Ear Piercing on Infant

I have three daughters 11, 3, and 8 weeks. It is a family tradition to pierce daughter's ears @ 2 mths old. I had no problems with my oldest, but my three year old is allergic to many metals. I even tried hypoallergenic, which caused infection. Be cautious of allergies.

I don't think you should get her ears pierced only because you are taking that decision away from her. Most girls want there ears pierced but wouldn't you like to wait until she is older and she thinks it is a big deal to get them pierced. Its something she can look forward to do.

Hi, i peirced my daughters when she was 3 mo. Old it was my husband's idea..i was afraid. So glad we did it. She just made a face and then laughed! I am the one that cried. We knew someone that worked at the mall but went the their home. I think that may have been a little easier without everyone watching. It looks really cute! Good luck

D., we had our daughters ears done 2 days before she turned 7 months. We asked our doctor and she sent us to the E.N.T. and they did it in their office for $24. The doctor said that he hadn't seen a baby sit that still in a long time. She cried for a second and then she stopped and we left. I was going to wait until she was 5 and make it a special day but the more I looked into it the more I found out that it was easier for them to be taken care of at this age. They told us to just clean it with rubbing alcohol. We have not had any problems with her pulling them or anything else. I was very please with my experience and am happy that we did it. I have more than one piercing in my ears and I figure that if she wants to get more holes in her ears when she is older that she will have plenty of opportunities to do so of her own free will and be able to make that choice. Good luck.

Hello D., I had all 3 of my daughters' ears pierced. I think it is better the younger they are because 1 they heal faster and 2 they don't really mess with them. My oldest daughter was 7 months when we did hers, my second was 2 months when we did hers (the minimum age) and my youngeat daughter was 8 months old. It only hurts them for a second. I think the thing they hated most was the fact that I had to hold their head still. They wern't too pleased with that. Once it was over they cried for probably 2 minutes and it was over. I tried to do it around nap time beacuse as soon as it was done they went to sleep and they forgot all about it when they woke up. Also, they only stay red for like a day if that so before pictures is usually fine. I hope this helps!

Oh D., she's only 8 months old - just my own opinion, but what kind of benefit would that be to her? I know it's absolutely adorable but it affects their sleeping, it affects their health. You would have to constantly monitor that infection doesn't set in. Plus, at 8 months the immune system isn't set up to fight as quickly so other problems can/may quickly follow. I'm sure that she'd still look just as adorable at 5yrs and getting them pierced then, too.

It is a Mexican tradition, so I had my daughter's ears pierced around 14 months. That was a little too old as she cried a bit. I wish I had done it around 6 months. Ask your pediatrican if they can do it or recommend someone to do it. Our pediatrician didn't do it, but others do. Often a pediatrician will be more attentive to a child's needs than other places. Having toys for distraction and most importantly, doing both ears at one time. If you have have both done at the same time then you don't have the possibility of your child realizing that the same thing will happen to the next ear.

The heal time was nothing. We used cotton balls to apply some ointment and they looked fine two days later.

Good luck!

Hey, D.! There is nothing wrong with getting your daughters ears pierced. I have many friends that have done it and everything went well. I have heard that it is better to do it when they are younger because when they are older, they tend to play with their ears and can pull on the earing. I can give you personal insight about when I was little. My parents did not get mine pierced when I was young. When I was about 5, I wanted to get it done. It was my decision, and it made me feel special and grown-up. Hopefully, that information will help you with your decision.

Get your babies doctor to do it.

as another mom said--Why on earth would you do this to a baby!!! In my opionion parents do not have the right to do anything to their babies that could be even slightly risky unless the benefit out weighs the risk--as when a needed medical procedure is done, and we certainly don't have the right to change the body that God gave them for vanity!! Babies are cute they don't need anything to make them cuter. And how sad that so many Moms on this site would do something so permament to their helpless babies for their own vanity. I did not want my girls to have any piercings ever but they begged when they were around 7 and I used it as a rewad when I needed them to change a behavior. i told them when they were old enough to quit sucking her thumb, for one girl, the next girl it was to quit whining and I don't rmember for the 3rd.And it can be great Mommy daughter day when they are old enough!

my opinion is this i dont think you should do it because
1. you risk infection, 2 the earring could come out and she could choke on it 3. i think it should be her discision on wether or not she gets it done and right now she is to young to make that discision.

I would want to make that decision on my own as to putting two more holes on my body, I think when she is old enough to tell you that she wants them then she is ready. I had them done when I was a young girl and I could only wear 18 K gold posts, my ears were always infected, if I did not. I would fear an infant could tug on the ears and swallow the earring or tear their skin. Babies are cute/beautiful on their own, they do not need jewelry to make them cuter. Good Luck with your decision.

