Chaz Moms and Moms-to-Be Chat (everyone welcome)

Jenv - You are GORGEOUS.
That is all.

Awww thanks Dak!

What are the feelings here on getting a tattoo during pregnancy?

I'm not pregnant. But why hurry?? Why take the risk? It's only a few months to wait till you (or whoever) is NOT pregnant. Then get as many as you like!

Barbara, I personally wouldn't do it, and I really don't see why anyone would.

The risks IF you are 100% positive the needles are completely clean, sterile, etc. (I'm not talking about diseases, I'm talking about any kind of dirt or bacteria that could cause an infection) are minimal, regarding the ink and whatever...but the stress it puts on your body is going to be bad really bad for a baby. Even getting your ears pierced or anything is considered taking an unnecessary risk while pregnant. And like most things in pregnancy, there aren't really enough studies done to prove how safe it is.

I thought about getting one (was planning on before I got pregnant), looked into it, and decided it was in no way worth it. There's really no reason good enough to not wait another couple of months, IMO.

I guess my whole thing is, it's the same amount of risk with the needles not being sterile and whatnot even when you aren't pregnant... And I wouldn't go to a dirty place, anyhow. I asked my doctor about it and he said it would be fine and that stress doesn't effect the fetus, but figured I would ask here. I am wanting a small one on my wrist and may not wait, but I'm still thinking about it.

As somebody who has come on the board multiple times saying she doesn't have much money, can't afford suchandsuch, job ending, etc, I think it would be incredibly irresponsible to spend what little money you have on a tattoo while expecting a baby.

Not sure about wrists, but doesn't pregnancy mess with your skin and body shape? I'd just worry that a tat done while pregnant would be weird looking after the baby is born.

Yes the risk with the needles would still be the same EXCEPT NOW it would make you AND your baby sick if there were bacteria or God forbid, disease.

If you are pregnant everything that hurts you... hurts the baby. So No it's not REALLY the same kind of risk. when you are not pregnant the risk is only to you, when you are pregnant the risk is also to your unborn child.

Honestly, what tattoo could possibly be that important that you simply cannot wait.

And wasn't that several months ago now? Please get recently updated information before making judgements, thanks.

Yeah, which is why I wouldn't consider one anywhere else. Lol. I had a friend get a super expensive and very nice rib tattoo just before her pregnancy, and lets just say that string of daisies will never look the same. Haha.

I guess I just don't see a very valid reason to wait if I have the opportunity and can be 100% sure the needles and such are clean. My doctor doesn't see an issue with it... I mean I see waiting on getting a tattoo as being on par with not eating cold cuts while pregnant for the risk of listeria. The risk is so low, and if you can guarantee that you won't have to worry about listeria, why stop eating cold cuts throughout your pregnancy? I guess it would just seem extreme to me when the chance is SO low. I don't see an issue with anyone else making those decisions for themselves and for their pregnancy, however, I just don't personally see the point.

Unless you won the lottery, or another way of winning a large sum of money, my statement stands.

Because winning the lottery is the only way someone can afford a $60 tattoo. LOL.

Sparks nailed it. Not only does it affect two people if you get sick, but the results can be fatal for the one that doesn't have any say in it.

It's kind of like eating unpasteurized cheese when you're pregnant. For someone who's not pregnant, getting listerosis is kind of a "meh" thing that makes you uncomfortable for a while but then you get over it and it's not the end of the world. For an unborn baby, there's a high chance of it being fatal.

There's a good chance most reputable tattoo artists won't do one on a pregnant woman anyway. I know the one downtown here won't, both for liability reasons and concern for his client's health because there hasn't been a lot of studies done on the ink and developing babies.

Okay, this is maybe just a really sensitive spot for me personally, but this attitude really bugs me.

I personally have a friend who lost a full term baby girl the day before her due date, to listeria.

It is the single most devastating thing that has ever happened to her. It's been three years now, and she is still just as destroyed about it as when it happened. That pain is NEVER going to go away. Maybe, some day, decades from now she won't be thinking about it constantly, but looking at her now and the way she was before. All the hopes she had, how happy she was, how much she was looking forward to her baby, this has completely devastated her to the point of destroying her life. She carries an incredible amount of guilt with her over her choice to eat certain foods, in the belief that it wouldn't affect her because of the statistics. There is nothing than anybody can or has said that will convince her it wasn't her fault. And that's really sad.

