Piercings and Pregnancy

Dec 19

Intro

As both a birthworker and a body modification fanatic, I’m delighted to talk about the clear intersections of the two, creating a general guide for both piercing clients, and the doulas that serve them. Here I cover how pregnancy can affect existing healed piercings, getting piercings done while pregnant or bodyfeeding, how nipple piercings may or may not affect lactation, and body piercings in the delivery room. One of the best resources of piercing knowledge that I constantly pull from is my own piercer, Lynn Loheide, whose thorough and up-to-date educational texts can be found on their blog and Patreon sites. As a disclaimer, I am not a doctor or a piercer, just a birthworker and researcher, and what is given here is a summation of existing knowledge for educational purposes, not medical advice. That being said, doctors also lack certain areas of expertise related to piercings as they are not trained in piercing anatomy, piercing jewelry, healing timelines, etc. Reach out to your trusted and licensed piercer for piercing specific inquiries and assistance.

Getting Pierced While Pregnant (Don’t)

Unfortunately, the period of pregnancy and bodyfeeding is not the right time for a new piercing. The APP, or Association of Professional Piercers - an education and community focused nonprofit promoting safe piercing practices - touches on much of this in their FAQ page. It’s inadvisable and possibly risky to get new piercings during pregnancy, because the changes to the immune system can negatively impact ones ability to heal a piercing. For these same reasons, the APP also advises against even stretching existing piercings during pregnancy. Pregnancy and carrying a child is taxing enough on the body, so it’s better to let it fully focus on the task at hand of creating a new human. Furthermore, there is also the risk that any complication from a piercing, such as an infection, could also cause harm to the fetus. Because of this, any educated and reputable piercer will not perform a piercing service on someone who knows they are pregnant or who is breastfeeding, and this is a question often asked to be confirmed on the informed consent waiver signed beforehand.

Following delivery, the APP “[...] suggest waiting at least 3 months after delivery of your child to allow your body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth and to allow your immune system to return to normal.” Other sources suggest waiting up to 6 months following delivery, of course always deferring to the timeline of healing established by your doctor. If you intend to bodyfeed, a new piercing should be postponed until after milk production has ceased.

Healed Piercings and Pregnancy

For the same reasons that it can be difficult to heal a fresh piercing while pregnant, unfortunately the same immune system responses, inflammation, and changes to weight or skin can all cause irritation to even healed and established piercings. Healed piercings may experience swelling, tenderness or irritation, secretions or dryness, or even migration or rejection. The immune system, highly activated to protect the fetus, may suddenly re-recognize a healed piercing as a foreign body and attack it. These issues can often be addressed by a diligent and gentle cleaning regiment, and swapping for longer and simpler jewelry. Piercers are trained in troubleshooting these issues, and will be able to provide well fitting jewelry and proper aftercare procedures.

Navel Piercings and Pregnancy

Because of the major changes that pregnancy causes to the stomach and the shape of the navel, bellybutton piercings should be taken out early in pregnancy to avoid the risk of rejection or migration, even in a well healed piercing. As the uterus and belly expand, the skin around the navel is pulled taught, which risks pushing the jewelry closer to the surface of the skin. This, combined with tighter fitting clothes, movement, etc can increase the risk of migration or rejection if jewelry is left in after one “starts to show.” There is jewelry which is sold as “pregnancy belly rings,” often in the form of long thin plastic bars. The marketing is that the length or flexibility will accommodate for a growing belly, however these pieces can actually be even more harmful than simply leaving in the pre-existing jewelry. For one, any jewelry at all in a navel piercing during pregnancy runs the risk of the tissue over it to stretch or thin, risking migration, regardless of material or shape. Furthermore, plastic is low quality and should not be worn in piercings for an extended amount of time, as it can cause irritation. This, compounded with the skin sensitivities caused by pregnancy, means that these plastic pregnancy belly rings can actually increase the risk of irritation and thus increase the risk of migration they claimed to prevent. Fortunately, its uncommon for a navel piercing to close up entirely over the course of a pregnancy, and much more likely that it will simply have shrunk in a way that can be gently re-opened by a reputable piercer with special tools. Therefore, it's actually safer for the long term integrity and health of the piercing to simply remove navel jewelry for the course of the pregnancy and have it re-opened at a later date, rather than keep the jewelry in and risk migration or rejection. The piercing can be re-opened and jewelry put back in whenever the navel has recovered from birth, usually around 3 months.

