To think you shouldn't be getting a tattoo when pregnant?

[iMemoo]

I'm not against tattoos, I even have one myself. My cousin has just put pictures of her new tattoo on FB, she is 32 weeks and had it done yesterday.

I am

I would not have wanted one (at all) done when pregnant, but not sure of the risk.

Depends where she had it done, I would say.

Hello Tiffany, you little bundle of joy and happiness

She had a flowery thing going down the side of her thigh. The tat itself is nice.

Eh? You asked a question..... But nobody said yabu. So what do you mean?

I had a tattoo many years ago, I was planning my second why I discovered I was pregnant. He then refused to do it.

He wouldn't tattoo pregnant women, people who were 'under the influence', hands or neck/head/face.

I don't know if this was just his personal choice, but I understood that it wasn't necessarily safe.

aside from the blood poisoning risk, isnt there also a risk of developing an allergic reaction to the ink?

www.babycenter.com/406_is-it-safe-to-get-or-have-a-tattoo-during-pregnancy_1246861.bc

That's why I said those who 'think' iabu. Some of the responses suggested they did.

YABU. Her body her choice.

I don't get this whole risk of infection thing. Surely getting an infection would be a problem for anyone, pregnant or not?

yes but you are immune suppressed when pregnant so what would be a small infection to anyone else can become more serious when you are pregnant.

if thats true, its still my own choice.

Ha! She could tattoo her pg tummy, then after she has the baby it'll be all tiny, like when you draw on a balloon.

Checks recently tattooed inside arm again yet can still find no trace of "big open wound".

As it happens, I think I would have avoided getting a tattoo while pregnant since it seems silly to take even slight risks that could be avoided. But I don't think it is necessarily unreasonable to get a tattoo in these circumstances.

I believe (and I am happy to be proven wrong) that there is a tattooists guild or club or whatever, and they advise not tattooing either pregnant women or those breast feeding. I think part of their reasoning is due to the risk of infection and centres a bit around informed consent. So for the same reason that a drunk person can't reasonably be expected to have fully taken in the (small) risks involved, nor can the foetus or infant.

I am assuming there is a certain amount of arse covering as well, as with the laws and precautions in place, infections and contamination shouldn't really happen, but there would be much more of a kick off if that one person in a million who did get Hep B or whatever, was pregnant or breast feeding and so passed it onto their child as well. Can you imagine the Mail headlines? "Tattooist gave my baby HIV!"

I didn't know about the advice not to tattoo breast feeding women, until a friend went to another friend of ours who is a tattooist to get another one done and he asked her if she was still feeding her 8 month old, as he wouldn't be able to do it if she was.

Oh! I just remembered what may be another factor actually. The increased blood flow during pregnancy could probably mean a bigger chance of bleeding after the tattoo and possibly some clotting issues, so I imagine there is a blanket ban in most parlours as there are so many potential dangers, although each one is of course tiny on its own.

I always heard piercings and tattoos aren't recommended because of infection risk.

I hope you are wrong PiousPrat. If I'm pregnant, the only informed consent that is needed is mine, certainly not a foetus.

I went to get a tattoo last year when i was pregnant (wasn't aware at the time that you couldn't when you were pregnant), and the tattooist told me he couldn't do it because of the adrenalin rush you get when you have a tattoo done can be really harmful for the baby.
That's the only time i've heard that though.

Seems a little risky, aside from the risk of infection I've read that you are more likely to have bad reactions when pregnant (to all sorts, even if you've previously been fine) Having seen what it looks like when someone has an allergic reaction to the ink, not a chance I'd take!

Personally I'd wait till afterwards.

Surely there's also the danger of pregnancy hormones kicking about, and you get something really rubbish and sentimental like "Mumsie loves her future bubs! XXX" and you have MAJOR regret afterwards when your hormone levels are back to normal?

I hope she didn't get it done on her bump...it won't quite look the same in a couple of months.

I would not get one when pregnant for 2 reasons 1) the small risk of infection - why do it when it can be avoided? and 2) your whole body shape can change.

But you're fatter during pregnancy with water retention (everyone gets a LITTLE water retention) and when she loses all that body weight in water her skin will just sag from there...yuck...wrinkly tattoos. Bleurgh. Actually tattoo in general = bleurgh...

Siamo I completely agree that a woman's body is her own, regardless of what happens to be growing in it at the time and as such it is for her to make decisions about what happens to it.

I do think that there is a world of difference though, between a pregnant woman deciding to eat blue cheese and her paying someone to buy, then feed her blue cheese. In agreeing to the cheese fest, that other person is taking some of the responsibility for what happens to the foetus in the tiny percentage of cases where damage does happen. No one wants to be sued. Certainly no one wants to be sued for potentially giving an unborn/infant child a debilitating disease and since they can't be certain that a) there is no risk of contamination at all and b) the mother won't sue, I can't say I blame tattooists who have a blanket ban on tattoing pregnant or nursing women.

I see what you are saying, but in your analogy, shouldn't then a restaurant refuse to serve the blue cheese to a pregnant woman?

I can't say I blame the tattooists either, but it makes me uncomfortable, especially when you put pregnant women in the category with drunks and those unable to know what they are doing. I can't help but argue that a womans right to bodily integrity should be absolute, and it should always be her decision what to do with her body.