Why Do I Need To Remove My Rings?
There are several good reasons to remove rings prior to labor:
- If you birth in a position such as hands and knees, you may find your hands swell, making your fingers very uncomfortable under the rings.
- If you have an emergency c/section or there are complications during birth, medical staff may need you to remove jewellery.
- In a hospital, it’s best not to take valuables with you to avoid theft.
If you still have rings on and you need to go to surgery, some hospitals will tape them. However this varies by hospital.
How Can I Remove Rings in Pregnancy If My Fingers Are Swollen?
There are a range of methods you can try if your fingers have swollen and you’re unable to remove your rings:
- Apply an ice pack to your fingers to lower the swelling, or soak your hand in ice water.
- Apply Windex to your fingers to help the ring slide off.
- Vaseline, soap or oil.
- Hold your hand above your head.
- Twist, don’t pull, on the ring.
- Preparation H can decrease the welling.
- Bind your fingers with dental floss, working upward from the ring. Then slowly slide the ring off over the floss (be careful not to cut off circulation.)
How Long Before I Can Put My Rings on Postpartum?
The type of birth and your body type can impact on how fast your swelling goes down. If you had a c/section birth, you may be swollen for a longer period of time. While some women find they can put their rings back on within a week of birth, others may find that it takes 8-12 weeks for all their swelling to go down.
Susannah is a certified Birth Doula through Childbirth International and the founder of Trimester Talk. With a background in journalism and digital strategy, she combines evidence-based research with real-world knowledge to create accessible content about pregnancy and parenting. She’s a mother of two and stepmother of two more, all of them now teenagers.