Will you pierce your baby's ears?

Sunshinebins · January 2016

I'm kinda bored today, so I thought I would start up some discussion.....I saw this touched on briefly in the April board, but I have been wondering about it lately as well. If you are having a girl, do you plan to have her ears pierced as an infant?

sarawifenow · January 2016

We are having a boy but I am very anti-ear piercing for babies so if we would have had a girl the answer would have been no.

saltedcaramel518 · January 2016

I don't know what I'm having yet, but I would not if it's a girl. I had my own ears pierced when I was 7-8 years old, and I was glad that it was my choice.

yogahh · January 2016

No. She can make that decision when she is older.

Sunshinebins · January 2016

I had someone ask me about this the other day, and previously it hadn't crossed my mind. I can't remember how old I was when I got mine pierced but I remember asking for them and then getting it for my birthday. I was probably 6 or so. My sister is older and got them after me because she didn't want them until she was maybe 10? I am guessing we will do the same thing. i know lots of people who get it done as babies though!

bookelf221 · January 2016

Nope. I got mine pierced in 3rd grade because that's when my parents decided I was responsible enough to take care of them- which will probably be something my hubby and I do.

Kurrant · January 2016

I have been talking about this with MH. Girls in my family usually have it done as babies, maybe its a cultural thing but I can't think of one girl who didn't have them. He is leaving it up to me since I said the circumcision (if it turned out to be a boy) would be up to him. I guess that's not fair because I knew which way he would go when I said that. I'm still on the fence about the ear thing.

TXmamatobe · January 2016

I've been waiting for this!! We had such a colorful "discussion" on my last BMB concerning this topic. My answer then was, NO - I will NOT.

LadySamLady · January 2016

Definitely not. I'll wait until she is old enough to request it before making a decision about it. I just got a little sad thinking about the possibility of my baby piercing and tattooing her body at any age. I'm not anti - I have 2 tattoos and used to have nose & belly button piercings - but for some reason find it heartbreaking when thinking about it for my LO.

Charla1224 · January 2016

So I guess I'm the odd ball of the group. I'm having a girl and she will most likely have her ears pierced as an infant. If I can find a tattoo shop/ piercer who will do it with a real needle vs. the gun I would prefer to have them done that way. My ears were pierced as an infant, I don't remember it, they've never been a real thought for me. I get and respect wanting to allow your daughter the opportunity to make her own decision though.

valerie4786 · January 2016

No. I never really wanted my ears pierced and finally got them done when I was 18 when one of my friends gifted me ear piercing for my birthday. I still rarely wear earrings unless it's a special occasion, my husband has no opinion on this topic, so we will leave the decision up to her.

LovingLife! · January 2016

Nope. I got mine done when I was 8 years old and could clean them and take care of them myself. Babies have enough that I need to take care of...not gonna add one more thing to my plate!
My girls were obsessed with a baby at church on Sunday that had her ears pierced

cortney626 · January 2016

My exMIL bought DD#1 her first pair of diamond earrings when I was pregnant. (And she's 8 years old and the diamonds have been upgraded 3 times already!) I didn't care one way or the other but we got them pierced as a baby. My ex MIL was the one who watched DD#1 every day while I was at work and she took care of the earrings (cleaning and twisting them, etc). This time around I'll probably wait until she's old enough to request it and take care of them herself. I've never had an issue with DD#1's ears. But DD#2 will be going to daycare and I don't want to have to worry about earrings causing an infection, etc.

jewels1020 · January 2016

Charla1224 said:
So I guess I'm the odd ball of the group. I'm having a girl and she will most likely have her ears pierced as an infant. If I can find a tattoo shop/ piercer who will do it with a real needle vs. the gun I would prefer to have them done that way. My ears were pierced as an infant, I don't remember it, they've never been a real thought for me. I get and respect wanting to allow your daughter the opportunity to make her own decision though.

I'M SO HAPPY TO READ THIS (about the real needle vs gun)! I'm a professional piercer and that is the absolute best way to go about it second option would be the child's pediatrician! So much safer, cleaner and all around better! My only suggestion for this is either do it when they are a few months old or wait till they ask to get it done.. but that's just based personal experience. Plus then they aren't grabbing and pulling on them.just my opinion though.
I'm having a boy so I don't have to worry about this..this time! Lol

AmmyBelle · January 2016

I had my ears pierced as a baby (and so did both my sisters, all my female cousins and various other female relatives and friends). I do think it's a cultural thing since, my SO comes from a very different culture, and when it was brought up he looked at me horrified that anyone would ever, and I quote, "mutilate their own child like that!". Ahem.

Anyways, since we have a general policy of acquiescing to the partner who feels stronger about a certain subject, where the other partner doesn't really care, we won't be piercing our baby's ears, which has already confused my mother who wants to know what that means for the infant earrings she wanted to hand down to her ... ah well.

dsmith211 · January 2016

DH and I actually discussed this the other day. We won't be doing it until she wants it done and until she can take care of it herself. I second having it done with a real needle vs a gun. I'll probably get crap for it though bc every girl in my family has it done when they're a baby.