Nipple Piercings and Chesteeding

Similar to navel piercing, the breast changes associated with pregnancy can also cause disruption to even fully healed nipple piercings. Nipples swelling, increasing in size, or increasing in tenderness may necessitate sizing up to a longer bar to accommodate for the changed anatomy during the course of pregnancy. In these cases, migration and rejection can also be a risk both from changes to the supporting tissue, and because of changes to the immune system. If a nipple piercing looks like it is rejecting during pregnancy, its best to visit a piercer as soon as possible, where you may be advised to remove the jewelry in order to prevent more serious damage to the area such as scar tissue that cannot be repierced. Irritation, increased section or crust, dryness or irritation bumps around the entrance and exit of the piercing are all also possible impacts that pregnancy can have on nipple piercings, that may lead clients to the to remove their jewelry. Of course, if one intends to chestfeed, they will have to remove their jewelry to do so regardless, as it can be a choking hazard to the baby. It’s also important to consider the age of the piercing: nipple piercings may take up to 18 months to be fully healed, and it’s not advisable to chestfeed from a healing nipple piercing for risk of tearing or infection. For those interested in having their nipples pierced or re-pierced following pregnancy and/or bodyfeeding, the APPs suggested timeline is to wait three months following the cessation of breast milk production.

Having your nipples pierced, or previously pierced, will usually not negatively impact ones ability to chest feed. The structure of the nipple, containing many small pathways that connect to the milk glands via multiple different milk ducts, means that a well performed piercing will not inhibit milk flow. That being said, scar tissue from a piercing can also obstruct the flow of milk from the milk ducts through to the nipple. This scarring can also result from being pierced with, or wearing, jewelry that one has a sensitivity to. Nickel is a common allergenic metal often causing scarring, and can be found even in ‘surgical steel’ and ‘stainless steel.’ Piercings should be done with implant grade, nickel free, materials such as titanium, to help minimize scarring. Scar tissue, plugged ducts, infection, and mastitis are all potential risks of nipple piercings that can negatively affect ones ability to successfully chestfeed. Getting your nipple piercings done with high quality jewelry, in a safe and sterile environment, by a reputable piercer who has an experienced knowledge of piercing anatomy, will all positively support ones ability to chestfeed in the future.

Though it is important to remove any and all nipple jewelry to chestfeed, as the small pieces of the jewelry are a choking hazard to the infant, this doesn’t necessarily have to mean the loss or retirement of the piercing. A well healed and unwounded piercing will allow for easy removal and reinsertion of jewelry, meaning that it's an option to simply remove jewelry for each feeding/pumping session, or for the duration of bodyfeeding. Some people might find a simple retainer jewelry easier to change in and out multiple times a day. From Lynn Loheides blog post on chestfeeding a nipple piercings, they also observe that “[s]ome mothers find it too much of a hassle to insert and remove each feeding, some even find that their nipples are too tender or sore to try, and then others say it was easy and comfortable. Everyone is different, and you will find what option suits your lifestyle and needs the best. Please be aware that if you do have piercings, you may experience leaking from the sites of the piercing and a difference in flow. This is perfectly normal. Your piercings are two larger openings connected to the milk ducts that can be a little messier than the rest because of their size. Nursing pads can help keep you dry if that’s the case. We also have some folks who say their babies prefer the pierced nipple in comparison to the non pierced nipple because of its heavier flow! More flow, more food! So overall, breastfeeding is a beautiful thing, and fully compatible with having piercings.” The piercing may shrink over long periods of jewelry removal, making jewelry reinsertion difficult, but a reputable piercer will be able to assist in re-opening the piercing and reinserting the jewelry safely and painlessly.

