Rings cut before delivering?? Sounds scaring.

[Anonymous]

I'm 35 weeks pg. Someone told me I will be asked to remove my rings, even the marriage ring, at the hospital before delivering. Also heard that they will cut even my marriage ring in case I can't remove it on my own. Of course, my fingers are swelling during my pregnancy.
As that sounds very ridiculous to me and and a serious lack of respect, I'm wondering if anyone here please could tell me if this is true and had experienced this aggresive behavior at the hospital. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I was worried about this too (delivered at holy cross) but I went through regular labor and then needed a c and no one said anything about my rings-If they did I was too drugged to remember and I might have just said I can't take them off-but it wasn't a problem. I had my son over a year ago and I still can't take them off

[Anonymous]

They will not cut off your rings -- even if you beg them to. My sister had TSS and her hands were so swollen she was begging the staff at Holy Cross to cut them off --- but they said they could not damage her personal property and weren't equipped to do it even if they wanted to.

FWIW, they will let you leave your contacts in during a C as well as rings (although I think they may have asked me to take off my watch). For a vag delivery, they won't ask you to take off anything.

[Anonymous]

if your fingers and hands are swelling, you may just want to leave them off your hand for the duration of your pregnancy. if your hands swell to the point where your ring is threatening to cut off your circulation, there is no choice other than to cut off the ring ... or you will lose your finger. we all know that swelling can occur pretty much without warning, so i would just take them off and leave them off for now. however, they won't cut your ring off if it's not posing a threat to your circulatory system.

know however, that certain meds they give you during labor can cause you to swell really quickly.

[Anonymous]

Just take the darn things off while you still can.

[Anonymous]

Just take the rings off now.

[Anonymous]

I wore mine on a chain around my neck.

Never heard of the cutting them off thing.

[Anonymous]

11:54 here. I have heard of it happening, but only once. During labor, my friend's fingers swelled to the point where yes, they had to call in a team to cut off her ring because it was cutting off the circulation to her finger. So yes ... during labor, a team was soldering her ring off of her finger. Although she was not physically harmed by it, it was not pleasant for her to have to deal with that during active labor. Agree with the PPs ... just take it off.

[Anonymous]

I stopped wearing my rings when my fingers started swelling around 30ish weeks. But even if that weren't the case, I would not wear my rings to the hospital, and I made sure to take off my nice diamond pendant too before heading there in labor. I know the chances of something happening to the jewelry were probably slim, but that's one less thing that i wanted to think/worry about while in labor/giving birth. Also, the PP is correct that you can have some major swelling in the hospital - my ankles looked like tree trunks for a few days after giving birth (I had a c-section but I'm not sure if the swelling was due to the surgery, anesthesia, pitocin during labor etc). Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all!
I have three rings: my marriage 18k gold ring on the left hand (I would never take it off) and two on the other. One day of late September, I realized I wasn't able to take the other two off, even with very cold, soapy water. This morning, someone suggested me to use Windex and put my hand in ice. I will try that way...
My rings are not threatening to cut off my circulation, but I will be very careful with salty foods and will keep in mind that certain meds could cause me to swell.
If anyone delivered at GW, please let me know your experience on this matter. Thanks again!!

[Anonymous]

why would you not take them off just to "be sure". you sound concerned and this is not something to worry about over the next five weeks of pregnancy. not wearing the rings does not diminish the love or anything for your spouse????

[Anonymous]

OP - I didn't want to take my rings off, either, but my hands started to swell. My hsuband went to Walmart.com and got me a plain gold wedding band in larger size for $20 or $30, and I wore that for the rest of my pregnancy. I still have it. Second pregnancy - no swelling, but i still laugh every time I open my jewelry box and see my "pregnancy wedding band."

You can always wear them on a chain if you are afraid of losing them or someone stealing them. That way you always know where they are.

[Anonymous]

No one is going to ask you to remove your rings just to have a baby. And certainly no one is going to cut them off of you unless something truly bizarre happens during your delivery.

[Anonymous]

I think you don't hear about rings being cut off often because most women take them off towards the end of the pg or when they feel them getting tight due to swelling. I had more swelling in my hands than in my feet with with my 1st pg so I took them off quite early and have done the same with my current pg. I do have a saph/diam ring I wear on my other hand typically which is larger than my wedding set, so when I remember I put that on my wedding finger, but for the most part I don't think most women worry about not having their wedding rings on toward the end.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of this before. Please don't flame me for this old-fashioned statement, but I wouldn't want to seem like I am pregnant and unmarried. I know that's a dated issue and I would never think less of anyone because they didn't were unmarried. And, if I were single and pregnant, I wouldn't be embarrassed. But I AM married, and I want to appear to be married, too. I've never heard of people taking off their rings. I'm only 9 weeks along. Is this something that happens to many women?