Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Having a newborn baby's ears pierced.

217 replies

metaphoricus · 27/09/2016 21:41

I know that millions of people do it.
But the baby has no choice. I would so like to know the explanations for the decision to put a hole through your baby's perfectly formed ears.
Why would you do that?
(I had a friend who did that, and I had to ring an ambulance because the 2 month old baby got a blood infection). Mum didn't want to call an ambulance because she was afraid of being told off for doing this to her child. She was bathing her 2 month old baby's ear in olive oil, and hoping for the best. Please let your child grow up, and then decide if they want a piercing. Babes in arms do not have a choice.

OP posts:
ItShouldHaveBeenJess · 27/09/2016 22:06

Got my bag of buns ready....

Ok, and.......START!

Julia001 · 27/09/2016 22:06

I hate earrings on new borns unless it is there for a medical reason then wait till they can make their own mind up, I also hate dummies (although I can see that there is a need for them sometimes but my babies never had them)

Albadross · 27/09/2016 22:06

I couldn't give a rat's arse if it's 'culturally acceptable' or not. It's still wrong and the argument that it hurts less assumes that piercing one's ears is some sort of necessity - it's really REALLY not.

PinkyOfPie · 27/09/2016 22:07

Someone hasn't compared putting holes in an infant to choosing what children have for dinner...

Aaaaaand BINGO!!!!

Champagneformyrealfriends · 27/09/2016 22:07

Eggy help yourself! Smile

PinkyOfPie · 27/09/2016 22:07

*has not hasn't Blush

PinkyOfPie · 27/09/2016 22:09

I'm also a bit iffy about the cultural thing Alba, tonne it's no more noble a cause than someone doing it simply because they want people to know their baby is a girl

Champagneformyrealfriends · 27/09/2016 22:09

Popcorn for all! I'm feeling generous tonight Smile

usual · 27/09/2016 22:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

user1471531273 · 27/09/2016 22:10

I wouldn't tattoo my infant and I wouldn't pierce my infants ears or any other part of their body. To me they are the same thing.

PinkyOfPie · 27/09/2016 22:12

OP didn't you know it's a MN mortal sin to post about something others have posted about before? I mean why aren't you psychic you should know this!!!!!

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 27/09/2016 22:12

OP, don't you disappear now. S'not on.

Of course it bloody hurts, poor little baby girls. If it hurts, it's wrong.

ItShouldHaveBeenJess · 27/09/2016 22:13

But what's wrong with tats on babies? The designs would grow with them...

NinjaLeprechaun · 27/09/2016 22:13

The thing I always enjoy about threads like this is the way they devolve into classist nastiness by people who claim to be taking the moral high road.

BarbarianMum · 27/09/2016 22:14

Mine were done when I was a baby. I am pleased they were. Smile My mum took care of them (so no infection) and I wore tiny gold studs for years. I like them, I think they look pretty.

My sister, my cousins, now my nieces - the same. It seems like such a non issue to me. Confused I never had girls but if I had I'd undoubtedly have had theirs pierced.

I have Spanish heritage so maybe that's why I can't work up any angst about this.

PinkyOfPie · 27/09/2016 22:15

ItShould and they'll probably want a tattoo when they're older anyway! Wink

Right folks all we need now is someone to compare it to a baby getting vaxxed and we've got a full house

BeautyGoesToBenidorm · 27/09/2016 22:17

I'm a body piercer. I won't pierce babies, or anyone else who's unable to give informed consent for the procedure, for that matter.

user1471531273 · 27/09/2016 22:17

Lol 😝

Barbarian I'm also Spanish heritage, but sorry not with you on the piercing babies.

deste · 27/09/2016 22:18

Tell you what, ask the baby and if it says yes please, there's your answer.

PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon · 27/09/2016 22:18

champagne what flavour are you handing out?

The toddler on Enders has her ears pierced (Perl). This is a really thick question, but I'm guessing it was her parents that did this and not the writers so she fits in with being Kim's daughter?

EssentialHummus · 27/09/2016 22:19

FULL HOUSE! You cant beat a game of mumsnet bingo!

Is it too late to make an oblique reference to circumcision?

nancyblackett80 · 27/09/2016 22:20

The thing is, as much as I think it looks dreadful on baby girls (not to mention small boys) I'm pretty sure their parents couldn't give a flying fuck what I or you think!

I do judge them though when I see them queuing up in Claire's Accessories.

Champagneformyrealfriends · 27/09/2016 22:21

peppa if it means you'll stay for the laugh haul then whatever you like Grin

I love these theads.

DiJiBiDi · 27/09/2016 22:21

Well quite frankly I don't think it's anything of your business or anyone else on here to be judging someone for piercing their child's ears...

Keyword THEIR baby THEIR decision not YOURS

I personally think it looks cute and find nothing wrong with it, newborn not so much but a bit older that's fine, I am not here to judge anyone's culture for it. So get over yourselves, also there's far more serious things going on like genital mutilation, babies dying of starvation around the world and the increasing amount of children living in poverty in the UK.

GasLightShining · 27/09/2016 22:21

My mum is from the middle east and had hers done at a few days old - it was the norm.