I Got the Fat Finger Blues
My wedding ring typically comes off my finger and placed into long term (a fire proof locked safe) storage around the 28 week pregnancy mark. After my last pregnancy, it didn’t fit back on my finger until 8 months postpartum.
Today, I’m currently 20 weeks pregnant, and the ring is pretty much stuck on my finger in a bad way. I tried to take it off last night to roll out some pizza dough, and whoa baby, I was surprised that it was already stuck on my finger. Maybe it’s just this hot and humid weather, but for today, it’s not going anywhere.
I don’t suffer from many of your typical pregnancy symptoms, but swollen fingers is one of them. My doctor always threatened: “Don’t make me have to cut that pretty ring off your finger.” And yes, I totally agree with her.
I love my wedding ring, it means the world to me, and while I really wish I could wear it throughout my pregnancy, it’s just not gonna happen for me. It’s either my finger or the ring, and I kind of like both of them.
Here I am, currently sitting with a mildly swollen finger, and ring that won’t come off without a fight. I refuse to have it clipped off with a pair of pliers, so it might actually come down to “till death do us part”.
I need advice. Has this ever happened to you? I feel like such an idiot. How would one go about getting this ring off the finger? Cutting my finger the ring off is not an option, yet.
Could you ice it down to hopefully reduce the swelling enough to shimmy it off? It hasn’t happened to me yet, but last night was the first night I slept without my ring, and it made me sad! Luckily I have a couple larger rings that I can wear so my poor little finger doesn’t feel nakey!
This happened to me for my last pregnancy. My husband and I tried every trick we could find on-line to no avail and a purple and blue finger. Later that evening my finger hurt so bad from trying everything my father-in-law had to cut it off… I was sooo sad. But luckily I just told the jeweler after I had the baby that the hospital had to cut it off and since we had insurance on it they were able to repair it like new! I was very very sad but relieved once it was actually off my finger! Don’t wait as long as I did because I was convinced I was going to be able to get it off and then it started to hurt it was soo tight! I hope you get it off with out having to cut it though!
Been there. Removal required a helper and a long piece of dental floss.
Been there. Removal required a helper and a long piece of dental floss. And it hurt. So, basically, you need someone to wrap a long piece of dental floss all the way around your finger, up to the knuckle. Then, you have to work the ring up over the floss to slide it off. Compresses the fluid out of the finger long enough for ring removal.
Have you tried dish soap? If it’s only mildly stuck, something slippery applied to you finger can help it slip off.
My brother attacked me with a bottle of soap and a bottle of lotion and it eventually came off, but it hurt like HELL. This time I took the ring off at 21 weeks, instead of waiting until the 7 month mark.
Good luck. I hope you don’t have to cut it off!
Ouch, I’ve had that happen and I’ve never been pregnant- I just have puffy fingers and when it gets hot & humid……
I always run my hand and wrist under cool water (your wrist is a pulse point and will help your whole hand/body cool down) and then lube my finger up with dish soap and twist…it works. But if it doesn’t, rest assured that the jeweler doesn’t use pliers, he uses a tiny jewelry saw to cut it open and they can fix it up in a jiffy. Not that anyone I know has had to do that……
my ring is already off…at 10 weeks. because it was already getting tight. I think it’s the hot weather, but I didn’t want to risk it. I had to used dish soap to get mine off. Last time it came off around 7 months when my hands and feet became unrecognizable as human appendages.
I used to run cold water over my hand and wiggle it. But as long as it’s not causing pain or further swelling WHILE it’s on, you can wait. My swelling usually went down towards bedtime. Also, you might want to up your water intake by a couple of glasses a day. Swelling can be a sign of dehydration.
cool your hand down in some cold water or hold onto an iced mocha for a while with that hand. Then use either soap or cooking oil. Lube that baby up and slowly work the ring off your finger. I still have my ring on too, but I’m not sure for how much longer…its getting tighter….. Good Luck!
My ring was stuck until last Sat. Although not pregnant, just happens in hot/humid weather… I was sitting in a freezing cold room at work last Sat night and finally got it off. I had been trying almost every single day for forever it seems! I’ve been wearing it on my necklace since, afraid to put it back on and get it stuck again. Need to get it cleaned and checked at the jeweler but just haven’t made it out there yet! I’ve heard soap works. But maybe try wiggling it off next time you’re freezing!
try going a day with no salt in your diet and drink a ton of water.
I’m not too far along and this worries me. My ring needs extra encouragement when in warm weather. I noticed yesterday while I was in my college lecture that I was able to twirl the ring around my finger. Then I noticed it was FREEZING COLD in that room. Try soaking your hand in cold water and see if that helps?
Kyleigh
…lots of soap and lotion…I’m only at 18 weeks, and have already had to take my rings off and wear them on my necklace.
Ok, I DID have to have my engagement ring cut off, so let me tell you–DEFINITELY try to get it off! Go to the emergency room if you have to! The one thing I tried that made mine move a little was Windex. It’s what Google tells you to do and it’s what the doctor asked if I’d tried right before cutting the ring off my finger. My father very helpfully suggested KY Jelly and then I died of embarrassment because he knew what that was. Hope you get it off soon!
I had to take my ring off by 12 weeks. And it required a combination of wrapping my finger tightly with dental floss and using a whole lot of dish soap for my husband to get it off. Hurts a lot, but it’s better than cutting it off. Apparently the hot weather made me swell up pretty quickly (it was 90 degrees and OCTOBER
I had to take my ring off by 12 weeks. And it required a combination of wrapping my finger tightly with dental floss and using a whole lot of dish soap for my husband to get it off. Hurts a lot, but it’s better than cutting it off. Apparently the hot weather made me swell up pretty quickly (it was 90 degrees and OCTOBER).