My baby's doctor doesn't do it and suggested I just go to a place in the mall. We went to Piercing Pagoda to get it done. My daughter was 10 weeks old when we went. I would suggest a little baby tylenol or something ahead of time to help with the discomfort. As for healing, her ears really weren't pink or red. The healing process overall does take some time. You're supposed to leave the earrings in for months, rotating them while in her ear and cleaning with the solution they provide. They suggest you don't let her go without earrings for at least the first 6-9 months because you risk the holes closing up. My daugther is now going on 18 months and she had it done at 2.5 months and we've never gone without earrings for longer than it takes to change them and clean her ears. I would say go get them done today just in case she does have some pinkness from the piercing...it should go away by Thursday :-) Good luck!

Most people I know what until their daughter is older - like 10 or 12 - and make a special day of it. Lunch, shopping, ear piercing. It's a 'rite of passage' type thing. We'll wait with our daughters. I remember that special day with my mom and want the same for my daughters.

I only know 1 or 2 people who've pierced their babies ears. They all regretted it by the time the kids were in grade school and had to let them close and get them redone later. It's pretty common for the holes to become uneven as the child grows due to the growth spurts a young child has. I also know of 1 toddler who had to be taken to the ER because she swallowed the earring when it fell off during naptime. It scratched her throat the whole way down so she was on a restricted diet for a couple weeks while it healed -- which she hated. Toddlers and preschoolers fiddle with the earring and they can easily unscrew them -- I've seen it happen quite a bit. To me it's not worth the risk... and I don't like the way earrings look on babies/toddlers/preschoolers anyways. Makes them look too grown up.

I had everyone of my 4 daughters ears pierced before they were 1. None of them had any problems with infections. They played with my earrings more than they ever did with their own. But be prepared people will still call her a boy. HAHA.

It is completely up to you. Personally, I decided to wait with my daughter and let it be her decision. However, I am sure that no matter what you decide to do, you will do out of love for your daughter, not selfishness, and that is how all decisions regarding our children should be made.

A few people have said that piercing a baby girls ears is comparable to circumcision in a baby boy..IMO that is SO not true (probably none of them have seen foreskins that are infected and 3x their normal size because they aren't kept clean.) Circumcision is for health, piercings are for beauty-the two are not interchangeable in this type of discussion. ~just wanted to point that out

My ex-husband had my now 7 yr old daughter's ears pierced at 8 wks. She did fine and healed quicky; however, she now has no desire to wear earrings. She is a very "fancy" little girl. She likes to dress up and everything but never wants to wear earrings. If I get her to wear them somewhere nice, they are out in a couple of hours. I don't recommend it. I think that if he had waited until she wanted them, she would appreciate them more.

I had both my older Daughters done right after their first set of shots, NO problems at all, The only think I can think of is she might grab at them at first. I agree it is cute. Go for it

I had my daughters ears pierced by her pediatrician!! It was a good decision. I know that the ear piercing specialist at the mall had to watch a training video and then they are able to pierce - I was NOT comfortable with that, but wanted to get my daughters ears pierced anyways, so I had her pediatrician do it and was thrilled with the outcome!! best of luck!!

Hi D.,

In my country (Mexico) it is common for newborn girls to have their ears pierced; it is often done by the pediatritian and its not a problem at all.

The only thing I would recommend is that you buy her little gold earrings to put on right there, so that she doesn't get an allergic reaction to cheaper metals.

I'm sure she'll look beautiful.

Hello!
We had our daughter's ears pierced @ six months and i don't regret it one moment. We were actually told by a nurse at our Peds office that it was the best time if we wanted to do it that young because they have no concept that they are there. She will scream as if she has had her shots(so Tylenol before) Our daughter didn't start to "mess" with her's until around 2 years. You do need to clean them with the antiseptic and turn atleast twice a day but I say go for it! She won't be haggling you at seven.

I couldn't do it, but I couldn't circumcise my son either...talk to your pediatrician. I know our ped. will do ear piercing in the office so that you aren't doing anything crazy like a mall boutique.

Hello!
No harm in piercing your daughter's ears. I had my daughter's done when she was 2 months old. she is now 14. I also no alot of people that get their daughters ear's pierced at a very young age. I had allways been told its easier when they are little and less painfull for them. It only hurts for a second and she will be fine after that. just keep turning the earrings and keep an eye on her, that she doesnt pull at them.
Hope this helped a little.

my daughter was 9 months old when i got her ears pierced. she did really well. i think i was more nervous than her. she cried a bit but once i gave her some fruit puffs, she was fine. and her ears never got red afterwards. they looked like they have always been pierced...she is 15 months old right now and i think she has only touched them a handful of times. and it was after the 8 week healing period. i had wanted to do it while she was young and would just think that its a part of her ears :) hope this helps!!

