Tattoos for mom
People often get tattoos to mark a significant event or change in their lives. Tattoos tell a person’s unique story and express the parts of their identity they feel most strongly about.
Your tattoos might show the world who you are and what you stand for.
People sometimes get tattoos during a shakeup of their circumstances. For example, while travelling the world or after a breakup, to pay homage to the new version of yourself after a big life event. It’s no surprise that many moms choose a ‘new mom’ tattoo, to pay tribute to the significant changes involved in becoming a mother.
Becoming a mom is life-changing. It feels like somebody has picked up your life, rattled the contents and then dropped it to the ground.
Everything is still there but nothing is in the same place. If you look in the mirror, you are staring back at yourself but you feel like a new person. Your priorities have changed overnight. That deserves a new ink, surely?
Top tips for getting a new tattoo
- Go to a tattoo artist who has been personally recommended and who you can trust
- Check the tattoo artist’s portfolio to ensure you love the style. You want a tattooist who’s experienced in doing the kind of mom tattoo you want
- Tell the tattoo artist if you’re breastfeeding; some might advise waiting until you’ve finished breastfeeding before getting a tattoo. However, there are no official guidelines, so it’s up to you and your tattoo artist to decide what to do
For more information, read Can You Get A Tattoo While Breastfeeding? - Go to the tattoo parlor with a finished design; don’t wander in feeling unsure about what you want. There will be books on tattoo ideas in the waiting room, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the number of options
- Don’t rush the decision. A tattoo is forever, so spend some time considering your newest body art
- Once you’ve chosen the design, you’ll need to decide where it will go. Do you want the tattoo somewhere visible or hidden away on a part of your body that’s usually covered?
Unique and meaningful tattoos for mom
The internet is filled with tattoo ideas for moms; there are many different styles to choose from. If you’re looking for a mom tattoo to pay homage to this new chapter of your story, look at the following tattoo ideas for inspiration:
1. A mom/baby image
There are so many gorgeous illustrations of moms and babies that you can draw inspiration from – from simple line drawings to more detailed illustrations. Find one that speaks to you. The early months of motherhood can be very intense and one of these images is a great way to symbolize the unbreakable bond you have with your new baby.
There are lots of styles to choose from online. There are plenty of gorgeous drawings of moms cradling their newborn babies in their arms. You can have your tattoo artist alter the mom’s hair to look just like you. It makes sense to personalize the design so you can see yourself and your child in it.
2. A heartbeat tattoo
A heartbeat tattoo is pretty cool and looks awesome on the inside of a wrist. This is a neat idea and will always remind you of when your baby was first born. You could ask the hospital for a copy of your baby’s heartbeat or record it yourself using an Apple Watch or a similar device.
To see how other parents use this Apple Watch feature, look at our article Apple Just Upped The Birth Announcement Game.
3. A floral tribute
A floral tattoo can be a great mom tattoo if you love flowers. Look at the flowers blooming during your baby’s birth month and choose your favorite, for a simple tattoo. Flowers are beautiful, so they make the perfect mom tattoo.
You can choose a simple inked outline or go for a full-color tattoo; it’s totally up to you. Although flowers are popular tattoo ideas, you can personalize yours to make sure it’s unique to you and your baby. For example, you can add your baby’s name or birth date along the stem if you want.
4. An animal family
Animal family tattoos are a great way to encapsulate your family. You can pick whatever animal you like. Popular animals are elephants, bears, ducks and rabbits. If you use animal nicknames in your house, you could draw inspiration from this to create an adorable tattoo.
Ask your tattoo designer to draw a mama animal and a baby animal. Then, each new baby can be welcomed with a new animal baby, allowing the tattoo to grow with your family. An animal family tattoo will follow your changing life; it’s the perfect way to honor your position as a mom.
5. Your child’s artwork or handwriting
If your children are older, you might want to get them involved in the tattoo design process. For a sweet tattoo, you could have your child write ‘mommy’ or ‘mama’ – or whatever they usually call you – and have a tattoo artist trace it onto your skin.
Some people have their kids design artwork especially for a tatto, whereas others pick a drawing they already love. This is a great way to express love for your kids and their creative skills. Your children will grow up knowing you loved their artwork so much that you had it inked on your body, and that’s pretty special.
6. Matching tattoos with dad
A gorgeous way of cementing your new life as a family is to celebrate with matching tattoos. These could be something simple like your baby’s birthdate or something else that symbolizes your new family setup. For example, some families use the time their baby was born, as this was the moment when their lives changed forever.
The tattoos don’t have to be identical. If you have very different tastes, you can incorporate your tattoo ideas to create something entirely personalized.
However, you should include a matching element to join the tattoos together. This might be a birth date or a name, as suggested above, or it could be something unique to your relationship – for example, the nickname you gave your baby before he was born or inside jokes you share as new parents.
7. A breastfeeding tattoo
Breastfeeding can be hard work and it deserves to be celebrated. You struggled through the chapped nipples and the shallow latch and you nourished your baby from your body. If that doesn’t deserve a tattoo, I don’t know what does! A breastfeeding tattoo is a perfect mom tattoo and a beautiful way to pay tribute to your breastfeeding achievements.
Breastfeeding tattoos usually show a mama holding her tiny baby to her breast. This is guaranteed to make a sweet tattoo.
However, some moms choose to wait and get the tattoo closer to the end of their breastfeeding journey, so their tattoos feature an image of a toddler or older baby. It’s totally up to you how you mark this milestone in your mothering journey.
8. A nod to your baby’s birthplace or date
If you want a subtle but cool mom tattoo, you might like an illustration of the moon the night your baby was born. You were a wonder woman during your baby’s birth; that deserves to be celebrated.
Whether you had a perfect birth or overcame significant challenges to welcome your baby, you should be forever proud of yourself. You could choose a tattoo showing the moon’s phase on the night you welcomed your child.
9. A mantra tattoo
Motherhood isn’t always easy. Whether you’re battling sleepless nights and colic or struggling with the demands of raising a teenager, being a mom can be challenging. If you have a mantra that gets you through difficult moments, it will make an awesome mom tattoo.
Whether it’s ‘You got this’, ‘This too shall pass’ or something unique to you, a mantra tattoo will help to remind you you can do this, even when it feels tough. A tattoo like this will honor the fact that being a mother is hard work and remind you that you’ve overcome all the difficult days before this one.
10. Song lyrics
Song lyrics are the ultimate cool mom tattoo. You can choose lyrics from the song you always sang to your baby at 2 am to lull him back to sleep.
It might have been a lullaby, or perhaps it was your favorite rock song. Chances are, even now, hearing that song transports you right back to those early days of motherhood and moments when it seemed you and your baby were the only people in the world still awake.
Choose your favorite lyrics from the song and have them tattooed somewhere on your body to remind you of the time you spent singing to your children to soothe them. How many hours have you spent as a mother gently humming your baby back to sleep?
Enough to warrant a tattoo.
