I didn't think a ton of it but the next morning I met my sister for spin class and we both got changed for work in the locker room after. She is also a mom of 2 so I asked
"Jen, did your belly piercing hole get stretched out with the kids?"
She looked at me with a strange grin and looked down at her belly. "Uh not really, why?"
"Look at mine, its huge"
Jen bent down to look closer and sure enough, "wow, that really grew didn't it"
A few seconds pass and Jen says "Here, try this!"
Jen had pulled the gauge from her ear and was telling me to put it in my belly button. She’s had gauged ears forever, not huge, but I didn't know the sizes or anything like that. This was a hallow tunnel, maybe the size of a pencil on the inside.
I said "ew, thats gross... I don't want that" followed by something like "well, wait... maybe it might look fun for a picture"
Sure enough, Jens tunnel went in my belly button piercing easily and fit like a glove. I walked over to the mirror and took a glance. Pretty freaking badass looking. Jen, what do you think?
"I have no idea how that happened but it looks amazing" You are keeping that!!
We finished getting ready for work and went on with our days.
A few days later we were gearing up to take the kids to the pool in our town. Its got slides, lazy river, and all the things the kids love. We take them a couple of times a year. Anyway, I put my bikini on as we got ready and realized, oh gosh, people are going to see this thing. Do I take it out? Nahhh, I think it looks awesome. Who cares if anyone sees it. I think people will love it!
Fast forward a few hours and I am standing in line for a slide when I hear a lady say excuse me... "I love your navel gauge" she said.
Wow, I thought. Pretty cool that someone even noticed enough to compliment
I looked up at her and she said "i have mine stretched too". No way, I sort of shouted. I think I was just surprised that this was even a thing. Ha-ha! We chatted a second and she showed me the gold ring in her belly button. It was even thicker than mine and looked beautiful!
It’s 00g she said... took me 5 years to get here. I told her that I didn't know the sizes and that my sister had just given me her gauge from her ear last week and I had been wearing it because it was the first jewelry that fit after my pregnancy.
I could sense that a new friendship was forming and it’s not every day that you meet a stretched piercing friend. I had a lot of questions, so I picked her brain as we stood in line for the slide.
My tunnel was 2g, according to my new friend Bethany. Which is 3 steps below the 00g she wore. She asked me if I wanted to go larger and it felt crazy, but I immediately said yes. Seeing her 00g ring was so incredible that I knew that had to be my goal. She took a closer look at my piercing and after the slide and asked me to follow her to the lounge chairs. Once we got there, she rummaged through her purse and pulled out a gold ring with a diamond bead, it looked just like her ring, except not as thick. She said, " I thought I had this with me!"
"Here, this is a 0g ring and it’s the next size up for you. Let's see if it will go. I always keep my old size rings with me for some reason... now I finally needed one! "
At this point I am super excited but also a bit crazy. My husband has kids, and I am with some random lady getting my belly button stretched to accommodate a giant ring. Too funny but life is all about these seemingly crazy experiences.
I lay back on the lounger, and my new friend removed my sister’s old tunnel. The ring started to go in but was met with some pressure. I got a little worried that it wouldn’t fit but we paused slightly, tried again, and it slid right in. My initial thought was wow, this thing is heavy. I can feel every move. Bethany told me I would get used to it and that she hardly notices her 00g ring even now. I stood up and had to find a mirror. We walked to the locker room and goodness, what a sight! I was absolutely in love. The ring complimented my tan skin and looked perfect against my black bikini. I even thought about how thankful I was that I changed before we left. I had originally put on a one piece but decided I didn't want a weird tan line and changed to my bikini. If I had worn the one piece... Bethany would have never even seen my belly button piercing!
Bethany and I walked back to my chairs where my husband and kids were. I made the introduction to my husband, and he quickly noticed my new ring. Wow babe, I love that. "I know, right? I am in awe". I pointed out that Bethany, my new friend, was also pierced at 00g and this was her old smaller ring. My husband said that he never realized this was a thing but he loved it! Win all around.
We spent the rest of the day enjoying the park and hanging out. We took some pics of both of us together for the gram and exchanged contact info so we could talk again.
Over the next 6 months I really grew to love my navel piercing again. I had always enjoyed It before the kids, but this was a new lease on life. I never would have considered stretching it but now, I very much prefer it to be large gauge! Crop tops are back in the rotation, and you would not believe how many people will compliment me on my 0g ring. I love getting to tell other moms that their days of belly rings aren’t gone.. There is a whole other option they just didn’t know about.
I just placed my order for my new 00g goal size ring. I have been wearing the 0g ring for long enough that I think it’s very close to ready. Titanium 00g rings are not cheap but so worth it for such a special piercing. I can’t wait to get it in!