I personally can't stand it when I see little babies with their ears pierced. I don't think it's cute at all, in fact, it makes me cringe and feel awful that their parents were so worried about making their little infants look like cute girls, that they took them in somewhere, with their little darling having no idea what was about to happen, and had two pieces of metal forced through the lobes of their ears. I couldn't stand it when my babies had to get shots, and that was crucial! I just can't imagine taking them in somewhere and WILLINGLY do something that was unnecessary and that hurts them. I know people do it, and personally I feel like this "shame on you". Buy her a pretty dress instead. Just my two cents.

I waited until my daughter was five, and I explained to her that it hurt and told her if she wanted to get them done she could, "since she was five now". One day at the mall she said she wanted to get them done, so we did. I told her what it felt like, and made sure she knew what to expect. I feel very good about doing it this way because it was HER decision, and VERY VERY special to her because she got to experience it and it was kind of a "big girl" day for her.

i can tell you that in india, it's common procedure to peirce a girl infant's ears before she and her mother leave the hospital. it's as common there as circumcision is here. i think that as long as the peircer follows good sterilization procedures, she ought to be fine. just watch for infection. you might want to opt for gold or surgical steel to reduce the risk of infection or bad reaction.
good luck!

I had my daughters' done at 7 months. She did great. They heal really fast. They tell you 4-6 weeks for them to heal. For me it was closer to the 4 week mark. I got small(not to small) balls. So they didn't catch on things, clothes, bibs things of that nature. And make sure you have 2 people doing it. As it will be faster and more chance of them being level.
As for infections.. umm what do little boys have done at 2days old?! ;0) no one asks them if they want it done. JMO!
The only thing with you having pictures on Thursday is that it takes a week to get the ink mark off. The redness only lasted that day.
My daughter cried as if for a shot. Then she was fine. I was worried about nursing but it was not a problem at all. Did not bother her in the least.
They do look so cute. I don't regret getting them done.
Good luck.

I pierced my daughters ears at 5 months. She did fine! I took her to Claire's in the mall. They gave me all the instructions I needed and the proper solution to clean her ears with. I just made sure to clean her ears twice a day and they did not get infected. My only advice is to always check the backs of the earrings to make sure they are on. When you pull clothes off, they tend to pop off. oh, and if an earring falls out and you can't get it back in, try putting it through the back to the front. If you have any other questions, let me know! :-)

I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 6 mo. old. I had it done in her Dr.'s office so I was a little less nervous then I would have if it had been done in a shop. She cried just a little and she still wears her earrings today (now 4 years old). My mom also had my ears pierced when I was an infant. I think your child tends to keep the earrings in if they have always had them opposed to doing it when they are 7 years old.

Some people feel it should be the child's choice but to be honest I don't know anyone who does not have thier ear pierced so to be honest she probably would want it done when she's older anyway. So I figured you might as well do it while they are babies so they don't remember the pain.

my neice had hers done that early and got a really bad infection. I would wait at least a year.

I had my daughter's ears pierced at 12 months and she did fine - and yes, looks adorable. Plus, since she's had them for so long now, she doesn't grab at them or try to pull them out - just buy some extra backings in case one does fall out since their ears close up so quickly. No infections or healing time - you just have to clean them as directed. My only suggestion is to take her somewhere where she can have both ears pierced at the exact same time instead of one at a time. Good luck!

Good Morning...i recently had my daughters ears pierced.she is 3 but it is alot of work...i guess only as they started to heal..you have to keep turning them. I did check into it when she was younger and i know that all shots have to be up to date and you will have to take the shot record in with you. Then boy has the price went up..It cost 43.00 to have them done.i was like wow...i don't ever remember paying so much..but they are worth it and she hardly cried. they give you a big bottle of cleaner. Her ears won't be red for pic. at least shaylas never got red after the piercing..that would look really cute..good luck

I had my daughters ears pierced right around that age. She did fine! There is no redness or swelling or anything. They fully healed in about 2 months. The only problem we had was that she kept getting them caught on afghans, carpet etc. No other issues. She 26 months now and we switched to hoops. They dont get caught on as much stuff!

Hi! I have two girls (7 and 2), and all ears are pierced. I am living in South America right now and actually everybody gets their daughter`s ears pierced. Do not worry. They look beautiful and even though they cry the minute the needle goes through it does not bother them at all. Just make sure that the earrings she wears for the first 3 months are pure gold. Not golden. This will prevent infections and future allergies. And I agree with you...they look adorable. Hope it helps!