For those with pierced nipples, the fear of the piercing closing up may be a deterring factor in ones decisions to bodyfeed. Losing a piercing or having a hole close up can feel like a failure, like a loss, feel naked, etc. Especially in the context of pregnancy, where the body is already undergoing so many profound changes that can have big mental and emotional impacts, loss of body modifications or adornments can feel like a further extension of a loss of bodily autonomy. Healthcare providers like birthworkers can support bodyfeeding and infant nutrition by understanding the importance that body modifications like piercings hold to an individual, and using that empathy to meet people where they are at with creative problem solving.

Genital Piercings, Pregnancy, and Delivery

Just like navel or nipple body jewelry placements, genital piercings are also uniquely sensitive to the bodily changes of pregnancy. The same issues may be experienced, including swelling, tenderness or irritation, irritation bumps or discoloration, secretions or dryness, or even migration or rejection. It's advised to check in on the health of your genital piercings regularly over the course of pregnancy. Once your stomach is large enough that checking this yourself may be difficult, it can also be beneficial to recruit a loved one or trusted friend to check these piercings specifically for signs of migration or rejection.

Some or all genital piercings may need to be removed for the process of delivery, depending on anatomy and delivery type. In general, inner labia piercings, fourchettes, and princess albertinas must be removed, and outer labia, triangle, glans, and VCH piercings may also require removal. These may need to be removed if they risk doing or taking damage from the process of the delivery, in addition to the other risks of body jewelry in a medical procedural setting.

Body Jewelry During Labor

For those who have body (or facial) piercings and are also preparing to give birth, it can be a helpful part of creating a birth plan to ask their doctor, provider, or planned birth facility what their policy on piercings is. Some medical facilities ask that all patients preparing for a procedure remove all body, facial, and ear piercings. There’s multiple reasons for this, including the risk of introducing bacteria from the piercing site or jewelry; swelling from a procedure, medication, or condition causing irritation to the piercing; jewelry falling out or being lost during a procedure. Jewelry can even increase the risk of burn or injury should electrocautery, defibrillation, or MRI imaging be required upon emergency. Every doctor, facility, and procedure will have different preferences on what jewelry must be taken out vs. is acceptable to leave in, so it’s helpful to inquire on this and incorporate it into your birth plan.

To prevent piercing sites from closing during procedures, retainers may be allowed as a substitute for metal jewelry on a case by case basis, depending on the procedures being done and the preferences of the medical staff. Retainers are commonly made of either glass or body-safe silicone, but should only be used on fully healed piercings. Putting a retainer in a piercing that is still healing can increase the risk of irritation or infection.

As a doula serving a client with piercings, one thing that can be specifically helpful is advocating for our clients desires and asking questions to help them make informed decisions, assisting in removing or changing jewelry, guarding jewelry while in the delivery room or the labor process, or assisting in putting jewelry back in postnatally. And as always, as a doula one of our best resources is our knowledge; so feeling familiar and confident in answering questions about how piercings may affect the pregnancy, labor, and chestfeeding processes is important.

Sources

Lynn Loheide: Pregnancy and Piercings

https://www.lynnloheide.com/post/pregnancy-and-piercings

Lynn Loheide: Pregnancy and Navel Piercings

https://www.lynnloheide.com/post/pregnancy-and-navel-piercings

Lynn Loheide: Breastfeeding and Nipple Piercings

https://www.lynnloheide.com/post/breast-feeding-and-nipple-piercings

Association of Professional Piercers FAQ:

https://safepiercing.org/piercing-faq/#1603411673273-6a58f203-f4cb

Association of Nipple Piercing With Abnormal Milk Production and Breastfeeding

https://www.ovid.com/journals/jama/abstract/10.1001/jama.2009.877~b-classlwwarticleemphasis-lwwarticleemphasisboldassociation

Is Nipple Piercing Compatible with Breastfeeding?