My fiance and I wanted to pay for the other to get a tattoo symbolizing our son for Valentines Day, but I'm not sure if I can get one while breastfeeding...any input?
Safe to Get Tattoo while Breastfeeding?
"I have heard various opinions on the subject of getting tattooed while still breastfeeding. I have a 16-month-old daughter who still nurses on demand and want to get a tattoo on my forearm. Is there a possibility this could hurt my daughter? "
The ink used for tattoos will be safe, as it primarily stays in the skin and does not get into the circulation. HOWEVER, the needles used for the tattoo will pose a very small risk of transmitting hepatitis C. Recent research shows that a larger, multi-colored tattoo poses a higher risk than small black tattoos. Another study showed that the risk of contracting hepatitis is actually higher during a dentist visit than while getting a tattoo, so this subject remains controversial. My thoughts are: before you permanently alter your body, imagine what this tattoo would look like on your Grandmother… because some day that is how you will look!
Dr. Jim
Some things to consider from : http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvfebmar05p3.html
Is your baby only a month old? That is the biggest concern, I think:
Tattooing Is Not without Risk
It is important to screen the tattooist and the shop carefully, checking with the local health department for local laws and regulations. Tattooing is currently legal in all US states except for Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. It is illegal in a few US cities. It is also legal in all provinces of Canada. However, the artist training, sterilization of instruments, and inspections of the studios depend on state or provincial laws. Seventy-four percent of US states require licensing, registration, and/or permits. Reputable tattooists will follow universal precautions such as sterilization of the tattoo machine using an autoclave; single-use inks, ink cups, gloves, and needles; bagging of equipment to avoid cross contamination; and thorough hand-washing with disinfectant soap.
Many, if not most, professional tattooists will not tattoo a woman who is currently pregnant or breastfeeding. World-reknowned tattoo artist Pat Fish of Santa Barbara, California, USA says:
There is always an element of risk in getting a tattoo. The tattoo could have an adverse effect on the mother’s immune system that could be transmitted to the baby.
While the body is healing after a tattoo—and producing milk—and if the mother’s body would "reject" the tattoo, the possibility exists that it could harm the baby. This is especially a problem if the client does not follow the aftercare instructions and develops an infection. Alex Stewart of a former natural parenting Web site in the UK suggests that mothers give their bodies 18 months to fully recover from childbirth before asking it to heal a tattoo.
The general information about tattooing also applies to breastfeeding women. According to the research, local and systemic infections are the most prevalent risks of tattooing. Local infections can occur. The aftercare regimen includes keeping the tattoo clean with mild soap and water, not picking at the scabs, and keeping the tattoo out of the sun. Systemic infections occur when universal precautions are not followed by the tattoo artist and can include such diseases as hepatitis, tetanus, and HIV.
Human milk banks will not accept donations from mothers who have had a tattoo done in the previous 12 months, because of the possibility of various infections caused by blood-borne pathogens. In 1985, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, issued national guidelines for protection during the tattoo process. There has never been a recorded case of tattoo-transmitted HIV infection; the last reported tattoo-related incident of hepatitis was in 1950. Furthermore, according to an informal, unpublished survey of tattooed or pierced mothers by Mary Jozwiak, IBCLC, a moderator at HipMama magazine and e-zine, the risk for blood-borne illnesses was not increased for mothers who were tattooed by a professional who followed universal precautions.
The possibility of the ink migrating into the mother’s blood plasma and then into the milk-making cells of the breast is negligible, according to Frank Nice, RPh. It is possible to have allergic reactions to the tattoo inks.
thanks, ladies. i go to a very reputable, professional, clean place so i'm not worried about infection or hep c. yay! now i just need to figure out what i want to get that represents him!
In ER with baby
- mightbewrong317
on Feb. 12, 2012 at 11:33 AM