The best advise I've heard on getting an infants ears pierced is that you either have to do it very early (less than 3 months old) Or wait until their over 1 year. When a 6-9 month old who is really starting to grab at things gets their ears pierced, they're likely to pull them right out, and then you have more problems than you wanted. And a that age, infected ears would be irritating and could be painful. I know theres nothing more adorable than a baby girl with earrings, but I'd consider waiting another 6 months.

Hello D.,

I had my daughter's ears peiced when she was 6 months old and I had it done at her pediatrician's office. It was safe, secure and I felt very comfortable. You may want to see if her doctor offers the same service or if they can refer you to another doctor.

I think it is a big mistake to do something potentially infectious to a child. And who knows, when she is a teen it may be the trend to not pierce or tattoo. It is usually the opposite of what adults are doing or have done.

I had my daughter's ears pierced at 4 months. We actually asked the Dr. if it was okay. She cryed, but not for long. I took her to the Icing in the mall and made sure to ask for the manager. This way you are getting someone who is experienced. They will give you some cleaning solution to use 3 times a day. They didn't every look bad. If you are going to get them pierced do it now. The older she gets the more likly she will "mess" with them.

I personally do not agree with people telling people what to do or what not to do with your children. With that being said, I currently work at a store doing piercing's at the mall. I pierce many babies, children, and adults every day. It is a PARENTS personal decision as to when they get their child's ears pierced. I see both sides. Honestly I have NEVER heard of anyone saying that they wished they did not have their ears pierced. There are risks of infection, and metal allergies, but this is like anything else that has risks.
The backs of the earrings are on and have a groove that makes it hard to get them off. As for choking, this must be rare because we do not have any warnings about this in our piercing acknowledgement form.
As for cleanliness, I can verify that in my store the instruments, and piercing station are wiped with Ohio approved Sani wipes. The piercing instruments NEVER touch the skin and the earrings are in a pre sterialized capsule.
We are trained via video, practice on "fake" ears, must watch a specified number of piercings, and assist in a specified amount of double/tandum piercings before we can pierce ears. Everyone in my store is VERY well trained and if you are in Central Ohio we would love to have you and your daughter in to get pierced. She should be ready for pictures the same day. feel free to send me a message if you would like the location.

It is ok we have all of ours girls ears done by 6 weeks it is easier the younger they are i am amother of 2 grown sons and an adopted daughter and 7 grand children 6 of them are of course GIRLS have a great day

i got my daughters ears pirced when she was about 3 mos. old i did it so early because when they get old enought to start exploring their bodies they wont fuss with the new piercings and try to pull them out .. she is now 7 mos. old and she never messes with them.. i would do it asap or u might have to wait till she is alot older... its like getting there shots every 3 months. it will only hurt for a second.. just have a bottle ready to help sooth her...

D.,
I was in the same boat a short while ago with my daughter. I was thinking about getting hers pierced as well and then after talking with a few people I decided not to. For a few reasons, but the main one being that I remember when I was a tween and got mine pierced. It was such a big deal for my mom and I to go, plus I remember having to take care of them myself, picking out the studs, making sure I kept them clean and rotating them. With everything that went with it, I didn't want to take that memory and responsibility away from my daughter as this is something she can earn versus just being given. So I decided that once she is old enough and wants it done, I will do it then and then we can make a big deal about it and create a lasting memory for her. Good luck

I have three girls and had all of their ear pierced before their first pictures, usually about three months. It fine to get infants ear pierced after their first shots. You should get it done before your child can put up a good fight. It's more scary for you then your daughter. Just have her bottle ready once she's done and she'll be fine. My daughter just turned seven months and I got her ears done a little late this time at five months and she don't even notice the difference.

I don't know about babies, but it took my ears took about a week to heal, but that is if no infection sets in. Personally, I think ear piercing should be a personal decision. I hate to see babies with their ears pierced because I know they don't have a choice. My cousin did that to her baby and later her daughter let the holes close because she didn't want her ears pierced. She said I don't know why my mom thought I would want holes in my body. Good luck with your decision.

D.,

I had my daughters ears pierced by the pediatrition at her 6 month appointment. She hardly cried. She was more upset that I was holding her head, then the pain from the piercing. Make sure you have her wear studs. Don't want her to wear anything she can get her hands in. Also make sure to clean often everyday and turn the earings. You should get instructions from the Doc.

Good Luck! I am sure she will look beautiful!!