A lot of this is actually bc I had mine done when I was a baby. They were done with a gun and at the time I'm sure we're fine, but as I grew you could tell they were unevenly done when I had certain earrings in. I've tried letting them close up, but they don't. I've basically been told by a doctor that the only way to correct my 'unevenness' that I would have to have surgery to allow the holes to close and then have them repierced bc there is no way they'll close on their own now... Thanks but I'm good. I would rather my daughter not have to go through all that...

Kennedy0830 · January 2016

I was asked this for the first time around the holidays (DH's aunt is a jeweler and already wanting to spoil baby with jewelry), and I said I hadn't thought about it but my instinct is no (the gasps and dirty looks I got were priceless). I'm not anti-piercing by any means and don't judge people who pierce their child's ears as infants, I just remember being 6 or 7 and getting my ears pierced because I wanted them so bad and it was a great moment/memory at that age. Now, of course, I don't wear any jewelry except a simple necklace and my wedding rings. I'll let her decide when/if she wants to!

Bluejay3030 · January 2016

I didn't pierce my own ears until I was 24... So the thought would have never even crossed my mind lol. So, no.

AuntieCre5 · January 2016

I'm really surprised at the number of no's! But in my case yes I will be getting it done and hopefully the tattoo shop I'm get mine done at will do them for me. After a cappy experience at Claires I am 100% a needle vs gun person!

PYLWhammy · January 2016

No way. I don't think it's a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, and I understand/respect that it's important in some cultures, but for some reason it drives me batty when people pierce their infant's ears just "cuz it's sooooo cuuuute!" Um, isn't your kid cute enough?

FWIW, I chose to have my ears pierced at age 4 or 5 and turns out I wasn't old enough to properly take care of them. They kept getting infected and I finally let them close. I didn't have them re-pierced for 20 years, and by then my ears had grown so that the old holes were uneven (either that or whoever originally pierced them wasn't very good, I don't know). So now I look like I have two holes in one ear.

I'll wait til my daughter asks for them, AND I think she's responsible enough to care for them on her own.

lalala2004 · January 2016

I'm having a boy, but I would wait. Nothing against anyone else who doesn't, but I think it's such a fun, exciting moment for a little girl, I would want her to remember it! But I'm sure a big part of that is because of my personal experience.

missnc77 · January 2016

Nah. Getting your ears pierced is not that painful, it's more just the thought of it that's painful. So, it's not like I'm saving my future daughter horrific pain by waiting until she wants them herself/is old enough to keep them clean and take care of them.

JessicaB0627 · January 2016

Babies are too accident prone. Having something is my daughter's ears that could potentially be ripped out would make me a nervous wreck. And 2 year olds are mean at daycare. I feel like earrings would be an easy target for pulling.

We'll wait until they ask for them and are old enough to be responsible for their care on their own.

Merciel · January 2016

I'm having a boy, but if we were having a girl, I'd wait. Let it be her choice.

I don't feel strongly about it though. If we had a family or cultural tradition (we don't), I would probably go along with that to honor the heritage.

js8812 · January 2016

Nope. I'm having a boy, but if I was having a girl I would wait until they wanted them and were table to take care of them. I was probably 7 or 8 when I got mine done. It was kind of a neat milestone for me.. I felt special and grown up.

I probably had a bad piercer, but they are way too low on my lobe. Does anyone know if positioning could be affected if a baby's ears are pierced vs. an adolescent?

Clauni27 · January 2016

We are having a girl and I just brought this subject up with my husband.
I made the decision when I was little that I wanted to have mine pierced. I had it done on my 7th birthday. It hurt then and I knew what I was getting into. I cannot imagine doing that to a baby. Not only because it hurts and if you don't clean it constantly you can get an infection, but also why would I be the one to determine what happens to her body when she can decide such a thing when she's ready?

Even after mine were pierced I was much a tomboy tumbling around all the time that I had several instances of my earrings being ripped out of my ears. I don't want a squirming baby to experience something like that.

Just my opinion.

hellogoodbye2 · January 2016

We have not with out DD and we will not with this baby girl. I'm not totally against this, but we are just going to wait until our girls ask to have this done when they get older.

BuzzBee614 · January 2016

This baby is a boy so I don't have to worry about it, but DD is 18 months old and I will get hers pierced if she asks. I would like to wait until she's at least 7.

finnybooboo · January 2016

Team #letthemchoose
I don't judge anyone who does do this though, just not my preference.

kwrightnb · January 2016

I'm having a boy but I think if I were having a girl I would! I believe my mother took me to get mine done when I turned 1 and I'm happy she did. I went with a friend of mine when we were about 7-8 and just seeing her about to get them done freaked me out completely. And because her mother didn't make sure she was taking care of them she kept not keeping them clean and she got a huge infection

but since I had them done so early by the time I was 8 I could leave them out for months and put them back in no problem.
Some people are so sensitive though and always get them infected regardless

and I'd feel aweful to have a little baby with infections in her ears (something that could have been prevented if we just waited)
Deffinitely interesting to think about

hope our next baby is a girl !