Maybe I'm paranoid because it seems like the odds always work out wrong or something. Maybe it's because I almost lost my own son before he made it into the world, but if you can take a small risk of death and turn it into ZERO risk of death, by doing something as simple and easy as not eating cold cuts for 9 months out of your life, why wouldn't you do that?

You don't even have to completely stop eating them. I craved corned beef really bad for parts of mine. To get around it, I just nuked it in the microwave for a minute and put it in the fridge to cool off before eating. It's that simple.

Well barbara if you just don't see the point than really there is nothing I have to say. If you are willing to take ANY risk for a cosmetic thing than... I will pray for that baby. . The statistics are always "super low" until it happens to you and I hate to think that if the unthinkable happens and you come for support that people would say I told you so but honestly I would find it really hard to control the anger I would feel and I wouldn't be able to blame anyone else for a leas than ideal reaction either.

. You do whatever you feel you need to do. Unfortunately you consistently talk about "I" and "me" and not "we" or "my baby". . Heartbreaking really

I find it more heartbreaking that people here insist on talking down to someone when they disagree instead of just disagreeing? I disagree with the viewpoint that I should behave and act like a delicate little flower and stay away from all things risky while pregnant, but I am not talking down to you for your viewpoints because it is your opinion and you are welcome to it, so don't do that to me. I just simply think that the attitude that I should wrap myself in a blanket and avoid all things with a 1% chance of something happening to be a viewpoint I don't agree with for myself. If you and others want to do that, more power to you and I admire you for doing and acting upon what you believe in, but I won't dare speak down to you about it the way I am being spoken to here. Seems to be a common theme with Chaz. "We are all welcoming and we don't argue and blah blah" but wait... Disagree with the consensus opinion and people will treat you like some sort of leper with a mental disability. I asked for opinions on the subject, not judgements. Seems to go hand in hand, though.

Also, back onto the tattoo subject, there isn't a risk at all if you can guarantee that the environment is sterile. So where exactly lies the problem? It all comes down to opinion, not actual scientific fact... Just opinion. Of which I have a differing one, but apparently that calls for pitchforks.

This. I don't know why but this has always bugged me. Whether it is Barbara or whoever else.
Sorry. Just personal preference.

This girl I've known since 2nd grade, she is 22 (like me) and has 2 kids and one due any day now.
During her first pregnancy she got 3-4 tattoos. Nothing happened to her baby. She is a beautiful, smart, amazing 5 yr old girl. During her 2nd pregnancy she got 2-3 more tattoos. Her son is a beautiful, smart, 3 yr old little boy.
She had good outcomes with tats and pregnancies.

My other friend... Not so much. She got a tattoo on her right shoulder blade. It got infected (after going to a very nice tattoo place and was told they had clean needles and sterile gear) and the tattoo got badly infected and she became incredibly stressed out, she nearly loss her baby. She was 29 weeks pregnant.
Now do you REALLY want to take that chance of "maybe it won't hurt me or my baby?" No. You shouldn't.
Im just saying. Its not worth the risk.

Nonone is askinh you to wrap yourself in a blanket and be a delicate flower but WHY? WHY would you take that risk for a strictly cosmetic thing tht you will still be able to do in only a few months? You honestly can't understand the reaction to "I am pregnant but want a tattoo but there is a small risk but i want it so badly I can't possibly wait a single day more so the risk of hurting my child is worth this useless tattoo that I want... Not need ... But just kinda want".

Again, you do whatever you do. You are the one who might have to live with the consequences and if thats ok with you, so be it.

I would like to know how you can GUARANTEE that everything is 100% clean and super duper. Seriously, what about a tattoo is so nessecary that you can't wait a short time and get it when YOU will be the only one affected?

Even in a completely sterile environment, there is always a chance of infection that could affect your unborn child.

It's also the fact that your skin is full of holes and basically has a big wound on it when the tattoo is completed. Even if it's done in a sterile environment, you can't keep it sterile as it heals.

Nobody is saying to live in a bubble. It's only nine measly little months out of your life to take a few extra precautions during.