Hi! I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 8 months old. I am so glad I did because she never knew that she had the earrings in and she'll never remember the experience. She is 2 years old now and we are getting to the point that we can get different earrings. She is so excited that she can wear earrings like Mommy. The few tears she shed were worth it. I was told not wait until they were much older because of the squirming. If the child is too old and is old enough to say no then a store may not pierce. You'll be glad you pierced your daughters ears.

one thing to consider is allergies - i am extremely allergic to nickel and it is in most jewelry. After I got my ears peirced it took us years to figure out what the problem was. (my ears were just continually infected) So i say just make sure you use only high grade silver or gold or nickel free jewelry AND beware b/c hypo allerginic jewelry still has nickel in it.

I have twin nieces that had theirs pierced when they were around 4 months. Now one is a tomb boy, (was girly when she was little) and she does not care to wear earrings that much now. The "girly" one on the other hand wears the big hoop earrings all the time. Now that I have daughters (one 5 months and one 8 year old), my husband and I decided that is a decision the child should make when they are old enough to decide if they want them or not. If my tomb boy niece had a choose, she would not have had hers pierced, so all I am saying is think about it. Yes, they are cute with their ear pierced, but is that what they would want?

I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 13 months old. Her's never were red for very long and they didn't get infected or anything. We had no problems and she has never messed with them (and she's 17 months). Good luck but I think you will be fine.

My biggest concern for a child her age is them falling out/her pulling or playing with them, causing them to fall out. Children her age tend to put things in their mouth and it could be a choking hazzard!

Good luck with your decision!!

I'm going to throw my two cents in here. I have a daughter and my mother in law (who used to live in Mexico where again the babies are pierced before they even leave the hospital) was shocked that I would not be having her ears pierced. I don't want to have them done and have her realize 10-15 years down the road that she would have rathered never had her ears pierced to begin with and she didn't even get an opinion in the matter. Yes it's cute but I just don't want to do something that she wouldn't have wanted. I want it to be something she's able to choose for herself. And then if she does want them done, it will be so much fun for us to have a girl's day out and pick out the right earings and the place to have them done. By the way, if you DO decide to have her ears pierced, you would be better off going to a tattoo/piercing place to have it done. Those things they use at mall type stores are NOT sanitary. They are used over and over again throughout the day, never even being wiped down with alcohol, nothing. At a piercing place they use a very small needle and it's over just as quickly without the loud noise that may scare her. Anyways, that's my two cents. Hope nothing I said was considered offense or like you would be doing a horrible hting by piercing her ears. I don't feel that way but I wanted to let you know my fears in ever having my daughters done before she could voice her opinion on it.
J.

My daughters ears were pierced when she was about 6months. She had no problems at all. I think it was easier than waiting until she was older( I did it when I was older and it was torture!!) and she did not mess with them. She did scream , but she was mad before the gun went off ,from being held so still( she reallay hated that!)!!! Good luck!!!

I have 3 girls and none have there ears pierced. They are 5, 3, and 1. My nieces have had theirs done very young. I just think it is work for the mom especially when they about 3-12. You have to do it all for them. Most people I know have had to get them done again when they are older because the child just doesn't care about them and lets them close.
Of course, it is your choice I and as far as I know there are no dangers. Good luck.

Hi D.. I had my daughter's ears pierced by her Pediatrician at 3 months, (she's now 5 years old)and she was fine. Of course there is a quick pain associated with it, however in her mind I'm sure it was the same as the vaccinations that she had endured. She cried for a moment, and stopped when I picked her up. According to her doctor, it was probably better to pierce her ears early so that she would not bother them during the 6 week healing period, and he was right. She did awesome - and yes...she looks absolutely adorable. Good Luck!! Keep us posted!!

D.,
I wanted to get my daughters ears pierced...she is now 4 and I couldn't put her through the pain. I was a teenager when I CHOSE to have mine done and it was nice to make my own decision.
If my daughter asks for them I will think of getting them done but I won't force her to have them done just for looks. My daughter likes to play dress-up with clip-on earrings.
At one of her doctor visits the doctor was running behind because there was an infant/toddler there with pierced ears that all the doctors in the office were working on...she had her ears pierced and somehow one of her earrings got stuck inside her ear lobe and they couldn't get it to come out the front or the back.
I don't know if they had to send her onto the hospital for surgery or what happened? I do know my ears get infected very easily from earrings (and it doesn't matter what kind of earrings I wear) they can be expensive or even with a plastic poast (my sister has the same problem) we both get knots in our ear lobes after wearing earrings. Mine even bleed etc...I never used to have this problem as a teenager.
My husband got me a nice pair of diamond earrings a few years ago that I can't wear as often as I'd like.
So, they could hurt your daughter and she might not be able to tell you?????
Just keep all of these things in mind before getting them done. Yes, she will look cute and things might be fine, but you never know.
I know a-lot of people get their children's ears done at a young age.
Good luck, I'm sure you will make the right decision for you and your child. Everyone is different!!!
T.

