Will getting a lowerback tattoo cause pregnancy problems?

Question

I wanna get my tattoo on my lowerback, but i'm afraid that one day if i get pregnant that I won't be able to have the epidural and I will have to have a natural birth. Does anyone know if there is truth to this myth..PLEASE HELP!!

Answer 1

yes it definitely can cause some problems with getting an epidural when I was in labour one of the nurses noticed my tattoo on my low back and said that I would not be able to get an epidural but then another nurse said it all depends on how the anaesthesiologist feels about it... well thank god the one I had was nice and he said he had plenty of room to work with but that i was lucky that my tattoo was that low because any higher up it would have been questionable whether I could get one or not and he said some anaesthesiologist won't do it at all if you have a back tattoo..... but if you get it low enough you should be fine.. the epidural goes in more towards the middle of your back
there is definitely some truth to it.. I noticed a lot of people said it was a myth well I am telling you exactly what the nurses and doctors told me! good luck if you really want a tattoo on your low back go for it but if you can don't do it too big and get it more towards your @$$ instead of towards the middle of your back and you should be fine!! other then the slight possibility of you not being able to get an epidural, a tattoo on your lower back won't cause any other problems with your pregnancy.
** I have also found info that says that it is safe to have an epidural go through a back tattoo it says that there is no risk of ink going into the epidural space but even if that is true A LOT of anesthesiologist feel differently so even if there isn't any risks you still may not be able to have one because like the article below says some anesthesiologist do not feel comfortable doing it... good luck!


here is some info I found on a website www.todaysparent.com hope it helps


Labour & Delivery

Tattoos and Epidurals
“Is it true that anesthesiologists won’t administer an epidural if the needle has to pass through a tattoo, or is this just an urban myth?”


By Susan Spicer


We asked Dr. Renwick Mann, president of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, who practises in Peterborough, Ont., to set the record straight:

There’s no science on this yet, but there is a concern among some of my colleagues that passing a needle through a tattoo could deposit some of the dye into the epidural space. And we don’t know whether tattoo dye carries a risk.

What we do know is that the surface of the needle (in the case of an epidural, a fairly large-bore needle) does pick up skin cells from the surface of the skin, so it is possible that dye could be carried into the epidural space.

I heard of one anesthesiologist who was administering an epidural to a woman with a tiger tattooed on her lower back. He manipulated the soft tissue enough that the needle passed through the eye of the tiger so he wouldn’t have to go through black ink. Women should know that some anesthesiologists may be uncomfortable doing the procedure if they have a lumbar tattoo, although in my experience, most of the tattoos are lower — over the sacrum (tailbone) — than the area where an epidural is done. Young women contemplating getting a tattoo might want to make sure it’s low enough not to be a problem later on when they’re having babies. I know that some tattoo artists are bringing this to the attention of their clients.


Originally published in Today's Parent Pregnancy & Birth, Autumn 2006

Answer 2

I'm pregnant and have a 'tramp stamp'. It depends on two things: if you gain a lot of weight during your pregnancy, and where on the lower back it is. If it's below or at the hip bone, then no it won't unless you put on body fat everywhere. If it's above your hip bone, then chances of ruining it go up, because it's the skin the stretches across your stomach from your back. I thought about possible pregnancy when I got mine, and got it level to the hip bone(it hasn't changed at all). Cassan's wrong, you can get an epidural. They just administer it a little higher or lower than where the tat is.

Answer 3

I have a tattoo on my lowerback and have had 2 kids with the use of 2 epidurals. GO for it.

Answer 4

That is an urban legend. What is on your skin, doesn't affect your spine. Which is where the epidural is going. May I add that I did natural childbirth with only a local for the episiotomy. It really wasn't that bad.

Answer 5

you can still get an epidural with a lower back tattoo. i've seen hundreds of epidurals, and many many with lower back tattoos. i've seen an epidural go right through a tiger's nose. don't worry about it.

Answer 6

there is absolutely no truth to the saying that you can't have an epidural. there is no reason to not be able to get one. it's just a needle in the spinal column. i have done searches on the internet of medical websites and they all say that there is no truth to it.

Answer 7

You can get a tattoo. I've had 4 epidurals and a spinal tap nothing will happen.

Answer 8

Getting a tattoo will not cause any problems with your pregnancy however have you thought about when you get older what that will look like? I mean can you picture a 60 year old with a tattoo on her back with all the wrinkles? I got a small tattoo on my lower leg when i was 17 years old and i regret it now it is something that is permanent unless you can come up with a lot of money for laser surgery but this could have complication so think real hard before you go get one look at all the pros and cons hope this helps.

Answer 9

The two are not related. Its safe to get your tattoo :-D

Answer 10

Myth, go for it.