Help please - rings

[Wildwaterfalls]

Would really appreciate some advice from someone who has been here.

I have noticed my wedding and engagement rings are too tight. We tried everything this evening to get them off: cooling hand in water, using soap and conditioner, using dental floss.. It seems impossible. Does anyone have any other ideas that could help? And how badly will it damage the rings if I have to have them cut off?

Also, how bad is this for my finger? I have no pain / discolouration at the moment: would you just leave it for the ~10 weeks I have to go?

Thanks

I wonder whether your fingers will not be as swollen in the morning? You could try again about an hour after you wake up?

For what its worth, I currently can not get my wedding ring off due to pregnancy swelling. It's not causing me any discomfort so I'm just leaving it. I've got 2 weeks left to go, not sure how long it been like it though. I personally wouldn't get them cut off unless it was absolutely necessary.

mid morning would be better, and elevate your arm for 10-20mins (above your heart - along the back of a sofa or up in the air)
I'm guessing you tried the dental floss wrapped around and around the finger? It's got to be very closely wound a lot of times for that to work, not just 4-5 times.

A+E might have a go for you if you like...won't be too much of a wait about 9.30am...

This happened to me and I did manage to get them off eventually I think using vasaline first thing in morning. I was so glad I did because I got oedema in the last two months which caused my legs and hands to swell terribly and I would have been very uncomfortable had I not taken my rings off. I could not wear shoes for the last two months either and had to resort to wearing flip flops in winter! even without oedema things do swell towards the end. I would take them off for now and just keep them somewhere safe until after the baby. The least thing you need is your rings causing you discomfort on top of everything else towards the end of your pregnancy. I did not manage to get mine back on until two months after my ds had arrived. Have you tried wrapping sellotape tightly round your finger up to and over your knuckle and then vasaline? good luck!

good old butter or a slather of olive oil might work, worth a try x

You need to get them off now. It will only get worse if you leave them! You'll need them cut off otherwise. Just wait and see how much you swell up after birth....!!

Have you tried putting your finger in your mouth and using teeth/tongue?

You need to cool your hand as much as possible and them lube lube lube!!!

I left it a bit late and managed (painfully) to get all my rings off using washing up liquid/oil/waving hand in the air. Except one. Had to get it cut of at the jewellers. It only took a minute for them to do - they did it for free. Does cost to get the ring repaired though.

I wouldn't leave it....i swelled up even more in my last few weeks then ended up with an EMCS which swelled me even more!

I agree. First thing in the morning chill your hand and grease with something. Veg oil or Vaseline probably best.

But when you chill your hand try to avoid directly chilling the ring or that will shrink too. The chilling effects on the ring will be minimal tho so if you can't avoid it it won't be the end of the world.

Drink more water than usual for a day or two, then try removing first thing in the morning.

Might just be water retention and if you drink more water it should ease.

I think

Thanks for the tips! What a nightmare... Tried this morning with Sellotape and washing up liquid but no luck. I do agree I need to get it off... Starting to throb a bit (but this may be from all my efforts). I am so annoyed with myself for not thinking of this earlier in pregnancy.

You need them off. My hands were ok with first preg until the week baby came and they blew up like balloons. The longer you leave them the harder it will be to get them off and they might cut into your fingers. Can't suggest anything other than the usual. Make sure your hands are as cool as poss. Try first thing in morning and elevate hands.

I used to be a jeweller, it depends on the style of the ring as to if it can be fixed. Plain wedding rings can be, as can solitaire engagement rings (1diamond). The worst ones are with a square cluster of diamonds, these can almost never be repaired. If you can describe them I'll try and tell you if it's likely to be fixed easily. We used to recommend cotton wrapped very tightly up the finger, all the way to the knuckle; or KY jelly but if not then most jewellers will cut it off for free.

You do need to take them off somehow though, I've seen people with green goo coming out where the ring has cut their finger and got infected - utterly disgusting but worryingly common!!!

Try going somewhere really, really cold. British summer perhaps?
Seriously, first thing in the morning, the swelling will have reduced. Get thee to the freezer section of the supermarket or wrap your hands in a light tea towel with a few bags of peas on top and hopefully it will shrink your fingers enough to slide them off. You'll need to get your hands to proper bitter winters morning standard though. I find my usually tight fitting rings will disappear into my glove fingers if the outside temp is properly cold enough.
I would get rid of them asap - if there is a heatwave in the next couple of weeks you will get really uncomfortable. Lots of women wear them on a chain as a pendant in their final weeks.

Yikes! This is sad. I have had to take mine off too. I really don't want to, but am only week 31 and although i havent gained masses of weight, it is getting a lot harder to move the rings over the knuckle. Took ages. But it feels sad without it! I don't wear jewellery or rings normally, but these are v integral.

I like the idea of the pendant but i am famous for snapping pendants by accident (am quite clumsy and get things caught in things) and not noticing, so it would be a perilous option. I wonder if there is something else I can do instead.

in the morning tome try oil or butter

I was gutted when I had to take mine off during pregnancy, but DH bought me a pretty silver ring in a big size to wear instead, and I sent mine off for professional clean and polish so they looked amazing once I could finally fit back into them

I tried wd40 when mine swelled

Thanks everyone for your advice, also on coping with not having your wedding ring.

I ended up going to the jeweler's this afternoon, who were brilliant. A three person team inspected my finger and made some very unflattering comments about it. The advice was that it was unlikely to come off, so they cut it, but very skilfully to limit the damage. Then, sadly, they advised not to resize it and put it back on until after pregnancy as my fingers may still balloon further increase in size.

I held it together in the shop, but burst out in tears afterwards at not being able to have a wedding ring for so long. Bit but I was feeling emotional anyway. Luckily DH suggested the simple silver temporary ring idea too, which cheered me up as I do kind of want to have something.

Thanks again