Getting a Tattoo During Pregnancy

I have several tattoos and my girlfriend always wanted to get one but never got around to doing it, when she was pregnant with our little girl last year she finally decided to get it done, but the tattoo artist had a couple of warnings and told us a little bit about how it can actually be harmful to the mother and baby, she ended up not getting the tattoo till after the birth, here are some of the precautions and why it is not the best idea.

Tattoos are dangerous no matter if you are pregnant or not and you should be fully prepared for any side effects or diseases that could occur, of course when you are pregnant it makes it all the more dangerous and considering that you are not only making choices for yourself but also the little one growing inside of you it is wise to at least know everything concerning it beforehand.

Infections are rare in most tattoo parlors today but nevertheless they are a possibility and should be taken into consideration, infections spread of course mainly through unsterilized needles, although it is a very low percentage that you will get a bad needle like that if you do the infection can spread directly to the baby and cause sickness or worse. There is also the possibility that the ink could get into your blood stream and this could travel straight to the baby causing blood poisoning.

If for some chance you are allergic to the ink this could also drastically lower your immune system making yourself more susceptible to other diseases. Another thing is that pregnant mother's skin is usually quite stretched especially toward the end and this can make tearing easier and can also add to lifelong scars from the needles.

Another aspect is that the skin which is quite stretched out may deform the tattoo once it returns to its usual tightness and thus making the tattoo look quite ugly.

The choice is of course up to the mother and if you really want it nobody is going to stand in your way, but remember that as a mother you have a responsibility to take care of your child and even though it's not born yet it is alive and relies on you.

I would suggest for those that really want one to maybe opt for a less dangerous method by getting a henna tattoo, there are different types and some can last up to a couple of months and nobody can really tell the difference between one and a real tattoo.