Getting a Tattoo During Pregnancy

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Getting a Tattoo During Pregnancy

Question:

I am currently 12 weeks pregnant, and am interested in getting another tattoo. What are the side effects of getting this done while pregnant?

Answer:

Getting a tattoo shouldn't have any effect on a pregnancy. Just be sure that the person doing the work is appropriately licensed and uses proper techniques and clean needles in order to avoid the risk of infection.

Pregnancy could potentially affect a tattoo, however. Especially late in pregnancy, the growing uterus or the swelling from retained fluid can stretch a woman's skin. Adding a tattoo to such a stretched canvas may look different later, after the baby and fluid are gone.

Jeffrey Ecker, M.D. is an Associate Professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he practices maternal-fetal medicine.

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Last updated:	July 20, 2009

Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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