Did you/will you get DD's ears pierced?

bosha711

If you have a girl, are her ears pierced?

I am actually hesitant to get DD's ears pierced b/c I feel guilty inflicting the pain on her for something so trivial. I know it's over really quickly & she'll be fine afterward, but something in me is just saying "don't do it".

I am surprising myself b/c before having DD, I always thought I'd definitely do it if I ever had a girl.

I'm bringing it up now b/c my SIL wants to get them done as a gift for DD & she wanted to do it for Christmas. I put it off by saying I needed to ask the pedi first & well, the pedi said today that she could do them whenever we wanted. I was secretly hoping she'd say not till later! 

MH is all gung-ho about doing it too, which is also surprising to me.

Maybe you girls can convince me to just do it?

lrn327

Well obviously no DD, but I had my own done on my 2nd birthday.  My dad objected so my mom waited till he went to work and then had it done.  Honestly, I remember crying (that's actually my very first memory) but I didn't have to get all of the anxiety worked up later like my friends did.  A close friend of ours with a DD the same age as C had her's done at 3 months, maybe 6 months?  She was very young and our friend said it was really no big deal, if not easier, b/c she was good about taking care of them (unlike a 12 year old).

xxbabycakesxx

Obviously I have boys but if I had a girl, I'd be feeling the guilt too even though I'd also want the piercings done sooner than later.
I say if you truly want them done and would eventually get them done at a later age, just do it now!!! Just get it over with! But if you're really uncomfortable and hesitant, don't let anyone push you. Lol, so really I'm no help =P

tiffanyp

Avery will not be getting her ears pierced until she can make that decision for herself. I once saw a little baby screaming her head off after getting it done at the mall, and it traumatized me.

amberleeb

I probably wait until they are around 4 or 5 and use it for a bribe like my Mom did, LOL.  I want to wait until they want it done and we can have a date with Mommy and go get it done.

jnicolen1

I would definitely wait until she is old enough to ask for it.

enjoylife

No DD, but my sister and I were both in school when we had ours done and we didnt get them until old enough to ask for them and be able to take care of it. It was a fun mom/daughter date. I don't remember long standing pain just a pinch/bee sting when it went in but the mini chocolate candy long erased any negative memories.

dee12807

My mom had my sister's and mine done around each of our 1st birthdays. We will probably do the same for D, but only because they do it at the pedi's office. If we had to do it at a store I would probably wait longer (although I don't have any good reasoning for that).

msualum96

I go back & forth on this...on one hand, I think it's a good idea to do it sooner so that YOU can be the one to take care of them while they heal; but I also like the idea of it being HER decision.  I guess my struggle is that I got my ears pierced when I was about 12, DIDN'T take care of them like I should have, and ended up in Urgent Care getting the backs of the earrings CUT OUT of my ears....yeah, the skin had grown over the backs...it was pretty traumatic.  I got them re-pierced when I was about 16. 

So, I don't know yet what I'm going to do!

jarebearsmom

tiffanyp:

Avery will not be getting her ears pierced until she can make that decision for herself. I once saw a little baby screaming her head off after getting it done at the mall, and it traumatized me.

DH an I agreed if we ever had a girl we would wait until she can decide. DH said she also has to give a good reason not just because she wants it or because her friends have them.

missmuffin87

I got hazel's ears pierced  at 11 months. She didn't cry much, I gave her a pacifier and then a bottle right after. the hardest part was getting her to keep her head still. The piercing person said it's easier to do it on a younger baby because they move less. So that might be an encouragement do it now Bosha. 

They healed up fine and she didn't mess with them at all until a couple months ago. Now she's been taking them out all the time in the car and in bed, basically whenever she's bored. Then I can't find them so I've been going through earrings like crazy. It's getting expensive. I'm glad that they are healed though because if I waited till she was closer to 2 she would still be pulling them out, but they wouldn't be healed and could lead to an infection.

So there's pros and cons. 

JoJoMama730

No, I'll let her get them pierced when she has an opinion about it and wants them pierced.

Ltlsktl30

tiffanyp:

Avery will not be getting her ears pierced until she can make that decision for herself. I once saw a little baby screaming her head off after getting it done at the mall, and it traumatized me.

 this.  altough i have not seen the baby sreaming her head off in the store.  just going to wait until she can make the decision and understand what is about to happen.

 

mrslucid

JoJoMama730:

No, I'll let her get them pierced when she has an opinion about it and wants them pierced.

 This.  I want it to be her decision and for her to be at an age where she can take care of them.  I was ten before I got mine done.

Serendipity117

mands629:

tiffanyp:

Avery will not be getting her ears pierced until she can make that decision for herself. I once saw a little baby screaming her head off after getting it done at the mall, and it traumatized me.

ITA. And when L does ask for it, I want it to be a special mommy and me day, not a day where she won't remember.

Also, (UO here) I think babies with pierced ears look ghetto. 

All of this, including the UO.  

JRP00

I got Brooklyn's ears pierced in July,  I also was nervouse about "hurting" her but she sat on my lap and held DH hand. I also made sure that they pierced her ears at the same time so it was over fast. She didn't cry or nothing she also likes to pick out earings and lays down herself to clean them. Would I do it again yes.

Five Months to Plan

DD can have hers done when she can ask for it and help care for them. I then hope to make it a fun mom/ daughter tang.

desertlady86

DD was 2 months old when she got hers done. My SIL took her to get them done. 

