If you are considering getting a tattoo and also being a mother, or if you are pregnant and have some on your skin, surely you have any questions about its compatibility with pregnancy.
We ask gynecologist Jackie Calleja, director of the Bmum Clinic, to advise us as an expert and these have been his answers.
Can I get a tattoo while pregnant?
In principle there is no problem that prevents you from doing so. It is recommended not to get tattooed in the first trimester, because they are the most critical weeks for the development of the fetus and special care must be taken with drugs and medications.
But it is a measure of "legal medicine", because the ink stays in the skin and as much happens to the epidermis, but never enters the blood and therefore cannot contaminate the fetus.
Should we take any precautions?
The usual rules of asepsis not to get an infection. They are the same as recommended by the American Pregnancy Association. Make sure that:
The professional is qualified and the center registered.
Gloves are worn.
Count on an autoclave: sterilization unit for the equipment you use.
The floors, surfaces and premises in general are clean.
All needles that are used are new and disposable.
The ink used for the tattoo comes in sterile packaging.
The gauze is packed and unopened.
Can it make delivery difficult in any way?
There has been much talk about the incompatibility of back and epidural tattoo. An anesthetist will not be able to put the mother's epidural during birth if she has a fully tattooed lower back. But this is very unlikely: there is always an area, even if it is very small, that is clean, and that the medical specialist can click to access the epidural space.
Nor does it interfere with the rest of labor.
And in postpartum and breastfeeding?
As we have explained, tattoo ink stays on the skin, so it does not pass through breast milk either and they are safe for the baby.
The basic rules of asepsis remain the only precautions to take if you want to become one, shortly after becoming a mother.
In Babies and more Tattoos on caesarean section scar: 17 ideas in case you are considering itWhat you should take into account is the aesthetic appearance, especially if the tattoo is on the abdomen.
Pregnancy causes stretch marks, breakdown of collagen in the skin, much more distended by the increase of the gut to accommodate the baby. This implies that the belly may take a while to return to its previous appearance, depending on the morphology of the woman and the previous pregnancies: if she has already been a mother or had twins, the stretching will be greater and the tattoo drawing may not remain as well as before pregnancy.
In Babies and more The name of your children on the skin: 17 tattoo ideas that will inspire youTherefore, if you are looking for a baby but you have not yet tattooed, why take a chance? Better to wait to recover after delivery, when you have recovered your previous silhouette or know and what will be your final appearance and decide where to decorate your skin. Because a tattoo is for a lifetime.
Photos | iStock
