Can You Get A Tattoo While Breastfeeding?

Are you a tattoo lover and a mother-to-be at the same time? Are you worried about your baby’s health, and you want to know whether it is healthy for you to get a tattoo while breastfeeding?

Then make sure to read this article thoroughly. Here, you will find the answers to all your questions related to having tattoos while breastfeeding. Of course, the trend of tattoos is increasing among women.

Tattoos are mostly a symbol to memorize a particular thought or to represent something meaningful. Some of the pregnant women want to have tattoos. But they are worried about their child’s health.

For this reason, we will discuss the risks involved in getting a new tattoo while breastfeeding, the precautions to take to keep your child safe, and much more. There are thousands of women who have tattoos on their bodies, and they face such issues.

When Can I Get A Tattoo While Breastfeeding?

Are you breastfeeding your baby and want to have a tattoo? There is no general opinion nor research about having tattoos while breastfeeding. However, few suggest that it is better to avoid having tattoos while you are breastfeeding your child.

There is no evidence to prove or disprove that tattoos create harm to your child or not. But being on the safe side, it is much preferable to avoid having tattoos while breastfeeding.

Furthermore, it is important to note that the ink used in tattoos hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration agency. This is certainly another point to take into consideration before getting a tattoo.

As you know that tattoos are not natural and use chemical pigments. Maybe your skin is too sensitive for inking tattoos. Overall, we recommend you wait for breastfeeding to be finished to have tattoos. However, if you really want to get that tattoo while breastfeeding, take precautionary measures below.

Can A Tattoo Harm Your Baby?

There is no scientific research to this date indicating that getting a tattoo can harm your baby. Obviously, many women around the world have tattoos on their bodies and are seen feeding their babies.

For inking a tattoo on your skin, the ink is transferred to the dermal layer of the skin with a small needle. According to the FDA, there are risks associated with some types of ink.  In fact, it’s not uncommon to experience a red rash or bumps on your skin after getting your tattoo done.

Moreover, and according to research by the US National Institutes of Health, between 0.5% and 6% of customers that get a tattoo experience complications after having it. Now, can this harm your baby?

There might be risks associated with hygiene procedures and even some more serious infections like hepatitis or HIV, and these can be transmitted to the baby.

Can You Get A Tattoo While Breastfeeding?

You can have tattooed while breastfeeding, but your doctor might not recommend it. A baby is sensitive and any illness the mother has might get transmitted to the baby. If you consult a professional and serious tattoo artist about getting a tattoo while breastfeeding, he probably won’t allow you to have it.

Moreover, having tattoos requires a recovery period of two to three weeks. Needless to say, having a tattoo can be painful, and you may need to take some medicine such as pain killers or ibuprofen certainly won’t do any good to your child and might cause complications.

1. The Safety Precautions To Take When Getting A Tattoo While Breastfeeding

While there are no associated risks associated with getting a tattoo when breastfeeding, you need to follow some of the precautions to avoid future complications as much as possible. Let’s go through some safety precautions to take when getting a tattoo while breastfeeding.

First of all, go for the tattoo artist that uses high-quality and clean equipment. This can reduce the risk of getting infections. Also, the professional artist will be more reliable and can give you some insights about having a tattoo while breastfeeding. Always ask the artist if the equipment is sterilized. And this is important to avoid the spread of infection from one person to another.

Secondly, before getting a tattoo, we advise you to get yourself examined by the doctor. In fact, there are chances to have a skin infection after inking the tattoo on your skin. Keep an eye on this and if you feel any irritation, visit your general practitioner as soon as possible.

Last but not least, always ask the tattoo artist to use natural ink and pigments rather than industrial ones. In fact, catching an infection after getting a tattoo is totally possible and avoiding all chances is essential for both you and your baby.

2. Potential Risks Of Getting Inked When Breastfeeding

Having a tattoo involves few risks that may affect your body. Any harm to your body while breastfeeding means that you potentially are harming your baby. The risks associated with having tattoos are different, so let’s elaborate on these.

First of all, you might experience allergic reactions. These are the most common risks associated with getting tattooed. It can stop you temporarily from breastfeeding your child. In this case, you will need to stop breastfeeding for a while.

Additionally, and as mentioned previously, certain diseases can be transmitted through the needle if it isn’t cleaned properly. The most common diseases are Hepatitis and HIV and you definitely want to avoid those.

