Baby girls- ears piercing

[Zahrah5]

Hi

what is the usual practice of ears piercing for newborn girls in UK? (Im new to UK).

Do you guys mostly pierce their ears as newborns or later? Is this available in the hospital right after birth? Or where do you get it done?

My mom is planning to buy her earrings and told me that, I myself would have never even tought of that.

I am not sure if I am even liking the idea and look of newborn with earrings but before I decide would like to know what the options and opinions are.

But surely she won't regret it, as she can just choose to have them done when she's older, if she wants to? I had mine pierced at 11, wore earrings for about a year then decided I didn't suit them (face too small) and haven't worn them since. I have definitely never felt less girly or womanly because of my lack of earrings!

I'm 32. As a baby it was fairly common in the UK then to pierce young girls ears but it had completely fallen out of fashion here now. I know it is common in a lot of countries (especially central and south america) but you will receive looks and comments (mostly unpleasant) n the uk you chose to pierce under 7

I first got my ears pierced at the age of 8 and as I'd mithered my mum for months about it I was very excited to get them done, not scared at all! However I did end up letting them heal over a few months later and for them done again at age 21 and it wasn't more scary or painful than the first time so I don't think you should see that as a concern personally.

In response to your origional question it's not that common here and I personally think it looks terrible on babies, not cute at all in my personal opinion. If you decided not to get it done you could just explain to your mum your going to wait a few years but the earring would still make a lovely present, you could just save them until your child needs them, theyl still have lovely sentimental value

Keep in mind that whilst I'd say it's not that painful to most to have your ears pierced (although it does vary from person to person), the aftercare whilst they heal can become very painful as mild infection is fairly common in piercings, particularly if you have a small baby pulling at them because they sting or itch as they heal etc. You will have to keep them very clean and try and stop her from catching them or touching them with non-clean hands.

I was very excited to be allowed to have mine pierced when I was 9-10, and I loved the experience. I was also old enough to look after them responsibly afterwards. I'd say it was a bit of a rite of passage type thing, I felt very grown-up afterwards! I now have several piercings which I have gone through my late teens and twenties. Despite being several years after I had it done, I did have one get so badly infected after a small tear (easily done) that I had to get anti-biotics from the GP and remove the piercing completely. It's always a risk.

At the end of the day it's your decision, and as you say, you don't want to upset your mum especially if it's a cultural norm for your family, but I think you might well struggle to find a reputable piercer willing to do it to a newborn as well as it definitely not being the norm here, and many people do view it in a bad light.

Perhaps you could suggest an alternative gift to your mum? A bangle/bracelet/necklace?

Babies have enough care needs without having to worry about keeping pierced ears infection free.

And it looks horrid imo.

I do appreciate different cultural norms can apply but in the UK at least I think you will find the majority of people, whether it be right or not, will be very judgemental particularly if you go around asking if it can be done in hospital after birth!

OP it makes no sense to say she may "regret" not having her ears pierced. You don't regret something that you can go out that afternoon and get done!
Let your mum give you the earrings. They can be kept in a lovely box until she gets them pierced, they can be a keepsake. Or, do what you clearly want to do and get her ears pierced before you register her birth.

Woah there Nelly..Circumcused without anaesthetic? Ummmm where is this place?

I know 2 adults who had this done (one religious, one medical reasons) with anaesthetic and it still brings tears to their eyes.

Ear piercing is nothing near it painwise, but if this is 'the norm' culturally/religiously/geographically, then maybe you need to rethink the norm.

Personally, I'd leave it until she decides herself whether she wants this 'girly / womanly' modification, rather than deciding she does for her, but obviously that's just one opinion. (Even if it's shared by the majority of people who've posted so far)

Naughty I know someone who had her baby son circumcised when he was about a week old, and that was done without anaesthetic as apparently they don't feel it at that age?

I must admit I was a bit sceptical! Maybe someone will come and enlighten us.

