Getting Baby’s Ears Pierced
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This past Saturday we took our 6 month-old daughter to a local accessories store to get her ears pierced, a milestone for anyone with a little girl. We held her still as the multiple-tattooed and multiple-pierced associate ensured that the marks on her lobe were perfectly aligned. We digested her observation that our daughter’s lobes are actually not symmetrical; one is bigger than the other. We held our breaths as the piercing gun went off silently, but in our imagination was as loud as revolver. And then I cuddled her as she cried then found her thumb and sucked happily.
Why did we decide to get her ears pierced now, as opposed to later when she is older? We did it partly so that she’ll just have it over with, and won’t remember the pain. Partly because of tradition. In our family, girls ears are pierced as babies, and it’s no big deal. And partly so that people would stop asking me constantly whether she is a boy or a girl.
There’s of course another school of thought on this subject which is that piercing is an unnecessary body mutilation and should be the child’s choice. There’s also the rite of passage method where parents build anticipation in the child. They may require the child to save up for the occasion, and allow them to pierce it on a milestone birthday.
I think each way is fine as long as the parents take great care in choosing the place that pierces your child’s delicate ears. They must use sterilized products, and sealed, sterilized earrings. Your pediatrician may even do this for you so do ask them. Make sure to pick the tiniest post available; they can get as small as 2 mm in diameter. And most important of all, make sure that the piercings are sterilized at least three times a day, and the studs not removed until six weeks after the piercing. Post earrings must be worn six months after the piercing to ensure it will not close.
As for our daughter, we carried her around proudly in the mall afterwards, showing off her peridot studs. Until, that is, a gentleman approached us and admiringly said: “What a beautiful boy!”
Hmmp.
17 Responses to “Getting Baby’s Ears Pierced”
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Hillary says...
I can’t believe anyone would mutilate their little girl like this! It’s one thing as a teen… but I find it trashy on a baby!
Dawn Allcot says...
I would consider getting it done, but i think at that young age, I’d have the pediatrician do it. Just because a pediatrician is more accustomed to inflicting pain on infants, and I’d trust them to know how to deal with it better. I got my ears pierced (at 15, then at 22) in a store in the mall, and I was fine with the sanitary conditions, so it’s not a matter of that.
I think most girls, in retrospect if you ask them when they are older, are happy their parents got their ears pierced early, when they didn’t have to deal with the pain, the cleaning, etc.
For what it’s worth, I think you made the right choice and I’m sure your little girl will thank you for it when she’s older! And the earrings, if those are the ones you chose, are GORGEOUS!
Mama2Bean says...
I bet she looks like a doll! We share the same tradition, mine and my sister’s ears were pierced around that same age. Great information regardless of how old one’s child gets their ears pierced. Sounds like she was “a trooper” during the procedure.
To the first poster, as the author stated in her article, piercing a little girl’s ears while she is still a baby is a cultural tradition (as opposed to doing it just for aesthetic purposes or fashion) much in the same way that for some cultures/religions not piercing is a tradition. To call the author’s cultural tradition “trashy,” (regardless of your views on piercing-as-mutilation) is really, really not cool.
MrsH says...
Hilary: I’m sorry to hear that that is your opinion.
Dawn: Those are not the earrings I chose but it is gorgeous isn’t it? Mine came with 14k gold post.
Mama2Bean: She is always such a trooper. My husband and I were “easy” babies so we’re glad she is too!
Hilary says...
The comments on mutilation and culture were added after I made my post.
MrsH says...
Hilary, what do you mean? This blog works like ths: we submit an article and then our moderators publish it after they review. We cannot edit the article after it has been published by the moderators. The article is unedited.
Science-mom says...
It`s a cultural thing indeed. I`m one of those who got my ears pierced as a baby - my mom did it in those days - and I`m none worse for it. This practice is frowned upon in Germany and I`m lucky I have 2 boys; otherwise this issue could be a huge conflict between me and my German husband and in-laws.
rhadanella says...
*mutilate = to cut up or alter radically so as to make imperfect; to cut off or permanently destroy a limb or essential part of.
I don’t agree with the first commenter, as I don’t view ear piercing as mutilation. And to call it trashy? Lack of tolerance and respect to other people’s preference (be it a cultural thing or not) is just plain crude.
btw, Mina si gorgeousssssssssssss.
Amybee says...
I wouldn’t judge someone for choosing to get her baby’s ears pierced…As the mom of two boys, I used to say that I’d pierce my baby’s girls ears, just because I so desperately longed to do everything “girly”. Now, as I expect a 3rd boy, I won’t have the issue to deal with (but I’ve the circumcision thing and that, to me, is HUGE). Now that I think more about it, though, I may think twice about inflicting pain on my baby and wait until she can decide if she wants to get her ears pierced (I had mine done at age 7 b/c I wanted to)-but again, to each his (or her) own.
kids' doc says...
There is nothing trashy about piercing a baby’s ear at this age. Some parents even request us to do it a few days after birth. It really depends on the parents’ wishes so we should respect that.
Amy says...
What a thoughtful and smart mommy to have her dd’s ears pierced early.
I used to be the one that voiced my opinion on other mom’s to wait until the child was ready. Until I had my own baby girl of course. When I our dd to her 8 week check up, the doctor asked during the visit if I was planning on getting her ears pierced. I said probably not for a while. But she started explaining that it would be really easy to do it now while she is so young and didn’t have control of her hands. That way she wouldn’t touch or pull on them. Since they would always be there-she wouldn’t be too curious about them- it would just be apart of her.
She gave me some suggestions for moms having their infants/little girls ears pierced. After reading them and calling around to find the right place/person to pierce her ears, we went and had her ears pierced at Piercing Pagoda. And the doctor was right. We have never had a problem with her pulling them or touching them. And she is really good about letting me change them. She didn’t even cry much when it was done and much less than her shots. Our ped said if they cry, it is because of being restrained or the noise of the piercing instrument.
an2nette says...
Hi! my daughter was one day old when she had her ears pierced, its one of the services of a private hospital here in Pinas, mina is cute, i’m always reading your blog and your mom, she’s just like a supermodel. cool mom an2nette of germany
an2nettes last blog post..Saturday Happenings
Alisa says...
I pierced my ear lobs when I was 13. It was my decision and my mom didn’t mind. Of course I remember the pain, but I was happy. My mom pierced her ear lobs in 32. And I’ll let my daughter pierce ear lobs when she will want it. Now she is 3 years old and she didn’t ask me about it. Perhaps, you have hastened?
MrsH says...
Alisa, as you can tell from the comments, there’s a variety of opinion on this. We’ll just agree to disagree.
Jennifer says...
I think its ok, because i had my ears pierced after i was born. Its usually a tradition in my family or usually any latin american family for a baby girl to get their ears pierced. Im 23 right now and whenever i have a baby and if its a girl i will get her ears pierced