You Might Have to Give Up the Jewelry Too
Obie Editorial Team
Your body goes through so many subtle changes during you pregnancy that you’ll need to give some items up for the full nine months. Foods that were once your favorite might become nausea inducing because of imbalanced hormones. Your favorite high heels might seriously injure your feet because of increased levels of relaxin. Your favorite little dress will suddenly feel more like a nightmarish designer vacuum seal. Your beloved morning coffee break might become your mediocre OJ break. Unfortunately, studies show that you might even have to give up on some of your favorite jewelry to stay healthy and happy during your pregnancy.
The hormonal changes will affect your skin, and you might notice that you become more sensitive to certain metals found in jewelry. Even if you’ve never had one before, it might start to look like you’re having an allergic reaction to your favorite bracelet, earrings, necklace or ring. These pieces are usually made from gold, silver, platinum, stainless steel, tungsten carbide or titanium. Any of these metals could potentially cause a negative skin reaction during your pregnancy. Some women even notice that their skin becomes more sensitive in the first half of their first trimester before they’re even showing any other significant signs of pregnancy.
Aside from the risks to your skin due to increased sensitivity, you should also be careful about keeping rings and bracelets on as you enter your second and third trimester. You’ll begin to retain more water, and swelling of the hands, wrists and feet is common. Your rings or bracelets could easily become stuck on your hand, and they could even start cutting of your circulation. If you have any jewelry that is tight even outside of your pregnancy, put it somewhere safe until after you’ve given birth and the swelling has gone down completely. You’ll also need to take everything off if you need a cesarean section anyway, so taking it off now might save you from a potentially stressful situation later.
If you take off your jewelry and notice that the rash or irritation still doesn’t go away, speak with your health care provider immediately, as it could be a sign of a more serious problem. Some minor skin irritation won’t harm you or your baby at all, so as long as you take the metal jewelry off when it starts to bother you, there shouldn’t be any further complications.
Source: Ellen Marjorie Wells. The relationship of metal and metalloid exposure during pregnancy with cardiovascular risk factors. Johns Hopkins University 365 Pages March 2010
The hormonal changes will affect your skin, and you might notice that you become more sensitive to certain metals found in jewelry. Even if you’ve never had one before, it might start to look like you’re having an allergic reaction to your favorite bracelet, earrings, necklace or ring. These pieces are usually made from gold, silver, platinum, stainless steel, tungsten carbide or titanium. Any of these metals could potentially cause a negative skin reaction during your pregnancy. Some women even notice that their skin becomes more sensitive in the first half of their first trimester before they’re even showing any other significant signs of pregnancy.
Aside from the risks to your skin due to increased sensitivity, you should also be careful about keeping rings and bracelets on as you enter your second and third trimester. You’ll begin to retain more water, and swelling of the hands, wrists and feet is common. Your rings or bracelets could easily become stuck on your hand, and they could even start cutting of your circulation. If you have any jewelry that is tight even outside of your pregnancy, put it somewhere safe until after you’ve given birth and the swelling has gone down completely. You’ll also need to take everything off if you need a cesarean section anyway, so taking it off now might save you from a potentially stressful situation later.
If you take off your jewelry and notice that the rash or irritation still doesn’t go away, speak with your health care provider immediately, as it could be a sign of a more serious problem. Some minor skin irritation won’t harm you or your baby at all, so as long as you take the metal jewelry off when it starts to bother you, there shouldn’t be any further complications.
Source: Ellen Marjorie Wells. The relationship of metal and metalloid exposure during pregnancy with cardiovascular risk factors. Johns Hopkins University 365 Pages March 2010