Furthermore, getting inked might cause lighter yet annoying problems such as bumps or scars. These, while not being related to the baby nor can harm him, are disturbing and you will need to consult your healthcare professional to get proper treatment.

To sum up, choose a clean tattoo artist working in a reputable tattoo parlor, make sure he washes his hands and equipment, and both you and your baby should remain safe.

3. Tattoo Alternatives To Consider

Understandably, alternatives to tattoos have become more popular over the years for being safer while still looking cool.

First of all, let’s talk about Henna. Henna is the natural pigment that has been used by women for thousands of years. It can color your skin naturally and beautifully for a limited period. It is safe to use, and the color faints with time by washing it with water.

If you are interested in having a tattoo while breastfeeding, you can definitely choose Henna. Henna is better than a tattoo as it does not pose the risk of infection, and henna is pure while the ink for tattoos contains harmful chemicals.

Secondly, we can recommend getting a temporary tattoo marker. These are an excellent and safe alternative if you fancy drawing your dream design by yourself while keeping you and your baby safe. Note that the drawing you will get with a tattoo marker is temporary and this will give you the chance to constantly change and remain unique.

Of course, tattoo markers don’t have any side effects. Additionally, there are a ton of colors available and you’ll be able to customize it the way you want and as often as you want. We particularly recommend getting a temporary tattoo marker from Bic as they are reliable and cost only $13.99.

The last alternative we can suggest is to get a temporary tattoo. Temporary tattoos can last as much as several weeks and good quality ones will look exactly like a permanent one. Also, they are very cheap compared to normal tattoos and ultimately, they’re safe and won’t cause any harm to your baby.

To sum up, these are the alternatives to tattoos that are to use, that won’t harm your little one, and finally that you can get while breastfeeding.

Can You Get Your Eyebrows Tattooed While Breastfeeding?

Getting eyebrows tattooed while breastfeeding seems safe but it may actually not be. In fact, as mentioned earlier, our whole body can get infected during or after having been tattooed, and, therefore, it is best to avoid having a tattoo.

Of course, this is best for your baby’s health as you may transmit your infection to your baby. In short, getting a tattoo on your eyebrows is just like on the rest of your body and you should certainly take the same precautions as if you were to tattoo your leg or arm.

Is It Possible To Remove A Tattoo While Breastfeeding?

Some people may get rid of the permanent tattoo they previously got. With the advanced laser technology, it is now possible for you to have your tattoos removed.

The procedure involves the breakdown of ink particles beneath your skin by using laser technology. These particles are then cleared by the immune system and transferred to the liver. The liver plays a very important role in tattoo removal and will completely remove the ink particles.

Medically, there is no evidence that a baby can be affected by removing the tattoo during the breastfeeding process, but, just for you to be totally safe, we recommend you to wait until you are no longer breastfeeding.

To sum this up, as safe as removing a tattoo might sound, it can actually be harmful to your baby in a way or another. For this reason, we recommend waiting to avoid the ink being passed to the breastmilk.

What Is The Impact Of Breastfeeding On Tattoos?

The appearance of the tattoo will change while breastfeeding. When your body is stretched, the tattoo’s shape and color usually distort, but it depends on which part of the body the tattoo was inked. Breastfeeding can cause the breast to swell, which may also impact the tattoo.

There are no specific regulations nor guidelines against breastfeeding with tattoos. The position of tattoos doesn’t increase the dangers of breastfeeding, regardless of whether they’re on your breast. The tattoo ink is probably not going to get into your milk supply and the ink is fixed under the main layer of your skin, so the child can’t reach it.

Conclusion

Tattoos can be risky for several reasons and the risks associated may be transmitted to your baby, whether it’s a chronic illness or a simple health issue.

If you already have a tattoo, then you can still milk your child. But if you plan to have a tattoo while breastfeeding, the better option is to delay your plan of inking a tattoo on your skin. Although there are no issues seen, and doctors have no accurate idea about having tattoos. But their general opinion is to stay away from such activities when the women are breastfeeding their baby.

To conclude, it is better to avoid tattoo removal during breastfeeding. Remember that your body is passing your milk to your baby and can carry your health issues to him. During breastfeeding, a mother needs to stay healthy. Generally speaking, doctors suggest that mothers should not breastfeed their babies if they have some health issues, related to tattoos or not.

Also Read: Can Getting a Tattoo Cause Miscarriage? – Tattoo During Pregnancy

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