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
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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
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
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
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
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Flexible XMas DOUBLE GEM Pregnancy Belly Button Rings Now Available!!
Christmas navel rings now available. All DOUBLE GEM styles! And all on our softest Ultra FlexiBar. These are limited supply items, so when we're out, we're out! See them all at: http://maternitypiercings.com/holiday.htm
Happy Holidays !
~Jeanne
Happy Holidays !
~Jeanne
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Regular and Ultra FlexiBar Comparisons
Here is an example of our two kinds of flexi bars.
The bar on the left is what most others use exclusively. It is a great bar and very flexible, and was our one and only original bar when we pioneered threaded PBRs. We still use it on our acrylic styles because it holds really tight.
The bar on the right is made with our Ultra Flexibar. Both bars are cut to about 2 inches. The Ultra bar is softer, and noticeably more flexible than the regular bar. Ultra bars are standard on most of our dangles. However, because they are also about 5 times more expensive, we do cut these to about 1 inch, which is the length most people will cut their pregnancy belly rings, and should suffice for the entire pregnancy. However, extra bars up to 2" are available in our Accessories & Parts section.
While we do have wholesalers out there, most will acknowledge our brand on their site. However, there are some "copycat" sites that seem to have the same or similar designs, but do not use the same quality products as we do. If you have questions, let us know.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Infections, Pierced Navels, and Pregnancy Belly RIngs
Medically speaking, a navel piercing is a puncture wound. Every body will heal (or not) differently. Some women who have had their piercing for 2 years or more would have no problem taking out a belly ring for pregnancy. Another will have their piercing start closing up within a day. You can't know until you've tried it.
Pregnancy can complicate an otherwise trouble-free piercing. As the belly stretches, the skin thins, and can cause tiny ruptures to open. So you can get an infection where you've never had a problem before.
Because of this, you should always treat your piercing as if it were new. Keep the area and your jewelry clean. Even if you are not wearing a belly button ring, you need to keep this area clean because of the stretching. I haven't seen any medical opinion on this, but my thought is that if you have a retainer or flexible navel ring in the piercing, it should create a barrier for germs to enter. But again, that is assuming you keep the area and jewelry clean. Ask your doctor about this, and feel free to Email me with their medical opinions.
And a reminder....always wear the gauge you were pierced with. Wearing a thinner gauge means the piercing could close up smaller, and you'll be stuck. 14g is thicker than 16g. I know that sounds backwards, but that is the way gauges work. Do NOT use dental floss or fishing line. The reasons should be obvious. Whoever suggests this never had a piercing close up on them, or get infected.
Touching a bit more on allergic reations, the materials usually used for pregnancy navel rings are the safest out there. However hypoallergenic doesn't mean there's no chance of a reaction. If you have metal sensitivity, obviously you don't wear surgical steel belly rings. If you have a plastic sensitivity, you never wear acrylic. A plastic sensitivity could also make you sensitive to PTFE. Bioplast supposedly has even less of a reaction for plastic sensitive people, so you might consider trying it. Be aware...."bioplastic" and other words that sound similar to bioplast...well...they usually aren't. They are usually acrylic plastic, and that material should not be worn during pregnancy. (Or ever in my opinion.) Tygon is another up and coming material for piercings (though not really seen in belly rings), and is super flexible, but at this time is generally not available in exact gauges, and is so limp that insertion can be frustrating.
If you have questions or comments, feel free to post them or send them. I won't put your name online, unless you want me to.
All the best,
~Jeanne
Pregnancy can complicate an otherwise trouble-free piercing. As the belly stretches, the skin thins, and can cause tiny ruptures to open. So you can get an infection where you've never had a problem before.
Because of this, you should always treat your piercing as if it were new. Keep the area and your jewelry clean. Even if you are not wearing a belly button ring, you need to keep this area clean because of the stretching. I haven't seen any medical opinion on this, but my thought is that if you have a retainer or flexible navel ring in the piercing, it should create a barrier for germs to enter. But again, that is assuming you keep the area and jewelry clean. Ask your doctor about this, and feel free to Email me with their medical opinions.
And a reminder....always wear the gauge you were pierced with. Wearing a thinner gauge means the piercing could close up smaller, and you'll be stuck. 14g is thicker than 16g. I know that sounds backwards, but that is the way gauges work. Do NOT use dental floss or fishing line. The reasons should be obvious. Whoever suggests this never had a piercing close up on them, or get infected.
Touching a bit more on allergic reations, the materials usually used for pregnancy navel rings are the safest out there. However hypoallergenic doesn't mean there's no chance of a reaction. If you have metal sensitivity, obviously you don't wear surgical steel belly rings. If you have a plastic sensitivity, you never wear acrylic. A plastic sensitivity could also make you sensitive to PTFE. Bioplast supposedly has even less of a reaction for plastic sensitive people, so you might consider trying it. Be aware...."bioplastic" and other words that sound similar to bioplast...well...they usually aren't. They are usually acrylic plastic, and that material should not be worn during pregnancy. (Or ever in my opinion.) Tygon is another up and coming material for piercings (though not really seen in belly rings), and is super flexible, but at this time is generally not available in exact gauges, and is so limp that insertion can be frustrating.
If you have questions or comments, feel free to post them or send them. I won't put your name online, unless you want me to.
All the best,
~Jeanne
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Fit Pregnancy Article
I was a little confused by a couple things they said in the article. First, they named them "surgical plastic retainers " which I'd never search for in a million years, and then they went on to say that they were "thinner" and longer, and that is incorrect. Although they are longer than steel bars, and we do have thinner 16g styles available on the site, 99% of what we sell are standard 14g bars, and we feel this is vital because if you wear a 14g (the standard gauge) and you switch to a 16g (a thinner gauge) during pregnacy, your piercing could close up a little, and then you'll have to use a taper to try to stretch back to a 14g back in again (OUCH) or be stuck with 16g forever, which are REALLY hard to find in cute styles. So make sure and get the gauge that you wear now!
Interesting that they would change the name, our pregnancy belly rings first started out as tongue rings, when they first came out with the flexible materials like bioplast and PTFE. These are products we added to our regular body jewelry offerings on Ebay, and our regular body jewelry site, but the weren't wildly popular at first. I think really it's because nobody knew to search for them. They were functional, but not very fun styles. The length was good, 16mm, which is 5/8". That's probably enough length for most people. But it's nice to have the longer length just in case. So that is what we sold for "pregnancy belly rings", until someone approached us to make longer length ones. Then we got serious, and creative. And then we finally started marketing on a separate site. And THEN we got a lot of competition. Wow....so many sites are offering these now, it's incredible. I still think we have the best selection and prices, and guarantees in the business though! :)
Interesting that they would change the name, our pregnancy belly rings first started out as tongue rings, when they first came out with the flexible materials like bioplast and PTFE. These are products we added to our regular body jewelry offerings on Ebay, and our regular body jewelry site, but the weren't wildly popular at first. I think really it's because nobody knew to search for them. They were functional, but not very fun styles. The length was good, 16mm, which is 5/8". That's probably enough length for most people. But it's nice to have the longer length just in case. So that is what we sold for "pregnancy belly rings", until someone approached us to make longer length ones. Then we got serious, and creative. And then we finally started marketing on a separate site. And THEN we got a lot of competition. Wow....so many sites are offering these now, it's incredible. I still think we have the best selection and prices, and guarantees in the business though! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)