What is a one-sentence summary of the following article?
There are many risks to getting a piercing right before, or during a pregnancy. The piercing can cause infection, inflammation, and even the possibility of disease. You need to spend time thinking about why the belly button piercing is so important. Write down a list of reasons why this is critical. This is not only a good idea for pregnancy piercings, but piercings at any time. Go through each one and decide whether that is a good enough reason (it means something to me, it is part of my identity, etc.). After you have written down the best reasons you have, talk to your friends and family about your decision. They might have a different point-of-view, and wish to dissent or agree. Talking with a piercing professional is also important. The professional is likely to have gone through this situation before, and know the best advice for you. It is important that the place you go to get a piercing is legit. Any problems with the piercing can result in infection, disease, and harm to the baby. Ask if you can watch the piercer set up his station before you get the piercing. The piercer should always wash his hands, and instruments. The instruments he or she uses should be unopened. Look around the studio to see if the place is well kept. The floors should be neat and tidy, the station sanitized, and there should be no presence of blood. Make sure that the piercer enforces age restrictions. The piercer should also have an active portfolio of his or her past work. Ask to see the portfolio before you even begin to think about getting the piercing. The typical, close-fitting belly button piercing will not be an option for a woman that is soon to be pregnant. You will need to shop around for piercings which are optimal for your future condition. Plastic maternity belly button rings. These rings are made of soft, plastic material that will stretch along with your growing belly. These rings can expand slightly, and therefore are less likely to irritate the skin and lead to infection. The good news is that they are much cheaper than the metal rings and they're easy to find online. Try out circular rings instead of barbells. These are less likely to fall out than barbell shaped rings. As your tummy grows, it's possible for the pierced hole to temporarily stretch as well. If it gets large enough, there is a chance barbell rings could slip through it. Use large gauge rings rather than smaller ones. The larger the gauge, the thinner the ring, and the better it will fit as your tummy grows. Buy a 14 gauge ring, which is the largest gauge. Stick-on belly button jewelry is a great alternative to the traditional piercing. It can be used to imitate a pierced belly button and is very popular with pregnant women. Fake piercings will also decrease the likelihood of inflammation and infection. Check out How to Make a Fake Belly Button Piercing. It is always the best option to simply delay getting your navel pierced until after you have had your kid, and have actively recovered from the pregnancy. Getting your navel pierced while pregnant can result in infection, disease, and harm to the baby. The navel region is not very muscular, and therefore has very little active blood flow. This means that, even if you were not pregnant, the navel piercing would take a long time to heal. The navel is the longest piercing region to heal, at around nine to twelve months on average. The navel region is next to abdominal cavities, making infection even more of an issue. The navel piercing is also one of the only piercings to continuously have to touch your shirt, making infections even more prone to spread. There is the possibility that your naval region treats your piercing as a "foreign object," and therefore not heal properly. While there are general risks to a pregnancy navel piercing, your doctor will know the specifics about your past health. If you have been prone to infection before, have a history of disease, or have had problems healing piercings, you might want to wait. Make sure you consult with the doctor before you get the piercing, as he will be able to give you advice before you go in to get the piercing.
Write down why you want the piercing. Check the credibility of the piercing facility. Choose a safe, functional piece of jewelry. Delay the piercing. Contact your doctor.