Infant Ear Piercing


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Baby is approaching 4 months and we're split between getting her ears pierced and not. Basically, I want them done and my husband doesn't. I had mine done as an infant and don't recall any pain nor regret having them done. If I disliked earrings, I wouldn't wear them. It's not a permanent state. DH likes the idea of waiting for her to make the decision herself. I admire that but I still wish I could get her ears pierced. So as of now, it's a big fat NO, on getting them done :[ Boo!

Were any of you torn on this subject (one parent for it and the other against it)? How did it pan out?

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I, personally, don't like them on babies. Just a personal preference.

Yeh I really like it.

I know that infant ear piercing is a cultural thing for some ethnic groups. I know that many of the Latino population will pierce babies ears immediately after birth or a day later. That said, it's not so much of a cultural thing for me, as much as I had it done and want my baby's done. Of course, I'll wait cos I'm certainly not going to do it behind my husband's back. I actually had someone tell me to "just do it" - aiya!

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I have 4 daughters. Waited til my oldest was 7 to get hers pierced, and once we got past the 8 weeks or whatever, we took out her studs and she wouldn't let me put new ones in because she was scared. So the holes closed. She's almost 10 and ready to try again. I don't care whether any of them ever get them pierced or not, but I admit that I do like the look of it. I want to get my baby girl's pierced but I feel like I can't since I didn't with the other 3. :) Also, I know my husband would never go for it. (Though I'm tired of getting asked if both babies are boys, so there might exist the argument that it would help tell people her gender. . . if people weren't stupid. Pink and blue clothes don't help so I don't think anything can. </derail>)

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Baby is approaching 4 months and we're split between getting her ears pierced and not. Basically, I want them done and my husband doesn't. I had mine done as an infant and don't recall any pain nor regret having them done. If I disliked earrings, I wouldn't wear them. It's not a permanent state. DH likes the idea of waiting for her to make the decision herself. I admire that but I still wish I could get her ears pierced. So as of now, it's a big fat NO, on getting them done :[ Boo!

Were any of you torn on this subject (one parent for it and the other against it)? How did it pan out?

I'm with your husband. My wife insisted that we let our baby girl get her ears pierced when she turned 10. I grudgingly agreed. Still not happy about it.

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Getting one's ears pierced hurts. Why anyone would want to inflict pain on an infant (or child) for some unnecessary bit of 'fashion' that is to satisfy the desire of the parent is beyond me. This is a human being - your child - not a dress-up doll.

I will always vote for waiting and letting her make her own decision.

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Getting one's ears pierced hurts. Why anyone would want to inflict pain on an infant (or child) for some unnecessary bit of 'fashion' that is to satisfy the desire of the parent is beyond me. This is a human being - your child - not a dress-up doll.

I will always vote for waiting and letting her make her own decision.

Same could be said for circumcision. Some insist the reason for this is a health concern but anymore (especially these days) it is a procedure found not necessary, yet typically done because of religious beliefs or culture trend. I don't blame parents that opt for this.

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Same could be said for circumcision. Some insist the reason for this is a health concern but anymore (especially these days) it is a procedure found not necessary, yet typically done because of religious beliefs or culture trend. I don't blame parents that opt for this.

Haha! Last night when this thread started, Dravin turned to me and said, "How long before this turns into a circumcision thread?" It took 12 posts! :lol:

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Haha! Last night when this thread started, Dravin turned to me and said, "How long before this turns into a circumcision thread?" It took 12 posts! :lol:

LOL

.. Focus.. Focus..

Well there's a connection there, a point I was trying to make, at least.

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My mom is hispanic and her family didn't pierce babies. When she was old enough to decide, she said is was easy. She never wanted them done for fear it would slowly make her lopes get bigger. (Like her dad's and he didin't even have piered ears.) I know that wouldn't happen (Unless they were heavey ear rings, and that's all you wore) but that was enough to turn my mom off. Now my sister and I don't want it done, and neithre do any of our daughters. I think you should let her decide.

In Fact I have recently been reconsidering, and I am almost 40. Never too late, I am glad I have the choice to make, tho.

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My concern wouldn't so much be the choking hazard (so long as you're using screw-backs), but the risk of her, or one of her friends/future siblings, grabbing the earring and yanking it, which can rip the lobe. My niece had her ears pierced at 5 years old and had them taken out a year later when a "friend" of hers yanked on it during a tussle. The earring ripped completely through the lobe and required stitches to repair.

I got mine pierced when I turned 12. My mom made it into a "Girls Only" outing for us, and while it did hurt, it didn't hurt for very long, and I was old enough to know how to take care of them myself.

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I didn't pierce my ears until I was 18. My parents refused to allow it. (Dad served a mission in South Africa and said I'd eventually have bigger and bigger holes in my years. Yes, I rolled my eyes which didn't go over very well either LOL)

Now... I'm 54. I wish I'd never pierced my ears. I cannot wear anything with a back on it. If I do my ears become infected. Its easier to just not wear them. My holes have never closed and I haven't worn earrings for over a decade. You can see the hole in my ear lobe even though you can't see light through it. LOL

I left it up to my daughter. She hadexamples on both sides of the family and both sides of the issue. She didn't pierce her ears until she was about 20. We had talked about getting her ears pierced and I thought I would be part of the big day. :( I wasn't... one day she came home from the mall and said "Look mom! Aren't they cute!" <big sigh>

To pierce or not to pierce. I think the only thing that matters is that there is no contention regarding it. Unless both parents say yes, don't. And if the child gets older and wants them pierced, still both parents need to say yes. And.... well never mind.