I got my daughters ears done when she was a month old. They have never been red and i always kept them clean so just do the same. She never messed with them and they really do look so cute. She did cry for an hour or maybe it just seemed that long. Anyway Good Luck!

did my daughter's at claire's. wasnt bad. they will give you all the necessary instructions on how to care for it. it doesnt take too long to heal as long as you keep the baby's hands off her ears etc.
Have fun :-)

I agree that little girls look absolutely darling with pierced ears! That being said, I have two daughters (ages 4 and almost 2) and I have not been able to bring myself to get theirs done. I think the main reason I'm hesitant is because my niece, who is now 17 years old, had hers done at about 11 weeks and one of them is not at all centered on her earlobe. I don't know if it happened when she had them done or if it's the way her earlobe grew....

Good luck with your decision!

Hello!

I had both my daughters ears done before they were 6 months old. I had the same fears. Will it hurt them, are they to young. But i did alot of research and found out that it is actually better to get it done when they are little like that. I learned that the cardlige in the earlobes are not as tuff in babies as it is when you are older. So they say getting it done young actually hurts a baby less then if you wait until they are 12.

I don't think that ear piercing is cruel at all. However my inlaws bought my daughter a pair of tiny hoops, NOT a good idea. And now that my daughter is 10, her earring holes are not centered, and the holes are stretched. I do have a 2 year old little girl that I think I am going to wait on this time. When she is old enough to ask for them and to be patient while we care for them I will do it. I do wish that she did have them done to look pretty, but knowing what I know now, I am waiting. Hope that helps. I think that the older children help us learn. But there were poeple that told me not to get her ears done and I did anyhow. I think that we all need to make our own mistakes.!

i don't know of any dangers. but i personally would wait till she is old enough to decide for herself whether or not she wants her ears pierced.

I had both my girls get their ears pierced at 6 months. They cried for MAYBE 1 minute, and then they were fine! They never play with them, (I have the ones that lock in) and they look real cute! And because they did not have any hair, the earrings helped people not call them cute little boys!. I did ask our doctor and he asked we wait till they were 6 months, to get the basics of all shot/immunizations done, once we did that, we brought them down to the mall!

Advice - Go ahead! they are very easy to clean and you only have to clean them for 6-8 weeks. But pay a little more $ and get GOLD earrings, at least 14 K. It costs more, but there is less chance of skin reactions then with stainless steel or sterling and they look nice. Also wait a good 6 months to a year before you change them. They little ones don't sit still and it is hard to get new ones in. Plus the longer they stay in, the less likely the holes will close. (little one I knew, her holes closed up after 8 months because her mom kept changing the earring almost daily to match her outfit and they would fall out... lots of problems). Hope that helps

I had my daughters ears pierced when she was 9 months old. My pediatrition actully did it for us, this is a service they provide and I felt it was the best route to go. I also chose to have it done at her 9 month check up because she was not going to have any shots.

She did very well and only cried at the surprise of the prick. She is almost 2 now and we have lost a few earings and have struggled with getting new ones in when she does lose them. We will wait until she is older to really start switching earings out.

We had no problems with infections and we just love that her ears are pierced. She looks very sweet!

hi D., have her ears pierced, i did my daughters at about 1 yr and shes almost 18 now, im older lady didnt use to believe in piercing but i do now. it wont take a secondto do it.she will want it done later anyway so get it over with and make her beautiful. M.

First i must tell ya i am from the old school. I am 57 years old. My mother had my ears pierced at the tender age of 3 days my sisters also had their ears pierced at that tender age. it was swabbed during the day and each day with alcohol.
Being of Mexican descent it seem to be a tradition. All my female relatives had their ears pierced. We all turn out okay no infections or complications of any kind.
But...............To be on the safer side and to give yourself a piece of mind. My advice is to talk to your baby's doctor. If your little girl has any kind of allergies. It can affect her. Yes our little ones look so cute beautiful but we must think of their health. P.S. Piercing heals very nicely. I had a friend who did not like her piercing. she stop wearing earrings, her ears heal nicely it took awhile but they did close up. no scars of any kind.
Good luck
L.

I used to pierce ears, and the only advice that I have is to make sure there are 2 people there to do both ears at the same time. It is quick, plus if you do one at a time you always risk the chance of her not staying still long enough to do the other ear. good luck.

