After up to two years of care and healing of a navel piercing, a pregnant woman may fear losing her piercing to an expanding belly. However, several options exist for preserving a piercing throughout the childbearing year.
Around the third or fourth month of pregnancy, or as soon as a regular piece of belly jewelry becomes uncomfortable, a pregnant woman can switch to a more flexible option or series of options.
Considerations for choosing navel jewelry to accomodate a growing abdomen include the length of barbell, gauge, weight, flexibility, method of fastening, and type of material. Skin care includes dietary choices as well as topically applied oils that support skin elasticity and minimize the effects of stretching.
Retaining a piercing throughout pregnancy provides a preferable option to removal and subsequent repiercing, because allowing a piercing to close often results in the development of scar tissue, which is difficult to repierce and to heal.
Types of Belly Jewelry for Pregnancy
Long barbell. When regular belly jewelry first becomes uncomfortable, often around the third or fourth month of pregnancy, a woman can switch her regular jewelry for a long, curved barbell. The extra length allows the stretching skin around the piercing more room to spread out as the belly protrudes.
Acrylic retainer. If metallic jewelry becomes uncomfortable due to its weight, a lightweight acrylic barbell or retainer may provide relief. Acrylic retainers may come with threadable balls or rubber o-rings to secure the ends. Small rubber o-rings may allow extra room along the shaft of the jewelry, however, they slide off more easily than threadable balls.
Two-Inch Flexible Bar. Extra long barbells, or belly bars, made especially for use during pregnancy or for use after surgical procedures allow all the length and flexibility a pregnant woman will likely need. Belly bars are typically made of a threadable, cut-to-size, plastic such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), which is hypoallergenic and is used to make surgical implants.
Skin Care and Support During Pregnancy
Eat good fats. In addition to providing a developing baby with important nutrients, foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocadoes, olive oil, and safe fish) promote healthy skin in women during pregnancy. Additional considerations for supporting elasticity and minimizing skin stretching during pregnancy include gaining weight gradually, drinking plenty of water, avoiding excessive sun exposure, and applying a nontoxic skin moisturizer, such as coconut oil, to the belly. Each of these practices aim to maintain hydration of the skin.
Pregnant women who wish to retain their navel piercings can do so through a combination of suitable belly jewelry and proper skin care to support elasticity and stretching of expanding belly skin. Long flexible belly jewelry, healthful dietary fats, and plenty of water work together for optimal pregnant piercing support.
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Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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