The key is that earrings aren't important enough to fight over.

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I appreciate your posts.

Like I said, I totally admire the idea of her choosing for herself. It just wasn't an issue at all in my family growing up, so I guess I was a bit surprised when my husband said we should wait on it, especially since he came from a family of all boys lol. Didn't expect him to care one way or another but I suppose that's a good sign :] And yes, I agree Applepansy, I'm not so crazed over this to fight DH over it. Not the least bit.

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I got my ears pierced when I was 8. My mom suggested it. I didn't care one way or the other since I wanted to be a boy (first girl in a family with 2 older brothers who can do whatever they want without worrying about snagging hair ribbons). Anyway, I wore the earings just long enough for the hole to heal and never wore them again except for special occasions like Easter Sunday and graduation. But, I'm glad I got it done because it's cool to have a hole there when I want to pretty up.

My best friend in college had hers done when she was just a baby. Her ears grew in such a way that the holes ended up too close to her head, so she can only wear very small earings or hanging ones. She ended up having another hole pierced farther away from her head when she got enough money to pay for it herself. Just another disadvantage to infant piercing.

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I love wearing earrings. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 23 years old. It didn't seem to be the fashion when I was growing up. I suppose if it was the fashion back then, I probably would have gotten my ears pierced a lot earlier. If I remember correctly, with my two oldest girls, I wanted them to be old enough to care for their ears themselves. With my third daughter, I let her get her ears pierced at an earlier age. I can see the wisdom in having the girls old enough to care for their own ear care. Seems like my younger daughter didn't do so well with it, and her ears became infected. As for myself, I have to be real careful with the metal I wear. Any cheap stuff, and I seem to have a reaction to it. I don't have a problem with gold.

If both you and your husband were okay with the ear piercing, then I would say "go for it". But, if one parent is against it, then I say wait.

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It's weird to me to think that some guys don't want/like earrings. My dad took me to get my ears pierced when I was little. I can't remember how old I was, but it's one of my first memories, so I think I was between 3 and 5. Since then my dad made me wear plain studs. As I got older I'd take the earrings out for long periods of time. When my dad noticed, he'd get mad and make me put them back in so the holes wouldn't grow in! I guess people are just different. He sees it as a feminine thing... he also didn't like it when I cut my hair short once in junior high.... he has his ideas of what it means to be feminine, and he wanted to instill those ideas in me.

As far as pain goes... honestly, no one remembers what happens to them before the age of 3 anyway. I broke my collar bone when I was 3... don't remember a thing. But with getting ears pierced the pain is minor and quick; when I got mine done they had two girls do it, so they could do both ears at once. Easy, peasy. And yes, my parents had to put rubbing alcohol on them for a few days, but that goes away too.

And as far as choice... well, if she doesn't want to wear earrings ever again in her life, then she doesn't have to. But it's nice to have holes there just in case. (It's super hard to find clip ons, and usually they're not as pretty... and they actually hurt a lot themselves, because they squeeze your lobes so hard!) And especially nice not to have to get them pierced as an adult when you'll be more receptive to pain.

Ultimately, though, I'd say it's not a huge deal, especially if it's going to lead to contention with your husband. Hear his side of why he's against it, then voice your side of why you're for it, and then decide from there. Babies/toddlers/preschoolers look cute with earrings on, but no less cute without them!

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Baby is approaching 4 months and we're split between getting her ears pierced and not. Basically, I want them done and my husband doesn't. I had mine done as an infant and don't recall any pain nor regret having them done. If I disliked earrings, I wouldn't wear them. It's not a permanent state. DH likes the idea of waiting for her to make the decision herself. I admire that but I still wish I could get her ears pierced. So as of now, it's a big fat NO, on getting them done :[ Boo!

Were any of you torn on this subject (one parent for it and the other against it)? How did it pan out?

personally i'd wait till they are old enough to be able to take care of their ear peircings by themselves. But i can't really see anything thats a big pro or con with doing that.
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We pierced our babies ears at just a few months old. That way they couldn't reach over and tug on them. They have baby kinds that when they are in, they are in. The backs are difficult to get off. We kept the same piercings in for a long, long time. But then for Latinos, it would be strange not to pierce their ears.

If you do decide to go for it, make sure it's at feeding time. That way after the ears get pierced, give them a bottle (or however you feed, assuming, her). That way they can get their mind off of the piercing. Then for the next few days wipe their ears with an alcohol wipe to make sure nothing flairs up and spin the studs to help the hole form up. Because they had them for forever, earrings or studs are not that much of a huge deal to them. But they do have fun and wear some cute stuff.

But I know where you are coming from. My dad was not really on board with us doing that since he laid down the rule that his daughter would not get pierced ears until she was 16. Because my then-wife knew that, she was sure I was going to say "no." She was shocked when she finally asked and I whole-heartily agreed. I'm glad we did it when they were infants. Plus it looks so cute in their baby pictures.

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