On this page
You do not need a special ring just because you are pregnant. A fully healed navel piercing that feels comfortable can stay as it is, and if it starts to pull, you can swap it or take it out. The sources disagree about jewelry sold for pregnancy, and we show that below.
This is information rather than medical advice, so mention your piercing to your midwife or doctor. Details are as read in November 2026.
Where the sources agree and differ
| Question | APP | American Pregnancy Association | Healthline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep a healed piercing? | May be left in, and some people do through delivery | No medical reason to remove it if comfortable | Safe to keep |
| Unhealed or irritated? | Not addressed on this page | Remove it. You can re-pierce after pregnancy | Remove it until after the birth |
| Flexible PTFE jewelry? | Pieces marketed as pregnancy jewelry “are not made of safe materials” | May replace jewelry with PTFE, or clean fishing line | Names PTFE maternity rings as an option |
| New piercing while pregnant? | The short answer is no. Wait at least 3 months after delivery | Avoid belly and nipple piercings | Hold off |
The maternity jewelry conflict
The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) says pieces marketed as pregnancy piercings or pregnancy jewelry are not made of safe materials. It does not explain why on the page we read. Healthline, medically reviewed in 2020, describes maternity rings made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a flexible, nickel-free material. The American Pregnancy Association also names PTFE, which it describes as a flexible plastic used for surgical implants.
Those positions may fit together, since the APP is criticising what is sold under the label and the others are naming a material. We cannot tell from what they publish. In our view, the word “maternity” on a listing tells you nothing, and the material is what to ask about. With the sources split, we do not link to a pregnancy ring from this page.
If you want to try PTFE, ask a piercer who can tell you where it comes from and cut it to length. Our retainers guide explains what PTFE is like to wear.
If it starts to pull
Our belly button page notes that as the abdomen stretches, a healed piercing can become tight, sore or start to migrate. The APP’s advice for any healed piercing is to replace jewelry quickly if it causes irritation, itching, swelling or redness.
The American Pregnancy Association says to remove jewelry if the hole is weepy, inflamed, red or irritated, or if the piercing never healed properly. If a ring is stuck, do not force it. Ask a piercer or your doctor for help.
Delivery
Healthline says a navel piercing does not get in the way of a vaginal delivery, and that it might get in the way in a cesarean, so some people take it out before going to hospital. The APP says some people leave it in throughout. Your care team’s request comes first.
Keeping the hole open
The APP says that even a piercing healed long ago may or may not stay open with nothing in it. It also says you can try reinserting jewelry with an insertion taper, and that it can quite likely be re-pierced if that fails. A piercer can do both for you.
Healthline’s suggestion is to reinsert the ring and move it around a couple of times a week. If you take it out and later want it pierced again, the APP says to wait at least 3 months after delivery.
After the birth
A bar that fitted before pregnancy may not sit the same way afterwards. Our suggestion is to have a piercer look at it before buying a new length. Our belly button jewelry guide covers sizes, gauges and styles for when you are ready to change it.
See a doctor if the area is hot, has spreading redness or discharge, or you have a fever. Our infected belly button guide explains the signs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to take out my belly ring when pregnant?
Not if the piercing has fully healed and feels comfortable. The American Pregnancy Association says there is no medical reason to take it out, and Healthline says a fully healed piercing is safe to keep. Both say to remove it if the piercing is unhealed, and the American Pregnancy Association adds if it is red or irritated.
Are pregnancy belly rings safe?
The sources conflict. The Association of Professional Piercers says pieces marketed as pregnancy jewelry are not made of safe materials. Healthline and the American Pregnancy Association name flexible PTFE as an option. Ask your piercer what a piece is made of, and do not rely on the word maternity.
Can I get my belly button pierced while pregnant?
No. The APP's short answer to whether it is safe to be pierced during pregnancy is no, Healthline says to hold off, and the American Pregnancy Association says to avoid belly and nipple piercings. The APP says to wait at least 3 months after delivery.
Do I need to remove my belly ring for delivery?
Healthline says a navel piercing does not get in the way of a vaginal delivery, but might in a cesarean, and some people take it out first. The APP says some people leave it in throughout. Follow what your care team asks.
Will the hole close if I take it out?
It might. The APP says even a long-healed piercing may or may not stay open without something in it. Healthline suggests reinserting the ring and moving it a couple of times a week, and you may be able to re-pierce it later.
Sources
- Association of Professional Piercers - Piercing FAQhttps://safepiercing.org/piercing-faq/
- American Pregnancy Association - Piercing and pregnancyhttps://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy/piercing-and-pregnancy/
- Healthline - Belly button piercing while pregnanthttps://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/belly-button-piercing-pregnant
This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.