Belly button piercings and 'popping out' belly buttons?

[podmumlet]

Hello ladies,

I have a belly bar which I have had for years. No-one really knows its there cos I don't really have a belly that I show off, but I am happy with it, and not yet sure whether I want to take it out and let it permanently heal.

I am now 22 weeks pregnant, and the bar is getting snug. I need to now decide what to do. I was looking into the plastic retainer bars - has anybody used these?

Also, what happens if my belly button 'pops out'?? I haven't read much around that yet, but apparently, it doesn't happen to everyone. If it does happen though and you have a belly bar, how does that work???

Surely it doesn't just go 'pop' one day??

Silly question really , but advice/experiences most welcome...

[Pinner35]

Hiya

No idea on the 'popping out' but I have a belly bar and when it became too snug, I just took it out. The hole doesn't heal up and once I'd had the baby, I was able to put it back in with no problems. I did the same for my second pregnancy too. Just wish getting the flat stomach back was as easy!

[ShowOfHands]

I have one. I left it in when pg (belly button didn't pop, just stretched flat). Only took it out as they wheeled me in for an emergency cs. Left it out for a few months but the hole didn't heal.

[podmumlet]

Hmmm... wondering if all these 'pregnancy retainer bars' are just another way of getting you to part with your money??

[SaraL77]

I took mine out with my first pregnancy and left it out (personal decision but decided I was too old to have one any more!) - the only place I got stretch marks was across the hole where the bar used to be! Have heard about those retainers but not sure if a scam. fyi- last pregnancy belly button didn't pop out at all, but 2nd one (I'm 20+1) has started to already.

[podmumlet]

Thanks again for the input ladies - just found out that a bar made of PTFE is flat and flexible so depending on how much your belly button flattens, such a bar can accommodate it.

Still no clearer on the belly button popping out though....

[ellabella2]

My belly botton started pushing out, flattened and then popped out over the course of several weeks and I had a proper 'outy' by about 20 weeks.

I initially tried one of those retainer bars but found it no different to a normal bar TBH. I took it out once my belly button popped out as it just stuck out too much and was at constant risk of catching and tearing out!! It was lovely to be able to rub my bump without having to avoid the piercin.

I am now 36 weeks and really love my bump apart from my 'outy' and nasty red scar where the piercing hole has stretched flat!! I'm interested to see what happens to it after the baby is born . . . .

[fragola]

I took mine out last pregnancy around 28 weeks, after having a plastic retainer in for a few weeks. It went back in afterwards with no problems, although I did have it done about 15 years before, so I think that it was beyond healing. This time I took it out around 23 weeks as it was getting uncomfortable.

[saltnvinigarcrips]

Hmm, I just took mine out tonight as DH said it looked like it was being stretched. I've had it done for well over 10 years so hoping it won't heal. I know my sister didn't have a problem getting hers back in after baby no1.

Belly button hasn't popped yet (21 weeks) but is very big now. Circumference is wider than the tip of my finger anyway. Hope it goes back to normal afterwards (like everything else hopefully!)

[nagoo]

Exactly the same as SaraL77. I could have kept it, but really I was getting too old for that (28!)

[Tabi86]

I'm 33 weeks now and I swapped for flexi belly bars a few months ago as I want to keep my piercing and my piercing hole heals up really quickly whenever I leave my bar out (not sure why, I've had it for about 10 years now, but my ears do the same thing so I guess it's just how my skin heals, wish it was the same for my stretch marks :) )

Bought my flexi bars from e-bay, think they were about £5 for 10, they're pretty good, all kinds of fun colours, you cut them to the length you need and they're self threading which means you just screw the ball onto the soft plastic bar without needing grooves to screw on to (some are better than others for this i.e. hold on stronger, I have had one fall out but at this price it's easy enough to swap a lost one for another when you get home).

Anyway I would recommend them, no point risking losing your piercing hole if you want to keep it.

[Bonners]

I took my ring out years ago and didn't give the hole another thought until at about 30 wks it started to really hurt. About a week after that I developed the nastiest zig-zaggy stretchmark over the hole.
I have warned my 16 yr old niece about the dangers of piercings in areas that could grow. Thank heavens my tattoo is on my arm and not my belly!!!

[ButtonAzure]

I'm 27+4 and have got a plastic ring. I've had it since 12 or 13 weeks when the metal one got a bit painful, and it has been fine. People keep telling me to take it out, but i know i'll regret it if I do.

My Belly button totally popped (looks like a nipple) at around 20 weeks. Its fine now, and much prefer the clear plastic to a horrible scar. If you're used to having a bar in anyway you'll barely notice it. Had peircing for around 6 1/2 years.

I like to think that it'll be an incentive to getting a lovely flat tummy back by next summer :) (always allowed to dream!)