cpt: s/o ear piercing on babies

silentsiren11 · December 2013

Seeing the Dec 13 post last night has again brought up this debate in my house. How do you feel about piercing your baby's ears.

juliasmama2010 · December 2013

I've always been of the mindset that if she's old enough to care for them she can have them, but I will not pierce a baby's ears just for the sake of beauty/fashion. Thankfully, DH is on the same page.

wedbliss5 · December 2013

My DD started asking at 4.5 yrs old and told her grandma that mommy said it was ok. After making sure i was okay with it, grandma and nana took her. She didn't even cry. I figure I'll do the same with DD2.

amt0312 · December 2013

I put just pierce the baby's ears....I actually don't care one way or another. If you want her ears pierced, go for it!

RedSaffron · December 2013

idk about anyone else, but I can't clicky poll when I'm mobile bumping. The buttons are missing.

But I choose to wait til she is old enough to ask. It's her body and it's her choice.
SO on the other hand wants to do it when she's a couple of months old.. his mom even asked me if the hospital can pierce it for us before we are discharged! NO.

silentsiren11 · December 2013

@RedSaffron this is pretty much our situation

HeartOverMind · December 2013

This is something that I haven't even thought about to discuss with DH, but I put pierce the baby's ears. My mom got all of our ears (I'm one of four girls) pierced around 6 months old.

irwinkle · December 2013

My two year old is asking for it now but we are waiting until she can take care of them.

precious72381 · December 2013

I remember being allowed to pierce my ears for my (maybe) 8th birthday and it made me so happy! That I hope that I can do something like that for this little girl if she ever wants it. I don't have much opinion of doing this but I personally think jewelry on babies looks a little weird.

moosebaby2011 · December 2013

My parent's rule was that we had to wait until we were in fourth grade. I'm not sure if we'd stick to that exactly, but I would for sure wait until my child is both old enough to ask to have pierced ears and old enough to take care of them.

Deblondie1 · December 2013

I had Emme's pierced the day after her 6 month shots. I'll do the same for this LO.

RedSaffron · December 2013

@silentsiren11 my mom stopped my dad's family from piercing my ears when I was a baby. I really appreciated how my mom gave me an option vs just deciding for me.
It's gonna come down to having him agree with you or you agree with him.

Unknown · December 2013

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CopperT0p · December 2013

juliasmama2010 said:

I've always been of the mindset that if she's old enough to care for them she can have them, but I will not pierce a baby's ears just for the sake of beauty/fashion. Thankfully, DH is on the same page.

This, when a child is old enough to care for them and they want them then I would consider it. I didn't have anything pierced until I was 16 years old, then I paid for my own ears to get pierced at a tattoo/piercing salon.

MarkandAbbi · December 2013

I was 6 or 7 and asked and my parents took me for my birthday. We will do the same for this little one. If she can take care of them then she can get them pierced.

Rebis58 · December 2013

I voted to wait until she's old enough to ask. If this LO is a girl H and I won't get her ears pierced. My sisters and I got our ears pierced when we were old enough to care for them ourselves and I remember it being a special day when my mom finally let me - I like the idea of having that moment with my daughter as well. That said, I don't have an opinion either way on whether others pierce their baby's ears or not.

hurricanekb · December 2013

I voted pierce them. If that's what you want, do it. She can take them out later if she doesnt like them. But go to a professional piercer, not the 18 year old girl at Claire's, pierce them. I am a former licensed piercer and I can't stress this enough. Piercing guns are not good. Find someone who specializes piercing babies with a hollow needle. They will heal so much better.

valigrl21 · December 2013

DD#1 doesn't have her ears pierced. I am sort of in the "wait until they ask" boat, but don't feel that strongly about it.

My MIL really wants to do it and has done it with all her other granddaugthers, it's kind of her thing. So I think she will end up taking her someday and that's fine by me.

missimone · December 2013

juliasmama2010 said:

I've always been of the mindset that if she's old enough to care for them she can have them, but I will not pierce a baby's ears just for the sake of beauty/fashion. Thankfully, DH is on the same page.

Ditto for me! Mine weren't pierced until I was old enough to ask. Even then I had to wait, and didn't keep up like I should've so they closed and had to have them re-done.

@RedSaffron, I didn't even realize hospitals do that. Is it a tradition of theirs to pierce so early?

Carmlvsjose · December 2013

I had my daughter's ears pierced as a baby and will do the same for this one.

