If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding and already have a specific tattoo idea in mind, the simplest answer is: most specialists and tattoo artists recommend waiting until after your pregnancy, and in many cases until you’ve finished breastfeeding. There isn’t just one reason, but several overlapping ones: the usual risks associated with breaking the skin, uncertainty about the effect of tattoo ink on a developing baby, and the practice of most tattoo studios, which generally postpone the procedure. The final decision is still up to your doctor or midwife, who knows your health situation - this article explains why this recommendation is made and shows how to make good use of the waiting period.
- A tattoo breaks the skin, so it carries the same risks as always: a local infection, an allergic reaction and - if the equipment or ink is contaminated - bloodborne infections.
- The effects of the chemical ingredients in tattoo ink on a developing baby, especially during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, have not been well studied, so the honest answer is "unknown," not "safe" or "unsafe."
- Breastfeeding follows a different logic from pregnancy itself, and this also applies to laser tattoo removal.
- You can make practical use of the waiting period by choosing a location that won’t change along with your skin and fine-tuning the size and design.
Why specialists recommend waiting to get a tattoo during pregnancy
A tattoo is created by repeatedly puncturing the skin with a needle, so it carries the usual risks of any procedure of this kind: a local infection, an allergic reaction to the ink, and - if the equipment or ink is contaminated - bloodborne infections such as hepatitis B or C (source: Mayo Clinic). Pregnancy doesn’t make these risks any less likely - there’s no way to rule them out in advance, and during this time, the simplest option is to avoid them altogether.
The second issue is the ink itself. Little is known about how the chemical ingredients in tattoo ink may affect a developing baby, particularly if the procedure is done during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (source: American Pregnancy Association). This doesn’t mean that ink is harmful - it acknowledges that there simply isn’t enough research on the subject, and decisions about a baby’s health are better based on certainty than on a lack of evidence either way.
For this reason, the most common recommendation - repeated by both medical sources and tattoo studios themselves - is to put off the procedure until after childbirth. The small risk of infection, combined with the unknowns around the ink, is enough to make waiting a more sensible option than rushing.
A back tattoo and an epidural: where the myth comes from
If you’ve heard that a back tattoo rules out getting an epidural during childbirth, you can put that concern aside. No study has confirmed a real risk associated with inserting an epidural needle through tattooed skin, and most anesthesiologists have no problem giving an epidural to someone with a back tattoo (source: American Pregnancy Association). So this is a myth that shouldn’t affect your choice of tattoo placement - it’s better to base the decision to postpone the procedure on the reasons described above, not on this particular concern.
Breastfeeding and tattoos: a separate issue with a separate answer
Breastfeeding is a different situation from pregnancy and deserves a separate answer, rather than automatically applying the same rules. Ink particles are generally considered too large to pass into breast milk during the procedure itself, but it’s unknown whether they may migrate into milk later, as the ink slowly breaks down in the body over months or years (source: La Leche League International). This is a genuine unknown, not a reason to panic, but it is a good enough reason to be cautious.
There’s also the risk of a bloodborne infection, which could theoretically reach a breastfed baby. This small risk is usually enough reason to wait until you’ve finished breastfeeding before getting a new tattoo (source: American Pregnancy Association).
In practice, most tattoo artists won’t knowingly agree to tattoo someone who is pregnant or breastfeeding anyway - partly because of professional responsibility, and partly to give the body time to fully recover after childbirth. Lactation consultants suggest waiting around 9-12 months after giving birth as a general guideline, until the baby is no longer exclusively dependent on breast milk (source: La Leche League International). This is a guideline, not a strict rule - it’s best to decide on the timing with your doctor or midwife, who knows your situation.
The same caution applies to laser tattoo removal. Since no studies have measured how much additional ink is released into the body during removal, it’s also recommended that you wait until you’ve finished breastfeeding before having laser treatment (source: La Leche League International).
Why changing skin matters when choosing a tattoo placement
No matter when you ultimately decide to get a tattoo, it’s worth thinking about the placement now, not just the design itself. Changes in body weight, including pregnancy-related weight gain, can affect how a tattoo looks later (source: Mayo Clinic). The skin around the abdomen, hips and chest stretches the most during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so these are the areas where a design is most likely to change in appearance over time.
This is a good reason to think about placement now, even if your visit to the studio won’t happen for many months. Areas such as the wrist, ankle, shoulder or forearm change much less than the skin around the abdomen, making them a more practical choice for someone planning ahead.
What you can do now: plan the design, size and placement
The waiting period doesn’t have to be wasted time. You can use it to narrow down the style, size and placement, focusing on areas less prone to skin changes, such as the wrist, ankle, shoulder or upper arm. It’s also worth taking a look at the guide to choosing a tattoo size to get an idea of how a particular size works in different places on the body.
A temporary tattoo helps you see how your chosen size and placement look on your skin - it’s a visual test of the design, size and placement, nothing more. It doesn’t replace knowing how a permanent tattoo will heal or exactly how it will look years later - those things depend on the needle, depth and individual skin, not on a preview using a temporary version. If you’re also considering a semi-permanent version as a longer-term test option, the article about how long a semi-permanent tattoo lasts explains the difference between the two options.
It’s worth checking the ingredients of any product applied to the skin, including a temporary tattoo, with your doctor before using it during pregnancy or breastfeeding - "temporary" doesn’t automatically mean "approved for use during this time." If you’re interested in how InkLabs approaches transparency about the ingredients in the ink used in semi-permanent versions, this article about the safety of InkLabs ink explains it in detail.
When the waiting period is over and your doctor or midwife has no concerns, your chosen design, size and placement will be ready to take to the tattoo studio. You can also browse the Small Temporary Tattoos collection to see more discreet designs that are suitable for planning, and take a look at the guide to your first tattoo, which takes you step by step through choosing a design and placement.
Summary
The answer to whether you can get a tattoo during pregnancy isn’t a simple "yes" or "no" - it comes down to a small but real risk of infection, uncertainty about the effect of ink on the baby, and the practice of most studios, which will postpone the procedure anyway. Breastfeeding follows similar but separate logic, with its own general timeframe. The final word always belongs to your doctor or midwife, who knows your health situation. In the meantime, you have a practical option: fine-tune the design, size and placement so you’re ready when the time is right.
