baby ear piercing

[waterlilly]

Does anyone think this is a good idea?

Personally, I think it''s barbaric. A coworker proudly showed pictures of her infant daughter''s new ear piercings and I was appalled.

I look at ear piercing as something mother and daughter do together once the daughter is old enough to ASK for it. A big event to share together.

If a mother was caught sticking a baby with a pin for their own delight - wouldn''t that be considered abuse? But it''s OK if that pin is going straight through their ears?

 

[Erin]

I asked for it to be done for my birthday when I was six and my Mom said no. Then when Grandma asked me what I wanted for my birthday she marched me up to the mall and we had it done. My mother was angry and sad. Angry that her MIL would do something so important without consulting and sad because she wasn''t there for that young girl rite.

I agree it should be done when the child wants it.

 

[Laila619]

I absolutely think it''s a bad idea. I hate when people do this to their little baby girls.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

WL-It's clear you are vehemently against this practice, so I doubt many people who favor it will respond. You basically called them barbaric child abusers....

This is a personal choice. I had my ears pierced at 8 weeks and had no issues with the holes getting infected, I don't remember the pain and I've enjoyed having my ears pierced ever since. My mom had them done because to be honest she wanted to avoid the back and forth arguments about it when I was an adolescent. Later, in the eighth grade (so 13 or so) I had second holes pieced. I had horrible problems with them and they never healed properly I was miserable. I let them close on their own.

Ear piercing hurts no more than getting blood drawn or a shot. It's momentary and fleeting. If the piercing is done at a young age it's easier to take care of the healing holes and ensure that there are no infection or rejection issues. Earrings can also be removed and the choice can be made to wear them or not in the future.

So yea, call me a barbarian, call me an abuser. I will most likely get my daughter's ears pierced as an infant (if I have a daughter).

 

[DiamondCat]

No I don''t find it to be a ''barbaric'' practice. In my culture many girls have their ears pierced when they are young, as in when they are toddlers or even younger. I myself had my ears pierced when I was under a year old. To even consider labelling it as a form of abuse is far fetched IMO

 

[purselover]

While I don't consider it barbaric I would wait until they were old enough to ask so we could pick out earrings and enjoy it together.

I begged my mom to let me get my ears pierced as a child and while my dad didn't seem to have a problem with it she still wouldn't let me. (I should add my sister got to have hers pierced!) I was so sad until my grandparents were babysitting one weekend and my grandma took me! I remember the first place we went wouldn't do it since she wasn't my guardian but she made a fuss at the 2nd place and they did it. I was worried my mom would be mad when she came home but luckily she didn't seem to care. I'm actually glad it worked out that way because my grandma died when I was so young that that's really the only memory of before she got sick I have with her.

 

[susimoo]

My husband is moroccan and when we took DD over for her first visit aged 2 (we are in the UK) most people were surprised to find that her ears weren''t pierced.

I think, in our case anyway its a cultural thing.

Personally I don''t like it. I would much prefer the child/adult (my mother was 67 when I convinced her to do it, with the promise of diamond studs!) decides it is what they want.

For the record I have seen baby boys with it done here in the UK

 

[HVVS]

I don't think it's a good idea, from a safety perspective: Risk of swallowed earring(s) and / or torn ear lobes. I'd be paranoid, but I've never actually heard of that happening.

 

[mayerling]

Date: 4/15/2010 8:44:28 AM
Author: DiamondCat
No I don't find it to be a 'barbaric' practice. In my culture many girls have their ears pierced when they are young, as in when they are toddlers or even younger. I myself had my ears pierced when I was under a year old. To even consider labelling it as a form of abuse is far fetched IMO

Ditto. It's standard practice in my culture too. And I find it much better to do it when they're too young to be scared or to remember than to wait until they're in primary school, wanting it, but too frightened to do it.

 

[Cehrabehra]

My daughter and I would disagree with you! I remember waiting until I was 10 or 12 to get my ears pierced and it was horrifying and traumatic and I almost didn''t get the 2nd hole done and I certainly never got double piercings when it was popular. Perish the thought!!! There was no mommy/daughter bonding period. It sucked. My father thought getting *anything* pierced was "barbaric" (he shares that word with you) and that I couldn''t get my ears pierced until I had a ring through my nose first (little did he know that would come into style eventually lol). My mother was more reasonable but still, the event was horrible.

I got my daughter''s ears done when she was 4 months old. She slept through the whole thing (literally) and she has thanked me I can''t tell you how many times for sparing her that ordeal. We never had a single problem with them. I wish mine were done before I could remember!!!

 

[jewelz617]

I don't have a problem with it really, but for my daughter I'm choosing not to. IMO it's one more thing to clean, one more thing for her to grab at, maybe a choking hazard, risk of infection, you get the idea. I'm not crazy about how pierced ears look on babies either, but that's just a matter of taste.

My view is, they are her ears, not mine. When and if she wants them pierced, I will be more than happy to take her, but it's her decision to make. Simple as that!

