Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Pregnancy Belly Rings - Theirs & Ours

THANK YOU!  :)

As the originators of adjustable length, flexible, threaded pregnancy belly rings, we have been blessed to help so many women save their navel piercings.  It is very rewarding hearing the kudos about our products.  

Since we started, as you can imagine, we've had competitors spring up.  Some even "look" like they have the same items we do.

The threaded bars that others are finally starting to stock are the type of bar we had two years ago.  But in that time, we've introduced a far superior and flexible bar, called our ULTRA flex bar.  These bars are standard on all our dangle belly rings, and can be purchased separately in several lengths for other belly rings.  The Ultra bars are the ones that can be tied in a knot with only an inch of material!  The SmoothFlex bars are a similar type that some others are using....they are not quite as flexible but do well for inexpensive non dangle belly rings.   And lastly are the original flexi bar....which are the least flexible, not as smooth, and white in color.  (Or sometimes colored)  These are the least expensive, and the least comfortable.  We no longer put these bars on ANY belly rings. 

Which bar are you buying?   You'll never know with other manufacturers, and they don't label them as we do.  They probably only offer one type of bar, and it's most likely somewhat like our SmoothFlex bar.  If it is a colored bar, it is likely LESS flexible than SmoothFlex...because adding pigment in the bar tends to stiffen the material.

Our Ultra bar material is specially made for us, and we are confidant it is the most comfortable threaded bar you can find.  :)   The reason we don't have it standard on all our belly rings is that it is far more expensive, and we like to give women a choice.  So the SmoothFlex bar is on most of our non dangles, and your favorite lengths of  UltraFlex bars are available in the Accessories section.

We love feedback, and always welcome your suggestions regarding our products!

~Jeanne

Sunday, August 21, 2011

New to Maternity Piercings - Is it a...?

The latest in our sterling silver offerings (so new it's not yet posted as of this writing...) our sterling silver question mark pregnancy belly button ring.  Is it a boy....a girl...?   Who knows?  Or if you do, maybe you don't want anyone else to know!   Pretty little faux pearl on bottom, this is a delightful little dangle on our softest UltraFlex bar.  The bar is a bit over 1 inch long, and you can cut it and easily rethread the ball on if you'd like it shorter. :)

 This design takes up less silver, therefore it will also be our least cost option for sterling maternity belly dangles!

Watch for the listing very soon!

~Jeanne

www.maternitypiercings.com
 


Saturday, June 11, 2011

Some changes to our products and site.

It only takes a couple customer feedback to make us change our ways...because we know if 1 or 2 people take the time to email us, there's 100-200 more that have similar thoughts that don't say anything.

Introducing our NEWEST UltraFlex bar.   The pregnancy belly ring shown above is normal length, just over 1 inch, and is the most flexible, comfortable threaded bar we know of on the market.

We originally started out with the white 2 inch bars that most people are still using.  We've changed our material twice since then, and we no longer offer the 2 inch bars, as...face it... they are ridiculously long... and catch on everything under the sun.    Sure you can cut them off, but so many people don't because they are afraid of making a mistake.

The white bars were much cheaper, but not as flexible or smooth.  The new clear bars are ultra smooth and comfy. Yes...more expensive too.  The Ultras are easily 6 or 7 TIMES more expensive than the white bar, but we have strived to keep the costs low for our customers anyway.  The only prices we have increased have been our sterling silver dangles, since the silver market went sky high.

In any case, we have all three bars available in the accessories section at Maternity Piercings, in case anyone is interested in comparing them. We have also slightly changed the names.  The regular white bar which was our original 2 inch bar we used on everything, the SmoothFlex bar, which was our previous Ultra Flexibar, which we now use standard on all our non dangle times...and our newest UltraFlex bar, the best solid bar available for comfort.   As always, you can cut any of our bars to a shorter length, and you can use them with all your standard 14g balls and ends you have for your other body jewelry. 

Styles are available for everyday wear if you're not pregnant, but would like a longer length flexible belly ring for working out, horseback riding, or other sports, as well as those times of minor weight gain when those short steel bars can get very uncomfortable.

Stop by for a visit...  http://www.maternitypiercings.com

Thursday, December 2, 2010

What To Do With Holiday Pregnancy Belly RIngs After Christmas?