We pierced my daughter's ears when she was 14 months and we said if we have another girl we'll do it even sooner. It was so easy for us to keep clean because she was so little, and she never tried to pull on them or anything...her earrings have just always been a part of her.

I don't remember any healing time...they might have been red for the first couple of hours after it was done, but that's it.

Dear D.,

No there is not a problem with it. Just keep her ear clean
every day and turn the earring everyday. My daughter had her ear pierced for about 32 yrs now. And she was 6 month when I
had it done.

sign,
lene

My best friend has 3 girls and she got all of their ears pierced when they were 6 months old. One daughter had an infection and they had to take the earrings out, the other daughter ripped one of hers out while playing and the other one had no problems at all. I am waiting until my daughter is older before getting her ears pierced. I got my ears pierced when I was 8 and I had horrible infections and I hated it. I think it just depends on what you want to do and how important getting her ears pierced are to you.

My mom peirced mine when I was still a baby and the next moring they were pushing through my ears backwards. I was allergic. That would be worse case scenario but approach your decision with caution.

We had our daughter's done when she was around 6mths old. She'll be seven next month now. She didn't have any issues with hers, but I have been told that some have had redness for a few days afterwards. So, you may want to wait until after her pictures and she'll be ready with pierced ears for her next pictures.

M.
Tupperware Manager, mother of (almost) 7yr old girl, 3yr old boy and 8mth old twin boys

I personally would never poke a hole in another human being without their consent.Piercing to some people is mutilating your body. My advice is don't do it, when she gets older she may not want that to have been done to her. Good luck on deciding the right thing to do.

I haven't read all the posts, so this may be mentioned. But, if I were going to have my daughters' (I have 3) ears pierced, I would do it at the pediatrician's office. I'm not sure if that's available where you are. But, I know our old ped office (Chicago burbs) would do it. They'd only do it on Wednesdays.

The thought of getting holes in my babies' ears by some teenager in the mall makes me cringe.

Good Luck!

I don't necessarily agree with the practice because your daughter is too young to consent, but, if you are going to do it, my advice is this.
Please take her to a piercing parlor to have it done. One that does body piercings and tattoo's opposed to taking her to the mall and having her shot with a gun.
Guns are extremely unsanitary.. and at least you know if you're taking her to a parlor- you can watch them unwrap all the materials and then toss them when they are done.

Well with all the answers you got I wasn't going to respond at first but heck, might as well right?

I decided NOT to get my daughters ears pierced when she was a baby. I didn't like the idea of it hurting her. Yah I know the whole 'she won't remember' and 'it doesn't really hurt them' (I call BS on that, it hurt me like hell the first time I got mine done) but I wanted her to be able to choose if she wanted them or not.
After she turned 5 she started asking about getting her ears pierced and I told her it's like a needle poke and it can hurt some but not a lot. Her response was "NO NO NO!! I DON'T want my ears pierced!!" then it turned to 'Do I HAVE to get my ears pierced?'.... that was asked about 4 or 5 times and the last time she asked I answered like I always had 'No honey you don't HAVE to but if you want to you can. It's your choice.' and she floored me by saying 'Well can we go get them right now?' lol

That's my story. Now it will take them 2-3 weeks to heal up all the way (maybe a little longer) and you shouldn't try to replace them till after at least a month. My daughter has problems with the inexpensive earring bothering her ears and if she wears them they get infected. We have to get her the more expensive/better kind of earrings to not have that problem.

Well what you could is maybe get your ears pierced,
then she will see that you did not cry and maybe that
will work!GOD BLESS YOU!HOPE THIS HELPED!

From mamasouce.com,

T. Waters

Hello D.. I had never heard of any DANGERS of having your childs ears pierced at a young age. Just becareful if you do, because they can snag on blankets that are knitted or hooked on knitted hats. I say that it is EASIEST to have done at a younger age, due to the fact that YOUR in control of the cleaning and sanitizing. I had my oldest daughters done when she was six months and not ever had problems other than the snagging on knitted blankets. I had my middle daughters ears pierced when she was 5 and they became infected and had gotten staff infection really bad, so we had to put her on antibodies and let her ears close. My youngest daughter got hers just this year and she's two and I think I have more problems with her, because she don't like the "POKEYS" going in and out of her ears and she says it hurts. Which I know diffrent due to the fact its just the thought of being poked. So if your gonna get them done, I'd do them now. My oldest has not and had not had any problems with her ears since. Good Luck.

