Getting a tattoo on your arm while pregnant can harm the baby?

Answer 1

Tattooing while pregnant is a controversial topic, though one that is fairly easily answered. The truth is that there are pro's and con's to getting one done while pregnant and they are issues you should not take lightly.

In truth, there is no direct evidence to suggest that getting a tattoo while pregnant is harmful to the baby inside you, though there is not any evidence to prove it is safe either.

The major concerns:

~Infection

~Shock

~Chemical Dyes

With or without being pregnant, you should always make sure that your tattoo is preformed by a licensed artist who also has a Blood Born Pathogen license. You need to make sure that they always use sterile equipment and brand new unopened needles. They should always wear medical gloves and use proper bandaging procedures. If they don't, you are setting yourself up for a bad infection or worse.

The other part of the infection worry, is that while being pregnant you are extra suceptible to infection, which gives you a larger risk for getting an infection not from the tattoo work itself, but from not properly taking care of the tattoo after its done.

Shock is a concern mostly for those whom have either not had a tattoo previously, and do not know how they will react to it, or for those who have low pain thresholds. You also have a higher risk for shock if you are getting a tattoo in a very sensitive area. It is very advisable to avoid tattooing on your back, stomach, chest or breasts while pregnant. There are still risks to getting tatts on your hands, feet, arms or legs, though most consider the risks to be lower then other parts of the body.

This and infection, are the major reasons that most tattoo artists won't give tattoos to pregnant women. You have a higher risk of passing out on them, and possibly going into preterm labor if you can't handle the pain of the tattooing process.

Chemical dyes are a concern, and it's always best to seek tattoo artists who use organic ink in the first place. Though there is no direct evidence to show that the excess ink that might release into your body, could hurt your baby. There is no evidence to show that it won't hurt your baby though, hence the "risk" factor.

Many women have safely completed tattoos during pregnancy, though more often then not, it was before they knew they were pregnant. There are still many women who get tattoos while they know they are pregnant, and there have not yet been any reports of the tattoo's causing problems. The important part, is that like anything else when you are pregnant, it is a risk to you and your babe, and one you should seriously consider before continuing. If you've weighed everything else and decide you want to continue, just make sure your tattoo artist and doctor know about it, and be as safe as possible.

Answer 2

Tattoos can become infected, but only if they are not taken care of properly, or if you went to a dirty shop. BUT...I will say this...ink from tattoos absolutely 100% does NOT go into your bloodstream. You would probably become extremely ill if it did. Needles in a tattoo machine are like pins, and only make it to the dermal layer (2nd layer) of the skin, not to your veins. So the concern of getting "ink poisoning", or anything along those lines, is completely irrational. The best answer I can give is (with myself being 4 weeks along, and already heavily tattooed), wait to get a tattoo or peircing until after you've had the baby and are done breastfeeding. It's not worth the risk of spreading an infection (NOT ink poisoning) to your unborn child. Plus, think of the inspiration you'll have for that next tattoo once the baby's born.

It's not so much the ink poisoning that is the risk, but more just having your body go through trauma. I am a tattoo artist and have been involved in the community for almost 20 years, and the rule any self resepcting artist is that people who are pregnant SHOULD NOT BE TATTOOED OR PIERCED! period. Because both of these things causes your body pain and trauma, and when your body feels pain, your body reacts in a physiological manner, and that stress and tension could harm your child. Why risk it? Just wait the 9 months and get it done then.

Note: the ink in the blood stream is not the concern with tattoos, it is the possible blood born pathogens that can be transmitted by improperly cleaned tools. Hepatitis B, HIV, and AIDS are a few of the most common diseases spread by contact with infected blood. Because a fetus' blood circulates through the mother's body first, it is exposed to any infection the mother has. Just wait.

You should NOT get a tattoo while pregnant as the huge amount of adrenaline your body produces can cause a miscarriage. You are also very prone to get a blood infection no matter how clean your tattoo parlour is and your body is trying to keep your buba safe (information taken from my tattoo artist and confirmed by other tattoo artists i have spoken to).

Answer 3

Yes. You are not to, under ANY circumstance to get a tattoo while you are pregnant. You are bombarding the body with a foreign substance that your body will fight off, and in the pregnant state, this is not good. It is a standard question that is asked before any tattoo. Wait the nine months.

Answer 4

Personally I would put the safety of your baby first... ANYTHING can jeopardize that babies health... think it over.... the smallest infection can harm your unborn child http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/tatoos.htm

Answer 5

Seriously if you're going to put such a pointless answer why bother...try offering reasons to why it's harmful to someone's baby.

OK firstly most tattoo associations have made it illegal for tattoo artists to tattoo pregnant ladies. Mainly for the reason that in the unlikely event that something does happen to the baby it looks bad on the artist, their shop and pretty much the whole tattoo industry.

Now in retrospect to the previous response of 'duhhh' there is no hard evidence that getting tattooed while pregnant directly harms the unborn baby. The biggest fear is that the stress on the body during a tattoo can add to the stress on the body already being caused from the pregnancy and this could possibly lead to complications.

There is also the risk of infection, though that risk applies to anyone that gets tattooed.

Answer 6

No reputable tattoo artist will give you a tattoo while pregnant. It could do serious harm to the unborn baby. It is recommended that you shouldn't even dye your hair while pregnant. There is no need to get tattoos while pregnant, wait until the baby is born and your body is at full strength before you go ahead and get one. Your only prenant for 9 months, its not long to wait.

Answer 7

Anything you do to your body, you do to the baby. This includes the jumps in adrenaline and endorphins your body produces when getting tattooed or pierced. So yes, it could. Most legit shops will not do it

Answer 8

Nothing says that it is not safe, but it is not recommended. But I don't see what could go wrong with that.