Sonadora

I have no interest in, nor will I allow, her ears being pierced until she can take care of rotating them and cleaning them with rubbing alcohol while they heal. I got mine done at 10 and it was an epic disaster. We discovered I'm allergic to anything that is not pure gold, but it took a while to understand what was happening, so I had multiple, repeat infections, the holes closed several times, it was a constant battle of taking care of them, even though I was clearly old enough to do so.

EMOmamma

Nope, I am sensitive to metals and can't really wear jewelry anyway so I don't wear earrings daily (gold is ok usually and silver is ok for like a day).  

Plus I think it's a culture thing, where I live this is rarely done.  Bunch of hippies I tell ya. 

[Deleted User]

Serendipity117:

mands629:

tiffanyp:

Avery will not be getting her ears pierced until she can make that decision for herself. I once saw a little baby screaming her head off after getting it done at the mall, and it traumatized me.

ITA. And when L does ask for it, I want it to be a special mommy and me day, not a day where she won't remember.

Also, (UO here) I think babies with pierced ears look ghetto. 

All of this, including the UO.  

+1 more. 

kj07

No daughter, but I wasn't allowed to get mine until I was 12.  It was a big cool deal, one of the steps to bring me closer to being an adult and less of a kid.  Because of my experience, I'd probably wait if I had a daughter.

lulu8109

I don't have a girl, but if I did, I think I'd wait until she was older.

In my culture, it is very common to get ears pierced when you are a baby, so it's very normal to me.  I didn't realize until TB how controversial it was.

Bosha, I think if you are hesitant, then you shouldn't do it.  Don't get peer pressured into doing it.  Just wait.

Oh, and if I do end up having a daughter and getting her ears pierced, there's no way I would do it at the mall by some teenage girl who works at Claire's.  I would get it done by the pedi or by a professional piercer.

EVM1216

sofamonkey:

Serendipity117:

mands629:

tiffanyp:

Avery will not be getting her ears pierced until she can make that decision for herself. I once saw a little baby screaming her head off after getting it done at the mall, and it traumatized me.

ITA. And when L does ask for it, I want it to be a special mommy and me day, not a day where she won't remember.

Also, (UO here) I think babies with pierced ears look ghetto. 

All of this, including the UO.  

+1 more. 

+1 more

I was 10 when mine were done and I wanted them and was able to keep them clean and all that.  I think that is a good rule to go by.  DH votes that we never do it.

heyitsme

I was 10 when I had my ears pierced and plan to wait until at least then with DD.

But I strongly encourage you to look into piercing ears with a gun (like at the mall) vs. using a needle (like at a tattoo parlor or some doctors do them). Piercing guns can be unsanitary, they can do damage with the force they execute in "punching" the hole in the ear, etc. Some states have actually tried to ban them.

 You have to scroll down a bit about the dangers of piercing guns:

https://www.safepiercing.org/piercing/faq/#guns

TripMomma

We still haven't with Hayden and Lily. We plan to wait until they ask for it to be done, and can take care of them/be careful with them on their own.

Strunella

I'm in the "wait until she's old enough to ask for it" camp.  I'd be fine with a 5 year old DD who wanted them, but I don't really like it on infants.  I also see the earrings as a potential choking hazard.   My parents were against ear piercing, so I didn't get mine pierced until I was 13.

erind0213

DD does not have her ears pierced, and I will let that be a choice she can make when she is older and is able to care for them.

While I am not opposed to it, I didn't get mine done till elementary school, i think 3rd grade or so, and like that it was my choice, plus caring for them and doing the cleaning taught me a little responsibility. 

MrsDe2008

I felt the same exact way you did. Before Sam was born, I said I would get her ears pierced, but once she arrived, both DH and I decided we were going to wait until she is old enough to ask.

bosha711

Thanks for all the responses! It's good to hear so many of you are going to wait. I always thought it was the norm to do them as a baby (mine were done as a baby), so I guess that's why I'm feeling weird about not wanting to do it now. Maybe I will revisit the idea for her 1st bday

LovesMM

Paige's was done at 4 months. She kept them in til about 1 year but they kept falling out and she hasn't had them in since. I haven't tried to put more in to see if they are still open. If they did close up we won't pierce until she asks.

Kellina

No DD, but I wouldn't do it as a baby. I cry when they get shots, why would I go do this on purpose to them?? I had mine done at 9, then a second hole about 8yrs ago. I don't remember it hurting much when I was 9, but the recent ones.... The first one was fine, the second one hurt like a biitch! I'm also of the UO that infants with earrings look trashy and ghetto!!

amyswor

I got my daughters done at around 2 months. Here were my two reasons:

First, I asked my pediatrician, and she said the younger the better. They won?t play with them (less infection risk) you can make sure they are cleaned, and it will hurt less when they are younger (less emotional ?pain? or fear). Modern sterile methods with disposable ear piercing earrings make it more desirable and better done as an infant. This is true because mommy is caring for them. How do they really do having it done as babies? Well, she cried just long enough for me to pick her up, and it was over. she is 10 months, and we have never had any issues.

Second, why did I decide to have our dd's ears as an infant vs older? Well, I kept seeing more and more babies and little girls with cute earrings and that pushed me to go ahead. I followed our ped's tips on finding the right place, type of earrings to use and aftercare of newly pierced ears. I took her to Piercing Pagoda and she did fine and looks adorable.

Any moms wanting our ped's suggestions, drop me an e-mail.

amyswor@hotmail.com