PREGNANCY, BREASTFEEDING, AND TATTOOS
Everything you need to know
Today, we are gathered here to discuss a topic that raises more than valid questions: tattoos during pregnancy and breastfeeding. And do tattoos deform during pregnancy?!?
But first, I want to confess something to you:
I started writing this blog about 7 years ago, more or less, and I started writing it specifically to address this very topic. I opened Google and typed in “pregnancy and tattoos,” and the answers that came up were absurd. ABSURD!!!
I came across those medical blogs – theoretically written by authoritative individuals – that had sentences like these: “You absolutely cannot get a tattoo during pregnancy. In fact, never get a tattoo because tattoo artists use the same needle on everyone, so hepatitis is guaranteed.”
When I read those things, I was alarmed and infuriated, and I thought of starting a blog to provide sensible information about tattoos. In 7 years, I hadn’t written the article I wanted to write first, the one that gave birth to my entire project, but oh well! Better late than never, as they say
Confession over, let’s get back to the important things:
Popular belief tells us that tattoos during pregnancy are a big no-no.
Is it true? IT’S TRUE!
Absolutely true, indeed.
But the real question is: WHY?!?
WHY CAN’T I GET A TATTOO DURING PREGNANCY?
There are three, or maybe four, main reasons.
The FIRST REASON, and the most foolish one, is that during the last two months of pregnancy, the vibrations of tattoo machines could even cause placental detachment, especially the old-style coil machines that make a lot of noise.
That’s not good or right.
BUT! You can’t get a tattoo during all nine months of pregnancy for other, much more important reasons.
The SECOND REASON, which is more sensible, is that a tattoo is a wound, and the body utilizes energy to heal wounds. During pregnancy, it’s better to allocate those energies to other purposes, like creating a life, a body, organs, bones, flesh, little hands, and little feet to nibble on, and so on.
But this is not even the main reason because, well, if you get a small letter tattooed on your wrist, the energy your body expends for healing is quite minimal…
The THIRD REASON, the most significant one, is that a tattoo is a wound, and like any wound, it can potentially get infected.
If you have an infected wound, you need to use antibiotics to heal the infection and kill the harmful bacteria. And during pregnancy, you can’t administer antibiotics. HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED. Medications are used only in truly important cases, and honestly, a tattoo is not one of them.
Although, truth be told, I must say that I haven’t really seen any infected tattoos in my life…
BUT WE DON’T CARE!
The priority during pregnancy is the pregnancy itself and the healthy growth of the baby. So, let’s avoid anything potentially infectable and anything that could lead to taking medication.
All this fuss to tell you that NO to tattoos during pregnancy because a tattoo is a potentially infectable wound, and if it gets infected, you need antibiotics, which you better avoid during pregnancy.
The second burning question is:
Can you get a tattoo while breastfeeding?
It depends…
As long as breastfeeding is exclusive, the answer is: NO, YOU CAN’T GET A TATTOO.
This applies when 100% of the baby’s sustenance is breast milk. And for the same reason as before: a tattoo is a wound, and your energies should be dedicated to the little one. Plus, you can’t take medications in case of infection.
Once you start weaning, YES, YOU CAN GET A TATTOO!
That is when you give them breast milk only as a treat when they’re whining or when it’s bedtime.
Not because Lady Sara’s word is a heaven-sent law, but simply because even doctors during that phase of the child’s life tell you that if you need medication, you can take it without worry. This is because breastfeeding is only a small percentage of what you’re feeding them, and probably the other foods you’re giving them already contain antibiotics, like in the meat of baby food purees.
Lastly, I want to conclude with an existential doubt that many women have:
Will my tattoo deform during pregnancy?
It depends, of course, on the body part.
Tattoos that definitely deform during pregnancy are those on the belly and breasts. Collarbones and hips are usually not affected.
Most of the time, everything goes back to normal after pregnancy, with the possibility of a few stretch marks that are usually covered by the tattoo.
However, twin pregnancies or gaining a lot of weight can permanently alter the elasticity of the skin and also permanently modify the tattoo.
Unfortunately, you never know how your pregnancy will be. So, if you dream of expanding your family in the future, there are two scenarios:
Either you don’t get tattoos on your breasts and belly, and the rest of your body might be sufficient.
Or you take great care of your skin from the first day of pregnancy, using oils and stretch mark creams to help the elasticity of your skin as much as possible and praying to Baby Jesus every evening.
For this same reason, another very good reason not to get tattooed during pregnancy is that your WHOLE BODY is swollen and distorted (even if only slightly), and every line you get tattooed during pregnancy may have a completely different shape in the post-tattoo period. And after pregnancy, your tattoo may not look the same anymore.
It’s one thing to get a tattoo before pregnancy, see it slightly deform during pregnancy, and then return to normal afterward.
It’s a completely different story to get tattooed during pregnancy, when your body is temporarily swollen and distorted, and you’ll see it modified post-pregnancy, and you’ll have to keep it deformed for life.
Not good.
That’s the end of the game.
Do you have any other questions, even silly ones? Write to me, and I’ll answer ^_^
With love, but always irreverent
