Piercing baby girl’s ears

[PumpkinSpiceMuffins]

Has anyone pierced their baby’s ears? When is the best time to do it? Is it uncomfortable for the baby to be wearing earrings all the time? I’m interested in my daughter having a piercing that never closes even if she doesn’t wear earrings for years.

The potential benefits are that it’s a very stable piercing, and less risk of infection when I can do the aftercare for her as a baby. And she won’t be doing any sports as a baby, so less risky than when she’s older and doing sports and can’t take them out for a time. But I’d like to hear if anyone has info about it not being stable and the placement shifting over time. Then there’s no benefit.

These are only 'benefits' in comparison to getting them done as an older child.

There is no benefit in comparison to her being able to make the choice to have them done when she chooses to and is old enough to understand the aftercare etc.

Less risk of infection you say? But if she doesn't have them pierced there is zero risk of infection. Wouldn't you rather your tiny baby had no risk of it rather than just 'less'?

You would be giving her a permanent scar that she might not thank you for - you might as well get her a small tattoo

Also, what happens if they get ripped out, and even if she did not wear them they do kind of close up inside but still leave a scar, it would be a no from me

These responses are crazy.
People need to educate themselves before they write such awful comments.

In most countries, piercing baby girls' ears after birth is completely normal and part of the culture (it's definitely where I came from).
My parents had mine done when I was a few years old, and I'm very glad they did it.
I do have a daughter, and while I wanted to pierce her ears, my husband didn't like the idea (he is from the US- he was mostly against it as he was concerned that people in the UK might find it strange....). We decided not to do it, but I completely understand if someone would like to.

Where I am from, they do it in the hospital straight away. I guess earlier, the better. I personally would do it in a few days or wait until they older and can decide. I think piercing an older baby might be much more difficult.

People are "crazy" and need to "educate themselves" because they are against piercings on a baby? Really?
I agree - I think education needs to be applied here. Why are certain cultural norms unquestioned, especially when they harm babies? Why do something, just because it's always been done?
Education is about questioning and evaluating and using evidence. Plus women have often been called "crazy" for challenging harmful practices.

Why don't baby boys need holes in their earlobes to look prettier?

Over here in the UK we don't agree with needlessly harming a child for vanity/aesthetic reasons.

1 in 6 UK children have ears pierced aged 5 or under.

I think it should be 13+ with parental consent.

@BarberBealShaw I agree with you.
Those are awful statistics.

I think this is a cultural thing. It’s not for me personally but those that do tend to put in very small gold hoops these are easy to sleep in and if caught will open rather than ripping the ear.

If you’re in the US OP ask if the paediatrician does it. Ours did. It’s certainly not common though, I didn’t know anyone that did it so young. Personally I think it’s something the child should ask for. I don’t believe in waiting until an arbitrary age or anything but I would want them to ask themselves, understand that it’ll hurt, cooperate with the aftercare and then I’d time it for over the summer break to avoid issues with them being knocked during sports. DD had them done for her 6th birthday which is at the start of summer and no issues whatsoever.

I've resisted having my dd's ears pierced from when she was a baby. She's 12 now and I've said she can wait until she is 16 to get them done.

I had mine pierced at 5 as is the norm in my culture but they closed over as I wasn't allowed to wear them at school.

I got them pierced before I got married but had lots of problems with metal allergy. I don't wear them anymore now as it's too much of a hassle.

I personally don't like pierced ears on children under 13 especially babies. I also think boys with pierced ears is not my cup of tea and I don't like them but it's a personal preference.

I came on to add a comment about school uniform policy in primary schools, as several schools in my area do not allow any jewellery, including earrings, this has moved on from the days when you were allowed small studs which had to be removed for PE, but then saw a comment from OP that she is living in the US. I still posted as I thought it might be useful for someone else considering a piercing for their baby/child.
I had my ears pierced at 10, very rarely wear earrings now but the holes are still there. My sister had hers pierced at a similar age and if she doesn't wear earrings for a couple of days she has great difficulty getting earrings in as the hole starts to heal - she is 60 now.

I am in work and have just been peering at ears. There are quite a lot of women whose piecing is in a place that means that either the piercer was actually blind or their earlobes have completely changed shape. Never noticed before but now I am looking they actually look really bad!

In most countries, piercing baby girls' ears after birth is completely normal and part of the culture (it's definitely where I came from).

It doesn't make it right though @Katherina198819. In some countries, FGM and circumcision is also completely normal, but they are also barbaric and unnecessary.

"But culture" is not a valid argument.

Extremely tacky.

Babies with earrings or studs are at rick of catching them on things.

Pierced holes will naturally heal over if not kept open.

