Hi Marie-I had mine in for a long time too, 8 years, and I took it out once I felt my belly button stretching, it was before 20 weeks...At first it looked so funny to me when iI took it out, now I'm so used to it, the whole has not closed up but the whole has stretched out of course, looks like a little dash mark instead of a round little hole. I'll prob put it back in after the baby is here.