 

[HVVS]

Date: 4/15/2010 8:55:35 AM
Author: Cehrabehra
My daughter and I would disagree with you! I remember waiting until I was 10 or 12 to get my ears pierced and it was horrifying and traumatic ...

I have to smile at "horrified." I was the opposite. I always wanted my ears pierced. I could never make my mother agree to it. She'd never agree, and would never pay for it. I finally did it myself when I was 17. I bought those self-piercing earrings at Claire's or some similar store, stuck them in there, and let them do their thing. Now, *that* was certainly the barbaric way to do it, lol. But it didn't really hurt or get infected or anything. It would have been faster to just go to a doctor or a store, ha ha.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 4/15/2010 9:00:34 AM
Author: PinkAsscher678
I don''t have a problem with it really, but for my daughter I''m choosing not to. IMO it''s one more thing to clean, one more thing for her to grab at, maybe a choking hazard, risk of infection, you get the idea. I''m not crazy with how pierced ears look on babies either, but that''s just a matter of taste.


My view is, they are her ears, not mine. When and if she wants them pierced, I will be more than happy to take her, but it''s her decision to make. Simple as that!

not to start an entirely different debate... but I have seen people use this argument for not getting their daughter''s ears done and then go and circumcise their boys. I did the opposite - pierced the girl and left the boys intact!

 

[geckodani]

PSA: Whenever you or your kids decide to pierce ears, please make sure the holes are even! Mine are not evenly centered, and it drives me mad. Absolutely and completely bonkers. At this point it''s too late to fix. PSA over.

Will I (assuming I have a daughter) have her ears pierced as a baby? No. But that''s just a personal decision. I had to work to prove to my parents that I was respobsible enough to have mine done. It was a rite of passage. Painful, but a rite of passage all the same.

 

[susimoo]

Date: 4/15/2010 9:08:06 AM
Author: geckodani
PSA: Whenever you or your kids decide to pierce ears, please make sure the holes are even! Mine are not evenly centered, and it drives me mad. Absolutely and completely bonkers. At this point it's too late to fix. PSA over.

Will I (assuming I have a daughter) have her ears pierced as a baby? No. But that's just a personal decision. I had to work to prove to my parents that I was respobsible enough to have mine done. It was a rite of passage. Painful, but a rite of passage all the same.

I am with you on the evenness of the piercings!

I had mine re done in my 20's, because the original holes were so lopsided.

I had begged to get mine done from an early age and was refused by my parents. Eventually I convinced one of my brothers to take me when I was 13. It was done on the 3rd floor of a record store by an old hippie who was smoking a very pungent cigarette! No wonder they were squinty!!

 

[geckodani]

Date: 4/15/2010 9:14:00 AM
Author: susimoo

Date: 4/15/2010 9:08:06 AM
Author: geckodani
PSA: Whenever you or your kids decide to pierce ears, please make sure the holes are even! Mine are not evenly centered, and it drives me mad. Absolutely and completely bonkers. At this point it''s too late to fix. PSA over.

Will I (assuming I have a daughter) have her ears pierced as a baby? No. But that''s just a personal decision. I had to work to prove to my parents that I was respobsible enough to have mine done. It was a rite of passage. Painful, but a rite of passage all the same.

I am with you on the evenness of the piercings!

I had mine re done in my 20''s, because the original holes were so lopsided.

I had begged to get mine done from an early age and was refused by my parents. Eventually I convinced one of my brothers to take me when I was 13. It was done on the 3rd floor of a record store by an old hippie who was smoking a very pungent cigarette! No wonder they were squinty!!

LOL!!!

I don''t think mine would close at this point to be redone.

 

[susimoo]

My new ones are perfectly placed. My originals sit below and sort of to the left of my new ones. They are still functioning! LOL never closed up. I had to explain all this to my DH when buying diamond studs that I required a larger size due to the need to hide my original piercings!!

 

[that_someone_special]

I also wouldn''t tattoo and infant... so.... that about sums it up for me!

 

[geckodani]

Date: 4/15/2010 9:25:01 AM
Author: susimoo
My new ones are perfectly placed. My originals sit below and sort of to the left of my new ones. They are still functioning! LOL never closed up. I had to explain all this to my DH when buying diamond studs that I required a larger size due to the need to hide my original piercings!!

NICE! I think the adjustment would be so slight on the one ear that I''d risk them merging. Not worth it, even though it is SO ANNOYING!

 

[Circe]

I don''t think it''s barbaric, but I do think it''s more fun to do it once the piercee is conscious of it and can have fun choosing earrings, feeling fancy, etc. - I got mine pierced at 9 after weeks of begging, and I really appreciated it more than a baby-me could have, I think!

 

[elrohwen]

Personally I wouldn''t do it because I think it''s too easy for a small child to snag an earring, or for the holes to be in a bad position that only becomes apparent as their earlobes grow. However, I certainly wouldn''t consider people who do it to be child abusers!

