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.

A bit of an age difference but related to ear rings. My MIL has just spent six hours in A and E because the back of her earring embedded in her ear over night and one day later has had to be dug out because the ear has tried to close over it. The nurse has told her not to sleep in earrings but also that she may find it difficult wearing them if they seal over quickly. She is also on antibiotics as an infection has developed in a day!

I wore earrings fur the first time in over a year and it was so uncomfortable. I kept catching them on clothes and lying on my side was uncomfy.

Switched to small hoops and it's much better.

I wouldn't inflict that pain on a gorgeous, perfect, little baby. Seems pointless. Much like those stupid headbands.

Also there are acupuncture points in the ears and I always wondered if you pierce through one of those can it cause pain or an imbalance of something unrelated to the ear piercing eg kidney problems or whatever the acupuncture point you accidentally pierced is for?

Let her choose when she's older.

Yes and done it as early as they would do it at the shop.

DD was pierced at 4 months. She didnt even cry, it was so fast. She just had small studs until she was 6 or 7 years old and started choosing her own.

It was great, because she couldnt really touch or pull on them at that age. It all healed very quickly without any issues.

My niece just got them done recently at 8 years old and all she talks about is how much it hurt. She also wouldnt leave them alone and one got inflammed, she had to take it out and it closed. Now she wants to do it again, but shes too afraid. All very dramatic and im just glad we dont have to go through all that.

@SweetLittlePixie why did you have her ears done? Did you consider a nose and belly button piercing too at the same time? If not, why not?

If you went into a shop and someone just pierced your ears without consent, would that be okay?

if it is not beauty then why are you considering it? would you shove a needle though their finger if it was cultural? you are inforcing a body modification on someone who has no say in the matter. I have never understood this.

Posts like this are based on the presumption that at some point girls WILL be getting their ears pierced so its better to get it done early but its not compulsory and people go through life quite happily without any extra holes in their body.

I know - why on earth would you think that your daughter "has" to have pierced ears?!
She cannot consent, she cannot complain and it's a cruel thing to do in the name of vanity.

I have a baby girl and at no point have I thought 'oh sparkly shit in her ear lobes would look cute. Let's just get her stabbed with a needle. Who cares if it hurts, she won't remember'
I'm looking at her now and she is absolutely perfect. Why anyone thinks little bits of metal through a body part on a baby is better than their sweet perfect, innocent little faces as is, I will never know.

I guess i got lucky and DD lives her ear piercings. Its pretty common where we live, so there was a high chance of her wanting it done.

Yes, but it wasn't necessary to do this painful body piercing to a young baby.
You could have waited until she could consent at least. Why would you inflict pain on a tiny baby just for the sake of jewellery?

Well no of course she doesnt have those piercings for obvious reasons.
They arent as common, they arent as easy to take care of, those body parts change/grow much more. But you already know that your argument is stupid.

There are many decisions I make for my child and she doesnt/cant give consent. When shes older and she is upset about this then we can talk it out, but until then its nobodys business.

Like I said, she didnt even cry. It was so fast I dont think she even felt it much.
I did it because I have a number of nieces who waited until they were older and many of them had issues or painful experiences.
My parents had my ears pierced when i was a baby and it was fine, so I decided to do the same.

@SweetLittlePixie but why does a baby need their ears pierced? If you had a boy would you have his ears pierced? Quite common for males to pierce their ears. And I don’t think I am the stupid one

And most things you do on behalf of a baby before they can give their consent will be a necessity not for vanity. When you teach your girl about body autonomy how will you explain why you thought it was necessary to put holes in her ears without her consent, for no health benefit whatsoever.

I would be very surprised if your baby experienced no pain and discomfort from having a hole made in her body, using a sharp instrument. It's not medically necessary, and she may never want to have this done anyway, you don't know.
If you read the whole thread, perhaps you'll understand that it seems to many of us be an unnecessary modification to a little baby's body.

@SweetLittlePixie but why did you think you had the right to harm your baby solely for the purposes of wearing jewellery? Yes as parents we all do thing to/for our children that they cannot consent to, but those are all necessary medical/developmental/behavioural decisions made in their best interest. You do not own your daughter nor do you have the right to physically harm her for no reason

Why don’t you just get her a sleeve while you’re at it?! 🤣🤣

Just joking. It’s just not done here unless you’re a bit rough and it’s a nice occasion when your child is old enough to want it and look forward to it. I went to a department store with my mum and for tea and cakes. It’s a lovely memory.

No. Unnecessary pain and I'm totally against it. What is it for? Bits of shiny metal to make her look pretty.

Let her choose when she is old enough.

So if you slap your dc and she doesn’t cry that’s okay? 🙄

Grim and unnecessary

Ditto non medical circumcising of baby boys.

Yes of course, thats why I slap her all the time. 🙄
I always love how people here turn such a non issue into such a big thing. I was pierced as a baby and have no issue with it. DD loves hers now that shes older.
Sure, there was a small chance she would hate it and be upset about it. But honestly, most girls want to get their ears pierced at some point.

Anyways, it worked out well for us and that answers the op.

I genuinely think normalising harming a baby in the name of beauty is a big thing and a depressing reflection on society. Was your dd not cute enough without metal in her ears? Normalising something doesn’t make it right. Women in countries where genital mutilation is normal actually don’t complain either, it’s normalised. That’s why nurses are trained in spotting the signs. If these girls all openly complained, they wouldn’t need to look for signs. On a scale, ear piercing isn’t on the same level but it is still sticking metal through your baby’s ears for no actual reason other than vanity. Justify it all you like, it doesn’t make it right.

No, it's not a "non issue".
It's a very big issue indeed, and very concerning why any parent would willingly do this to a baby, for the sake of wearing a piece of jewellery.

Would you harm your baby boy in the same way, @SweetLittlePixie ? Or is it just girls who have to go through this process?

I don't know why everyone says it hurts so much, and you harm a baby.

My daughter didn't cry and she was 2. she had no problems, no infections. Absolutely no problems. She is now 11 and has always loved choosing earrings to wear out.

I had mine done at 2 months old and I am so glad, I have always worn earrings and so glad my mum pierced my ears as a baby