Ahh....this is what most people miss.  Flexible bars aren't just for pregnancy.  Wear it again next year!   Sure, you're going to have to keepsake the "It's a Boy", "It's a Girl" and "Baby on Board" ones, but the holiday ones and the other designs are great to wear anytime!  Why go back to steel?   With any type of sports or bending over...steel can get pretty uncomfortable.  If you're wearing a standard 14g threaded PTFE belly ring, feel free to wear it forever.  If the bar ever strips out, replacement bars are available on our site.  :)  Body jewelry replacement balls are available here too.  www.maternitypiercings.com


Or if you're not comfortable with purchasing replacement parts from a maternity site...lol...just visit www.comfortpiercings.com

~Jeanne

Flexible Belly Rings - For Everyone, NOT Just For Pregnancy!!

The new flexible materials are GREAT for all piercings.  In fact, I don't know why people would even want steel bars ever again.  I'm not talking about acrylic, which is not very flexible, and is also not as safe as PTFE and bioplast.  Flexible PTFE bars are a Godsend for sports and aerobics and other exercise.  Also a wonderful thing to have on hand for those big holiday dinners.  With steel bars, you're...well...stuck.  But a flexible PTFE belly ring you can cut to whatever size you want, so it's longer, and it will also bend with you.  AHHHHhhhhh...  :)

So, why do manufacturers prefer to sell steel bars?  Because the bottoms are soldered together, so you can't re-use the bar with other ends. They are also hoping you will lose the top ball and buy a whole new belly ring.   Piercing studios will charge up to $16 (WOW!) for a replacement ball, or if they don't stock them, they will try to convince you that a replacement ball won't fit your body jewelry.. Truth is, you can buy replacement balls easy, and they fit standard gauges!   Visit our site and the Accessories section for replacement balls that won't hurt your pocketbook. :) 

~Jeanne

What Size Pregnancy Belly Button Ring Should You Get?

Pregnancy belly rings (PBRs) are generally much longer than needed.  Standard belly ring bars are about 11mm or 7/16".  PBRs can be up to 2 inches in length.  This makes them more likely to "catch" on things.  But what size is the "right" size?

Ideally, you'll want to have two belly rings, or a belly ring with an extra bar.  So you can take off the ends and put them on the longer bar later.  You can start off with a length the size of your regular belly ring. I wouldn't start with a length over 1", and if you can only buy one belly ring, this length can get most anyone through their entire pregnancy.  They are easy to cut and rethread.  But if you are hesitant, see www.maternitypiercings.com for rethreading help.   And if you're really squeamish about it, ask the seller if they will cut it for you.

As far as width...this is important...if you wear 14g, you should stay with 14g.  Some pregnancy belly rings may be thinner, but if you wear them, your piercing can close up to the smaller size, making it harder to insert your regular jewelry later.  If you wear 16g, there are pregnancy belly rings for you too.  They can strip out easier, and are harder to rethread and resize though, so be aware of that. The best ones are the simple steel ball ones, as they hold the tightest.  See our website for examples.

The size of the balls or ends.  This is personal preference, but the smaller the ends, the less they will show through clothing.  So, it's nice to have an "everyday" one with small 4mm balls, and perhaps another pretty dangly one for times you want to show off that beautiful belly.  :)

Retainer, or belly ring?  A retainer, in the regular body jewelry world, means a clearish colored shaft with O rings on the end.   O rings have a tendency to slip off, and are hard to find when they do.  Although we sell a lot of these retainers, we personally prefer the simple steel ball version over the O ring version.

It's your call; it's your body.  Congratulations on your pregnancy, and take good care!

~Jeanne

Don't Buy PLASTIC Pregnancy Belly Rings

There are a lot of people advertising "plastic" flexible belly rings.  Originally, the word plastic meant acrylic bars.  Before Bioplast and PTFE, these were the only flexible options out there. Some manufacturers still sell them.  They are not as safe as the modern alternatives. They are also not as flexible and comfortable.   If you see the word "plastic" on a body jewelry item, you should question exactly what kind of material they are referring to.  If they say it is acrylic, don't bother with it, especially during pregnancy.  It is ok if the balls or ends are made of acrylic, but not the material going through your piercing.

Another concern is that Bioplast and "bioplastic" and "bioflex" are not the same thing.  I actually had to question one of my suppliers offering "bio" product, as I had assumed they were the same material.  They had to admit they were acrylic!  The thing is, there are other sellers using these manufacturers and they are NOT asking...they are ASSUMING they are getting genuine bioplast.

PTFE is another very "flexible" term....ha ha...pardon the pun.   PTFE can be hollow, or solid, white, clear or colored.  The clearer the better, as in more flexible and comfortable. It is.  Hollow bars are considered "internal" meaning the ends slide in. Solid bars are like regular belly rings, the balls twist on, and you can even use the balls from your regular belly rings on these types of bars. 

Please visit the other sections of my blog here, or my FAQs on www.pregnancybellyrings.com

~Jeanne