I also want my future daughter to experience that anticipation and excitement that comes with getting her ears pierced

 

[jewelz617]

Date: 4/15/2010 9:07:41 AM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 4/15/2010 9:00:34 AM

Author: PinkAsscher678

I don't have a problem with it really, but for my daughter I'm choosing not to. IMO it's one more thing to clean, one more thing for her to grab at, maybe a choking hazard, risk of infection, you get the idea. I'm not crazy with how pierced ears look on babies either, but that's just a matter of taste.



My view is, they are her ears, not mine. When and if she wants them pierced, I will be more than happy to take her, but it's her decision to make. Simple as that!

not to start an entirely different debate... but I have seen people use this argument for not getting their daughter's ears done and then go and circumcise their boys. I did the opposite - pierced the girl and left the boys intact!

Luckily I only have (and will only ever have) a daughter, so I'll never be confronted with that decision! That whole circumcision thing is such a crazy topic... you could argue the benefits either way as far as I'm concerned.

ETA: And can I just say, for me there was really something to be said for the excitement of going with my mom to get my ears pierced! She wouldn't let me get them done until I was 13, and the day she took me to the family doctor to get those little gold studs... I was so excited. Of course now I never wear earrings

 

[that_someone_special]

Oh and don''t even get me started on the dangers of ear piercing... in a mall... with a gun

 

[junebug17]

I don''t have a problem with it, but I didn''t pierce my daughter''s ears because I don''t really like the look of earrings on babies. My sil pierced her daughter''s ears, and I was a little surprised when I saw the baby pics but not horrified or anything. My daughter and niece both carried on about it hurting at age 11, so it really wasn''t the wonderful mother-daughter experience anyway, it turned out to be stressful. Doing it as an infant would have eliminated that. And I remember driving my poor mother crazy at age 8 about getting my ears pierced, if she had done it when I was a baby she would have saved herself a lot of agg!

 

[Lauren8211]

I don''t find it barbaric or abusive - yes its painful, but its fleeting.

I personally would not do it. I wouldnt want the hole to grow into a weird position on her ear later in life, I wouldn''t want to deal with infection and the risk of swallowing an earring, and *most* importantly - how do you know she would even want her ears pierced?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 4/15/2010 9:27:16 AM
Author: swedish bean
I also wouldn''t tattoo and infant... so.... that about sums it up for me!

As someone who has had both done, tattoo and piercing, I can testify that tattooing is on an entirely different pain and permanence scale than piercing. You really can''t compare the two IMO...

 

[that_someone_special]

Actually I can, and I do.

Both IMO are things that adults, and not children, should choose to do or not do.

It''s body modification either way. I don''t think anyone has a say in that other than yourself.

 

[E B]

I wouldn't do it. If I have a daughter, she may have hers done when she's old enough to a) ask for it and b) care for them herself. I'm thinking 10 is a good age.

One of my best friends had hers done as a baby and because her ears grew, her once first piercings look like second lobe piercings- halfway up the lobe. Great if you want second piercings, but not so great if you don't.

ETA: I hadn't even thought about the risk of swallowing an earring. I wonder how often that happens.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 4/15/2010 8:55:35 AM
Author: Cehrabehra
My daughter and I would disagree with you! I remember waiting until I was 10 or 12 to get my ears pierced and it was horrifying and traumatic and I almost didn''t get the 2nd hole done and I certainly never got double piercings when it was popular. Perish the thought!!! There was no mommy/daughter bonding period. It sucked. My father thought getting *anything* pierced was ''barbaric'' (he shares that word with you) and that I couldn''t get my ears pierced until I had a ring through my nose first (little did he know that would come into style eventually lol). My mother was more reasonable but still, the event was horrible.


I got my daughter''s ears done when she was 4 months old. She slept through the whole thing (literally) and she has thanked me I can''t tell you how many times for sparing her that ordeal. We never had a single problem with them. I wish mine were done before I could remember!!!

I could have typed the exact same thing. I had mine done at 10, and it was not fun...the whole time my dad was saying negative things, and it hurt so bad I really didn''t want the second one.

I took my daughter as soon as she was able to get them done, in the US it''s after the second set of shots at 4 months, and she barely flinched. Two people used the piercing guns and did the ears simultaneously, and the piercing earrings were on (front and back) as soon as you pull the trigger. It took seconds, and she didn''t even cry. We gave her a bottle right away, and to this day she thanks me. She''s 6 year old, and gets compliments about her beautiful pierced ears. She almost threw up in horror when she watched her cousin get her second holes pierced (my niece is 15), so I know it was a good idea to have her''s done as a baby. I''m not a barbaric abuser either!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

I honestly don''t like the look of a baby with their ears pierced, and i didn''t do it to my daughter, we waited until she asked. Having said that she has had her ears pierced twice now and both times we have had to let them close up due to infection. Maybe if i had had them done when she was an infant we wouldn''t have had that problem.