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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

bellybutton ring - stay or go?

38 replies

raggybaggy · 06/10/2004 16:15

Hello all,

This is probably a really stupid question - should i have my belly button ring removed now that I'm up the duff? I don't really want to as it was quite painful getting it done ("Ha! think that's painful, try childbirth! - my mums words)Any advice appreciated!

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muddaofsuburbia · 06/10/2004 16:18

I don't have a bb ring. But my bellybutton not only popped out during pregnancy, it got badly infected and unbearable to touch for the last couple of months. After the birth it's a flat horizontal line rather than a circle so I would imagine with a ring it would look pretty daft. Any help?

SoupDragon · 06/10/2004 16:19

I have a feeling someone's asked this before so you should get some advice about it.

allthegirls · 06/10/2004 16:21

I took mine out when I started to get big as my midwife advised. I have never tried to put it back in as i would never show my strech marked belly off in public ever again.

SoupDragon · 06/10/2004 16:24

Another thread . Seems to be mixed advice!

lou33 · 06/10/2004 16:31

I wish I had a belly flat enough for a ring

SoupDragon · 06/10/2004 16:34

I'm sure you did Pre Children, Lou...

myermay · 06/10/2004 16:38

Message withdrawn

lou33 · 06/10/2004 16:38

i missed my chance didn't i?

Judd · 06/10/2004 17:32

Hiya, I took mine out at about 20 weeks because it was a hoop style and getting painful. I tried to find a plastic one which all the midwives recommended...but couldn't tell me where to get one from! I just sprayed the ring with Savlon spray every week and put it through the hole and ran it through to make sure it didn't close up. It didn't and is now back in again (although looks a complete state complemented by stretch marks !)

Bronze · 07/10/2004 15:18

I'm the same as Judd but this time i'm having problems with one side of one hole (i have two) scabbing over. Ive only got 7ish weeks to go though so I'm going to keep doing it and then I'll stick it back in complete with cleaning it and hope for the best

kbaby · 12/10/2004 11:06

hi,
i took mine out when i was 21 wks as my belly botton got flattened and it looked silly through tight t shirts etc.

i was able to put it back in after the birth with no problems. although it doesnt look the same on a wobbly belly.

mieow · 12/10/2004 11:09

I had a plastic bar from a shop in town. It was longer than normal one and bent to the shape it needed to be in. I could ask if they still do them, and get you one if you want to try it?

Tessiebear · 12/10/2004 11:11

Took mine out with DS1 at about 20 weeks as it really hurt. Someone told me to relace it with a plastic one but didnt bother - decided to have it re-pierced after DS1. Had it re-pierced and after a while thought - why am i bothering as it looked hideous with a saggy belly, stretchmarks etc Decided to give in gracefully and took it out!

jane103 · 12/10/2004 11:13
Flossam · 12/10/2004 13:50

It was me who started the other thread... I have got one the plastic ones and I'm 34 weeeks now. Things are starting to look a bit dodgy and I have been thinking about taking it out and doing as Judd and Bronze. No stretch marks there YET (about the only place left) but I think they normally come in the last month. Good luck!

lunavix · 12/10/2004 14:10

I never took mine out the whole time. It's a bar though, and while the skin stretched a little its gone back down and looks great.

littlemel · 15/10/2004 23:33

I took mine out as it started to get painful quite early on, however my friend is 34 weeks and she hasnt taken hers out - she hasn't even had to replace it with a plastic one - she just got a larger bar. I had mine pierced years ago and took it out as I was sick of it, but the hole at the top never healed properly (although too much to put a ring in) and it looked awful so I had it re-done, which was far less painful than the 2nd time. But now I am not having it re-done again as my stretch marks are so disgusting and not dissapeared, doubt i will ever get my belly out again!! Good luck!!

jabberwocky · 16/10/2004 01:14

I wore mine the whole time, even after my bellybutton popped out. It took so long to heal when I had it done I didn't want to have to have it redone later. I did take it out just before my section though.

Flossam · 16/10/2004 13:09

I've taken mine out now, and think I should of done it earlier TBH. The top of my hole isn't looking all that healthy! . Keep a close eye on it is my advice!

Seabird · 17/10/2004 10:24

I took mine out at 20 weeks and had no problems but when I was in the antenatal ward about to have dd an elderly midwife looked at the hole and said to me "oh you poor dear, did you have to have a laparoscopy?" I've never felt quite the same about it since!

PinkArjuna · 30/10/2004 19:02

I have had mine so long it has grown it's own tube and likely won't close up. I have had it a decade. I will take it out though when the bump appears as I don't want it to stretch out. I hope I'll wear it again. I probably will but imagine it won't really look the same after belly being stretched and kicked by a child!

I think it a good idea to take it out and as others have written just pop a ring through once in a while to see it stays open without it stretching out around the ring and also getting infected.

honeycombe · 01/11/2004 15:42

I've had mine for over a decade and didn't want to take ring out but had to at about 35 weeks and it remained open until I had same ring put in a few weeks after giving birth. There was a tiny stretch mark there but has now faded away after a few months! Luckily a don't have many stretch marks ( I put that down to almond oil and coco butter twice a day since I found out I was pregnant. But I still have a few more sit-ups to do before wearing any skimpy tops.

Eve · 01/11/2004 15:57

a firend was told to take hers out and put a clear plastic thread....bit like fishing thread but same thickness as a ring (sorry can't think of name or better description)

in the hole instead to keep it open. That seemed to do the trick for her.

Yaz · 02/11/2004 16:29

i got mine pierced when i was pregnant but didn't realise i was! got one of those 'pregnancy' belly bars but decided to take it out when it went a funny colour!looks like i'm goin to get a nice strech mark where the piercing was, to match the lovely set i've got on my lower belly!

jabberwocky · 25/11/2004 11:11

Just wanted to mention I waited 3 weeks after my section to put mine back in and it had already started to close up! Had to get it reopened, not a true re-piercing. The woman who did it said if I had waited longer then it would have had to completely grow in, then be re-pierced. The top of the hole did start to bother me a bit later in pregnancy and look quite stretched and quite a bit of pigment congregated there, but all went back to normal a few months after birth (er, at least with the belly ring, maybe not the rest of me ).