RedSaffron · December 2013

@missimone I doubt any hospitals here in the States does cosmetic piercing for newborns.. my MIL came from the Philippines and I'm guessing their doctors can do it for you anytime you're in the hospital.

sugarland726 · December 2013

If/when DD asks, then the answer will be yes. Until then, her ears will remain earring free. Mine are pierced so I seldom wear earrings. I am not a big fan of earrings on small babies, but that is just my personal preference.

stellar77 · December 2013

We had DD's pierced at 6-7 months..we'll do the same for this one.

mrsjenni · December 2013

No. No. No. I honestly hate when babies have thier ears pierced. I'll get DD's done right before she goes to kindergarten. Maybe.

daltosostarby · December 2013

I put wait til they ask, but it also has to so with wether they are old enough to take care of it themselves. I had to wait til I was 10 to get mine done. I would want them to be at least 10 before I would say yes.

Kbrittonhart · December 2013

My family always does them for girls at 6 months because this is when we do the baptismal/dedication service... I don't know why 6 months but it's a tradition that I followed and it's worked out for us.

km_md · December 2013

I don't really feel strongly about this one way or another. I had mine pierced when I was a baby, but I don't necessarily feel that I need to do that with my baby girl. This topic hasn't even been on my radar, so DH and I haven't discussed it together either.

SJSLA · December 2013

IMO not until she's at least 16 or can care for them/buy earrings herself. Perhaps that's a bit conservative, but I can do without this beauty & fashion regime.

shortstuff15 · December 2013

I don't have a problem with people piercing their kids ears, but I don't even have mine pierced so I always vote for wait until they ask and can deal with it themselves, because I don't know the first thing about caring for ear holes.

ashleywiz · December 2013

I had mine pierced when I was 2 1/2 I think- I don't remember it at all. I wanted second holes and my mom made me wait until 4th grade to get them. Then again- she also took me to get my naval pierced when I was 15.

BUT- I was forbidden to dye my hair any color except what is found naturally on humans (i.e. no rainbow colors!) and she very closely monitored what I wore- anything extremist was a no-go.

If we have a girl, sometime before Kindergarten if she wants them pierced. If not, then on her own time. If boy, if he says he wants them, then sure

aessary03 · December 2013

It was one of my daughter's 7th birthday presents. I'm glad I waited because she was old enough to take care of them and she can pick out fun earrings and match them with her outfits, etc. And it was completely her choice to get it done.

RedSaffron · December 2013

charmingthemoon said:
@RedSaffron where I work we recommend not to do any piercings until after the tetanus shot has been given at 2 mos of age. I think most families are accepting of that, because we're not telling them to avoid their cultural tradition, but just to be safer about it. Not that there's a huge risk, but it's not worth taking changes, in my opinion.

edit to add: but personally I'd wait until my child was old enough to care, and then do it when she wants them done and can help take care of them.

That's good info to know so I can pass it on to my friends here. IMO, I still want my daughter to be old enough to verbally tell me she wants it done.

tesskerr · December 2013

I'm going to get LO a buttefly tattoo at 6 months because she won't remember the pain and it will be easier for me to take care of.

worleygirl · December 2013

When I was little my Mom said she wanted me to wait until I was old enough to decide for myself. I forgot all about it until I was around 18 and then got my ears pierced, a second ear piercing, and my belly button within a month. I only have one "active" piercing now. I won't let DD get hers done until she's at least 11 or so. No rush.

Kismc · December 2013

It's actually a pet peeve of mine. So I will definitely not be piercing my daughters ears.

joynalanson · December 2013

my mom pierced my ears when i was a baby and i never wear earrings now. she had to practically beg me to wear them at prom and my wedding (i actually dont have my wedding earrings because i took them off in the car and put them in the cupholder and they disappeared). i have a vivid memory of myself throwing a pair of earrings across the room in a tantrum at age 3.

missimone · December 2013

RedSaffron said:
@missimone I doubt any hospitals here in the States does cosmetic piercing for newborns.. my MIL came from the Philippines and I'm guessing their doctors can do it for you anytime you're in the hospital.

Whew! Well make sure to keep a close eye…I just read the Dec '13 discussion and wouldn't want that to happen to your LO

RedSaffron · December 2013

@missimone Oh man, you guys will be the first to hear if they did that. I will lose my shit if I come home from work to her ears pierced.

pixieonboard · December 2013

Bookshelves said:
SS - I was not allowed until I was 13 and think that's a good age to start the discussion. I realize that sounds really conservative, but to me, it's a body modification and the girl should have input and be old enough to think it through. (UO?)

I plan to use it as a right of passage on the 13th birthday. That makes it more special and gives her something to look forward to.

waittilltomorrow · December 2013

I don't agree with piercing ears on small babies. I am waiting for my daughter to ask for them to be pierced then we will have a special mother/daughter day out and make it a big deal. If she chooses not to, that is ok too.

MaryBB77 · December 2013

This is going to be a battle for us. I'm dead against it on babies, culturally it'sa no no for me but culturally is a yes for DH.
MIL is already talking about buying them. I just cringed inside when he said that.
Not looking forward to this battle.
Any tips?
Btw I like the idea of her waiting to ask maybe that can be the compromise...

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