Pascal86 · January 2016

I have never pierced anything, and never will. Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd had my ears pierced as a baby, but I've never even remotely wanted them pierced, am strongly against the idea (for me, not in general). So obviously not going to do this to my kid. If I think my girl wants hers pierced at some point, my main consideration will be what sports she's involved in, if any. Growing up I played sports year round, and there was always some girl who just had her ears pierced, and was always having to tape up her ears during the first few months after having them pierced, or taking them out too soon (a lot of refs would insist, or not let them play), and so they were always getting infected and it was super gross and seemed painful. So while I'm against the idea of doing it right away, I do think as soon as the kid can say she wants them, it might not be a bad idea if there's a chance that doing it when she's older/involved in soccer or something that would make it hard to get past those first few months of healing.

BlueJuice · January 2016

I feel pretty strongly about personal bodily autonomy and letting ear piercings, tattoos, etc. be a coming of age decision on the part of the person who'll be wearing them, but to go along with that, I can't get over the idea that piercing an infant's lobes (when they're comparatively tiny) would end up growing into non-ideal placements by the time they're adults. Wouldn't they sometimes end up in a part of the lobe you might not prefer, when the baby is all grown up? I know lots of people do this, so maybe someone can shed some insight on how this usually turns out. I'm genuinely curious (even though I still wouldn't pierce myself for the other reasons stated above).

Additionally, I feel strongly about needle-piercing vs. gun piercing, and as far as I know, none of the piercers around here will work on infants. I'm not totally sure where I'll take my 5-year-old DD when she's ready, since my preferred shop has a strict 18+ policy.

helleebellee · January 2016

No, I pierced my first two girls ears when they were 2 and 3, and while they did great, I found out shortly after that they're allergic to cheap metals, as am I. The only metal I can handle in my ears is gold, I assume they're the same. I REFUSE to buy them gold earrings until they're 16 and able to take care of their own ears. I didn't even bother with my others girls because I didn't see the point. Plus, the locations were spot on when they were younger, and now, the holes look lopsided.

vinerie · January 2016

No. that is a purely aesthetic decision and my son should be able to choose such things himself.

and_peggy · January 2016

DH and I haven't even talked about this...but I don't think so. I am in the camp of letting her decide for herself. I got mine pierced around 9 or 10. I'm glad my parents let me choose whether I wanted it or not.

NinnyJean · January 2016

We haven't talked about it all but will wait until she's a little older. I remember I was three and I had wanted a pair of earrings so my mom took me to get them pierced. We'll probably wait until around then.

I have nothing against it but was in the mall when a baby was getting them pierced and won't forget how loud she screamed and sad she sounded.

LovingLife! · January 2016

JessicaB0627 said:

Babies are too accident prone. Having something is my daughter's ears that could potentially be ripped out would make me a nervous wreck. And 2 year olds are mean at daycare. I feel like earrings would be an easy target for pulling. We'll wait until they ask for them and are old enough to be responsible for their care on their own.

I didn't even think of that aspect! Kids love to grab shiny things.

josie12367 · January 2016

Absolutely not! I didn't have mine done till I was 19. Both my girls can choose when they want them done.

loveandfamily4 · January 2016

I work in child care with 2 year olds and hate when toddlers come in with earrings. Many are a choking hazard and it is one more thing to worry about. I got mine when I was 10 and have a great memory of getting them done with my mom. My sister chose never to get hers done. If it is a permanent mark on a person's body I think it should be up to the individual when they are ready to choose.

buffythevampireslayer · January 2016

No.

VS2016 · January 2016

BlueJuice said:
I feel pretty strongly about personal bodily autonomy and letting ear piercings, tattoos, etc. be a coming of age decision on the part of the person who'll be wearing them, but to go along with that, I can't get over the idea that piercing an infant's lobes (when they're comparatively tiny) would end up growing into non-ideal placements by the time they're adults. Wouldn't they sometimes end up in a part of the lobe you might not prefer, when the baby is all grown up? I know lots of people do this, so maybe someone can shed some insight on how this usually turns out. I'm genuinely curious (even though I still wouldn't pierce myself for the other reasons stated above).

Additionally, I feel strongly about needle-piercing vs. gun piercing, and as far as I know, none of the piercers around here will work on infants. I'm not totally sure where I'll take my 5-year-old DD when she's ready, since my preferred shop has a strict 18+ policy.

I totally agree with this. I got my ears pierced when I was 7 and even then they accidentally put one of the holes too close to the bottom of my ear lobe so I had to have it repierced. Now I have two permanent holes on one lobe... I'm betting that happens a lot with babies getting their ears pierced.

Will you pierce your baby's ears?

Re: Will you pierce your baby's ears?

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