I had a nose piercing once and it was awful- kept catching on tissues if I had a cold, so got rid of it.

small hole sealed itself up.

My Daughter had has done 8 weeks old at Pharmacy. it's took 3-4 days to fully heal. Because babies don't have much fat on their bodies we was treated a wound.
Mind you it's very controversial here in UK my mother in laws almost got heart attack when we told her.
I had my done a day I was born with midwife ( she asked my mother if she wanted to be done in hospital ) was very normal in Africa wear pure cold 24carat earrings ( it's traditional pure gold it's good for health)

My son wanted me to pierce his ear at 15

He was too young to go to a piercing studio, but didn't want to go to Claire's accessories.

I did it with a sterile 'green' hypodermic needle and swab and a gold stud- he kept it clean and there were no issues...he's still got it as an adult.

Such gold purity is almost unheard of here for ear piercing...it's usually 9 carat which has other metals in it.

Pure gold is much better as far as allergies go.

Out of interest would you be happy to go up to your baby now and pinch them hard twice and make them
cry? If not why would you do this. It causes them pain. The amount doesn’t matter. Why would you want to inflict pain on your child?

@Katherina198819

In most countries, piercing baby girls' ears after birth is completely normal and part of the culture (it's definitely where I came from)

Nobody is saying it's not the norm in some cultures.

It doesn't make it morally right to put a baby through completely unnecessary pain and expose them to a needless infection risk...

It blows my mind that anyone would inflict pain on their baby purely for cosmetic reasons. On the occasions when my young kids had painful medical procedures, it was awful to watch. Obviously they were necessary, but it’s still upsetting. It’s human nature to not want your child to suffer. Anyone who wounds their baby so they can wear earrings is not wired correctly in my opinion.

Also OP, what happens when you take you toddler to baby groups, soft play etc - little kids all scrambling over each other, bouncing around etc - how will you feel when her earrings are ripped out and her ear lobes get injured?

And as for keeping them clean - I had mine pierced at age 13. My choice. My responsibility to keep them clean. Which I did, perfectly, because I was old enough!

Hi OP.

I have to say I agree with everyone saying don't do it. I'm in a mixed marriage and it's normal in my DH's culture for baby girls' ears to be pierced and we received a few pairs of earrings as gifts. I was seen a strange for not wanting it and family said it'd make our DD look like a boy. It's also normal for baby boys to be circumcised for religious/just cultural reasons even if not religious. Both caused arguments for us.

A practical thing to consider is babies often pull their ears as mine both did. Imagine them ripping one out.

There's also the risk of infection regardless. Why would we introduce a risk, however small, when we spend so much time worrying about them having other infections? And for something so pointless as having their ears pierced? I also don't understand it when so many parents dread taking their babies for their all important vaccines because of the pain. I still remember the pain form having my ears pierced and I decided to go so was much older.

Babies are beautiful as they are.

Earrings are not really a thing as much anymore. See any red carpet. I've also been to a few weddings recently where brides went without earrings despite having pierced ears. The holes in the lobes don't look very nice.

Inportantly, she can't give her consent yet. We agreed that we will take our DD when she's old enough to have asked - and for a long time. We haven't decided on an age yet however but we still wouldn't allow it when still quite young.

I must also admit I saw a young baby with pierced ears the other day and I was cringing inside. She seemed so young and I thought it looked tacky if I'm being honest.

I dont know why, and I may be wrong, but I get the feeling OP is going to go ahead anyway regardless. The majority of OPs concern resolves around the aesthetic of whether the piercing will be 'stable' (as in not shift as the ear grows).

Whist I agree with other posters that piercing eara itself is a relatively minor thing, the fact remains that we are talking about a baby. A baby who can't consent. A baby who can't tell you with words if there is pain.

I stand by my claim that a baby does not need to have its ears pierced. There is no rational purpose. This is vanity on the part of the parent. Go and get your own ears pierced again if it's that important that someone has it done but wait until your child expresses a desire to do so before getting theirs done.

Definitely. She only seemed to respond to the posts encouraging her to do it or look for stories where it turned out ok.

I think you are missing the point

Lots of things are 'part of culture' and are unquestioningly carried on, without thought of the need or impact

What is the need, to take an invasive procedure, to make a hole in a babies body for jewellry?

What is the actual need for that? Its not for a medical reason.

So just wait until the child is old enough to understand and want it themselves, why is that a problem?

I imagine if there was a Venn diagram of

a) people who want to pierce their baby girl's ears very young (especially when it's not cultural - though I'm not saying it's fine then either)

and

b) people who get excited about dressing them up in pink tulle and bows and dreaming of them doing typically girly things like ballet

there's probably an overlap between the two.