umm.hafsah]

Ugh! Just wrote a long post and it got lost. To summarize: Thank you so much for the advice. I don't want you to feel I am being stubborn or disregarding your advice, just want to give myself some time to make the right decision but, do you know if it is normal this early in pregnancy to feel discomfort from the navel ring or is that likely unrelated? It feels sore like those first few days after getting it pierced even though it looked like it was healing quite well and I never had any problems with it these last few months, barely even felt it there. If it is getting infected, would it likely be obvious and I would know, be redder and more painful? I just am afraid of getting it infected and having that affect the baby, would never have worried about it before but now with this sudden soreness around it I'm a bit paranoid, but I don't want to take it out either until I see a doctor because I know that it some people recommend leaving the piercing in so it can drain out. Is this something I can probably wait on to see a doctor in a couple weeks or should I be more concerned?

It IS disappointing to remove it because its been through a lot at the hands of my 1-year-old when I first got it and stayed fine, painless, and straight without issue through all of that and now, just when I was really starting to like it and appreciate it and my son is wearing off on the fascination, I may have to remove it. Of course I will do whatever is best for the baby and health but if it is only a matter of possible discomfort I don't mind waiting and seeing a little while with a pregnancy piercing and giving up and removing it at the first sign of anything not going well.. But if that is not advised then maybe I should not even take the chance. I normally tend to heal REALLY fast though, particularly with skin related stuff. Even though it was a hard physical recovery for other reasons, for example, my c-section scar itself healed super quick so I don't know if that makes a difference (not planning another c-section so no worries about removing the piercing for that) ;).

[Sunflower223]

I know of some people who have kept their navel piercing in throughout pregnancy without issue, but I think it really depends on the size of your tummy and if your navel is in or out and your own comfort level.   I have had several different piercings and the nose bump went away regular cleaning, sodium chloride, etc.  The navel piercings I had always took a long time to heal. I've never had a navel piercing in when I got pregnant so I don't know anything about that from personal experience.  Why don't you go back to the person who pierced it , or another reputable piercer and ask them if it looks infected/what advice they have.  They will know what they are looking at a lot better than we can diagnose just from hearing you describe it.

[mra]

Since your navel piercing isn't fully healed, I would personally take it out now and let it have some healing time before your belly begins to stretch and grow. I would guess that since it isn't healed there may be a high rate of irritation and possible infection with a growing belly. My tiny little scar that was barely noticeable from an old navel piercing is now about the size of a quarter at 8 months.

Again, this is all just my opinion, but I'd personally leave the nose ring in. Mine isn't pierced anymore, but I've had it done twice. It healed the best when I started with a stud and not a hoop. The hoop really irritated my nose. I also got the bump, but it came and went until it totally healed. It helped when I put in something made from platinum. I tried washing it with just about everything, and I found it behaved the best when I just left it alone and rinsed it while in the shower.

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by umm.hafsah 

Ugh! Just wrote a long post and it got lost. To summarize: Thank you so much for the advice. I don't want you to feel I am being stubborn or disregarding your advice, just want to give myself some time to make the right decision but,

i take no offense what so ever, you are right to learn as much as you can

do you know if it is normal this early in pregnancy to feel discomfort from the navel ring or is that likely unrelated? It feels sore like those first few days after getting it pierced even though it looked like it was healing quite well and I never had any problems with it these last few months, barely even felt it there. If it is getting infected, would it likely be obvious and I would know, be redder and more painful?

this can be just from a strong change in hormones in your body, you are going thru a lot chemically right now, it is normal for nearly all piercings that are even the slightest bit unhealed to react to health changes. it is likely at this stage that it is "irritated" not "infected" what the concern is that if it is kept irritated for long duration it is nearly guaranteed to get infected.

I just am afraid of getting it infected and having that affect the baby, would never have worried about it before but now with this sudden soreness around it I'm a bit paranoid, but I don't want to take it out either until I see a doctor because I know that it some people recommend leaving the piercing in so it can drain out. Is this something I can probably wait on to see a doctor in a couple weeks or should I be more concerned?

you do not have to decide right away, waiting a week or so and taking really good care of it is fine. (but be careful over-cleaning is harmful) you are right that if it was infected it is better to deal with the infection with something in it, unless the jewelry is the source of the problem, this is probably not the case for you. a mild skin infection is not putting your baby at risk, a deep one left unchecked or certain types that are hard to get without doing pretty stupid stuff can be, so i would address whatever is the situation.  

here are some basic signs that it has turned into an infection

• it is warm to the touch in the direct area
• the fluid coming from it is anything but clear, white or a very very pale yellow, most will dry to a pale translucent honey yellow.
• the fluid smells
• the skin seems to be pulling away from the jewelry, making the opening of the hole look too large for the jewelry. 

It IS disappointing to remove it because its been through a lot at the hands of my 1-year-old when I first got it and stayed fine, painless, and straight without issue through all of that and now, just when I was really starting to like it and appreciate it and my son is wearing off on the fascination, I may have to remove it. Of course I will do whatever is best for the baby and health but if it is only a matter of possible discomfort I don't mind waiting and seeing a little while with a pregnancy piercing and giving up and removing it at the first sign of anything not going well.. But if that is not advised then maybe I should not even take the chance. I normally tend to heal REALLY fast though, particularly with skin related stuff. Even though it was a hard physical recovery for other reasons, for example, my c-section scar itself healed super quick so I don't know if that makes a difference (not planning another c-section so no worries about removing the piercing for that) ;).

 

if it is not infected and you can successfully address the irritation you can take a wait and see attitude. although i have seen very little success with healing a navel while pregnant I'm not going to say it cant be done. there are a few things you can do to increase your chances and I'm happy to talk to you about those. i understand your disappointment.  in general i think you are getting advice to remove it because you probably have enough on your place with a toddler and a pregnancy that the time it takes to do the proper care seems like more than you will have. not to mention you have another piercing to take care of already as well.

this like everything else in your health and pregnancy should be of informed choice.  i will say right now that the mass amount of doctors do not fully understand the mechanics of healing something with jewelry in it since that is not the wound care they learned and their prejudice will us ally causes them to give bad advice. i know when i owned my shop i cherished the very very few doctors that i have formed relationships with that were open to helping our my clients in the few times they were needed.