< off topic of ear piercing >

I know its common in some cultures - it might be that it is the norm for your own culture, in which case obviously it is a matter for you as to whether you did it or not. I would say that generally in the UK there is a very strong class association with piercing little girls' ears. You should expect to be judged adversely for having done it - i'm not saying that's right, but its a fact nonetheless.
My personal view is that it is totally inappropriate, tacky and tasteless, and shouldn't be done until a child is of or near to secondary school age.
Its a baby - not a fashion accessory, so doing something like that to their body just because you think it would look nice is pretty horrifying, again just in my view.

On ye olden days the belief was that babies hadn't yet 'learned' pain so anaesthetic wasn't needed. I'm not sure when it was that someone said 'what a pile if crap!'.

Babies are gorgeous without modifications (and that includes Alice bands with bows, flowers or false hair, IMHO).

I had my ears pierced as a baby. Around 3 months old I think. Apparently I must have tugged them in my sleep because I managed to rip the hole itself so it was twice the size it should have been. This of course then lead to infection and the earring was sinking into my swollen pus filled horribly smelly ear lobe. My mum had to take me to A+E to get it surgically removed.

Body modifications should not be forced on children IMO. There is no cut off date to get your ears pierced so your daughter has her whole life to get them done is she wishes to.

Also no they won't be pierced in the hospital. Once baby is born she will be taken to be checked over weighed etc. Shoving a piece of surgical steel through the babies earlobe doesn't feature on their list of priorities. I've never known a hospital anywhere to routinely offer piercings for newborns.

It's a matter for you but it's not the done thing here-it's not common and a lot of people disapprove. However, it's not illegal as far as I can tell but I expect it would be up to the shop how young they do it.
If you decided to wait a bit you could tell your mum you don't want the hassle of it yet and to save the earrings for a later birthday?

Among everybody I know It's seen as bad taste/naff/common-and that's without delving deeper into the issues of aftercare, possible/likely infections when babies are prone to so many health care issues anyway, inflicting unecessary pain on a baby ,issues with school (she'll likely have to remove them for school) etc.

My opinion is don't just don't.

There's only one piercing place in my town that does babies, It's in the roughest part of town and they've had eggs thrown at them and all sorts because people disagree.

It's a pretty horrible thing to do - sticking needles into a newborn.......I really don't care whether it is cultural or that your Mum wants to do it.

I have my ears pierced but made my own decision at 16. Do you expect the NHS to do it and then fix if it gets infected like others have said..

When a child asks to have her ears pierced is the time to consider it. Not before.

It is quite funny seeing the responses on here. I do feel the same, but I've really had to readjust my judgy-pants since living in the country where I live.
ALL babies, pretty much, are pierced. Even the babies with 'posh' parents. My DD is 10 and the last girl in her entire year at school who doesn't have pierced ears.
I do think it's a really unnecessary thing to do to a little kid though. Talk about gilding the lily… don't these parents see that their babies are gorgeous enough as they are?

A couple of my Eastern European friends have pierced their baby girls' ears but it seems unusual as I have several more friends from that kind of area who have chosen not to. None of the British-born parents I know have had it done, either, nor have parents from other cultures.

So in my experience of preschoolers in the UK, it's more usual for the decision to be made later when the child has the opportunity to participate in the decision.

If you live in the UK don't do it.

Nooope, not for me.

I'd be more worried about possible safety/health risks than anything. Piercing with guns is dangerous and most respectable places that use needles won't pierce anyone under 16. And I definitely wouldn't be letting an amateur pierce a baby...

Plus, like others have said, there's the healing to take into account, and not getting pulled out etc.

I think in the UK it can be seen as a rite of passage for a girl of about 11/12. I don't know if that means there is peer pressure from other girls to get it done, especially once they go to secondary school? Most of DDs friends (12/13) have pierced ears- but not all.

It's absolutely acceptable in certain cultures, our elderly Spanish friends were very surprised we didn't want to pierce our DDs ears when she was a baby....I was horrified at their suggestion, though. I perceive it as unnecessary mutilation, as well as looking very OTT and kind of grotesque on a tiny baby or toddler.