How Safe is it to Get a Tattoo When Pregnant?

Even though you can get a tattoo during pregnancy if you take proper precautions, it is better to wait until after the baby is born. This is because there is a chance, however small; that your baby will get affected by the tattoo. None of us would want anything to happen to a precious new life.

Even if you do decide to take the chance of getting a tattoo during pregnancy, you should be properly informed before making that decision. So here is a list of all the reasons about why you should wait a while to get a tattoo when you are pregnant.

There is small chance of you getting infected if you get a tattoo during pregnancy especially if you have not done your research about the hygiene and sanitary practices of your tattoo studio. Make sure that the tattoo studio and artist you are opting for is registered and licensed. You may get infected with diseases like Hepatitis, Syphilis and AIDS, which may get transmitted to your child even though the chance is very small.

There is not much research done on the ink that is used for tattooing. We do not have much data available for how it reacts with the body when you get a tattoo during pregnancy and even though it does not enter your inner body, it may enter in the blood stream through lymph nodes and ultimately to your baby when you are pregnant. This can lead to deterioration of your health and ultimately can weaken your baby and it can also cause harm to your pregnancy directly. As it has already been mentioned above, there is not enough data available to draw a conclusion.

Doctors may refuse to give epidural to pregnant women who have a back tattoo especially if the tattoo is a recent one. This is due to fact that the tattoo ink might penetrate into the spinal cord along with the needle, causing problems. Even though many doctors do administer epidural to pregnant women with tattoos, it is better to talk to your doctor beforehand so that there will not be any surprises at the time of the delivery.

There is actually a large chance of it getting stretched and distorted if you have gotten your tattoo during pregnancy. When you will regain your shape after delivery, it may become blurred and distorted especially if it is on your belly, side or breasts because these areas get stretched a lot during pregnancy.

If you have gotten a tattoo during pregnancy, then there is a chance that it may get marred due to stretch marks. The incidents of stretch marks marring the tattoos in pregnant woman are most common in areas such as breasts, lower abdomen, thighs and of course your belly.

Women who get tattoos during pregnancy put undue stress and strain on the resources of the body at a time when all their energies should be focused on their own and their baby’s health and growth.

Regretting the decision of getting a tattoo during pregnancy happens a lot more than some people might think especially if it gets distorted or unattractive. Women have their hormones all over the place during pregnancy and you may make a decision that you will regret later on in life.

Many tattoo studios have this policy of not performing tattoo art on women during their pregnancy. This is because dizziness and fainting is quite common during tattooing and they do not want any harm coming to a pregnant female in their studios and subsequently, a lawsuit.

So waiting until after you have delivered the baby to get a tattoo is actually a better alternative. But if you absolutely have to have a tattoo, keep all the precautions in mind before you make a decision. You could actually play around with some other safer and less permanent options such as Henna tattoo.

People all over the world, especially the Middle Eastern and Indian cultures; put a lot of stock in Henna Tattoos. They believe it brings good luck, health and fortune to the baby if the tattoo is applied to woman during pregnancy. It is actually quite safe, beautiful and also temporary but make sure you use natural henna. Do not use Black Henna under any circumstances, as it contains para-phenylendiamine (PPD) which is quite harmful for anyone but especially pregnant ladies.

So opt for this safer and exquisite alternative to tattoos and enjoy your pregnancy to the fullest!

Also Read:

• Health Risks of Tattoos
• Can Tattoos Cause Infection?
• 15 Things You Should Know Before Laser Tattoo Removal