Hi D.,

I had my daughters ears pierced when she was 11 months old. I would HIGHLY recommend it. She did scream a lot afterwards and I got a ton of dirty looks, but I still recommend it. I had the people that worked their do both ears at once. Took two people. They counted to three and both pushed the button at the same time. My daughter is now 3 1/2 and loves getting and wearing new earings. Plus, they don't bother her anymore, so she doesn't try to take them out. I think if you wait until they are three they just want them out because they hurt, but by doing it younger they don't realize anything is in there ears and if they do they don't have the coordination to take it out. Lots to think about, but I am so glad we did it so young.

Hope this helps.

Dear D.,

I had wished I had done my daughter's ears when she was an infant. Because she was just now able to get her ears pierced for the second time becasue the first (she was 8 was terrible and one of her holes was way off) was very tramatic. But this time around things went real well and she loves them.

But now for an infant, please try to find someone who will have a second attendant there to do both ears at the same time. The brochure that I recieved when I had my daughter's ears done this time says that if you call them ahead they will make sure to have 2 attendants, but if the infant is too fussy that they will ask the parent to come back another time. Which I think is reasonable. You also have to be able to make the commitment of making sure you keep her ears clean after the procedure. Because the cleaning and turning does take time. And that if you don't keep the earrings in for the 6 weeks that they can close up overnight. They even recommended that the parent keep an infants in for about 6 months even after they have healed to make sure those holes don't shut.

There is a lot of work with getting an infant's ears pierced, but I can definitely understand the desire of getting it done. Just make sure you have the time and have those two attendants and I think your daughter will look just adorable! And make sure you have some type of pain killer with you after it is done. Because she may be a bit cranky.:-)

Good Luck,

K.

I don't think its a problem to get your daughters ears pierced my only suggestion is to have both ears done at the same time. I waited until my youngest was 4 but that was just a personal thing. I think sometimes its better when they are younger as they won't "play" with them as much. My 7 year old got them the same time my 4 year old did and my 7 year old lost both backs to her earrings and had an infection already but my 4 yr old has been fine she doesn't even notice them. I suggest getting both done at the same time because if you do them 1 at a time you probably won't get the 2nd one done as she will cry. I did both my girls ears at the same time and my 4 yr old cried but it didn't last and she was fine. They might be red for awhile but it will go away and as long as you clean them daily she will be fine. I hope this is helpful.

Blessings

My sister in law took my daughter for a walk while we were in the mall and my daughter came back with peirced ears and a lollipop. She was already fine. Unless they get an infection or something, she should be fine for pics. My sister asked me to get her daughter done and it was the same thing. She cried for a minute and it was over. A lot of my family is from Argentina and the girls get their ears done at the hospital. The parents are not even asked. Just remember to keep them clean and twist them. You have to be ready to do that during the day. Good luck!!

You can have them done at birth. Some doctor's will even do them for you, or you can go to Sally's for an ear piercing kit. The healing times vary, but just keep it clean with alcohol and not peroxide because the peroxide will heal the piercing with the earring in it.

Good Luck!!!

B. Onochie

you should be fine. I had my daughters ears pierced when she was 3 months old and as long as you follow the directions given to you, should shouldn't have a problem. It is your decision, do not let anyone else decide for you, When your daughter grows up I am sure she will not care any way! It is much easier when they are younger, they do not fidget with them as much!

Have you considered asking you pediatrician to do it?

Some Ear piercings take weeks to heal and others only a few days. It really depends on the person.My little niece had her ears pierced when she was a baby.They looked cute and healed very well.She is 3 1/2 now.But ear piercing is painful to a degree.I would not sub-ject a infant to such pain my self.

I have done it both ways, my first daughter who is 13 had them pierced at 6mo.( as soon as she could sit on her own) she has never had problems and never bother them, they are just a part of her. She now has them pierced twice and takes wonderful care of them.

My second daughter was a preemie so we didn't get her's done. She begged me at 4 because she wanted "pretty" ears like her sis. It was a nightmare! She sat fine to get them done but played with them constantly and we finally had to remove them due to continued infections. Now she is going to have to wait until she is much other and can help care for them.

D.,

Why would you want to make a permanent change to your daughter's body before she can even make a choice? Perhaps she doesn't want to have pierced ears. It will HURT her, I seriously doubt she will have time to heal by Thursday, and then you have to nag her not to touch her painful ears while they are healing. You should at least let her get old enough to make her own decision.

Best wishes,
K.

I have my daughter ears pierced when she was 8 months old. I was more scared than she was. She was startled by the needle going in and cried then for 2 minutes and that was it. When you choose her first earrings , just make sure it's pure gold, 14 or 18 K gold and nothing dangling, a stud is the best. something little that stayed put. And i have them done at Claire's and they give you a bottle of antiseptic specially formulated to clean ear lobes and you use that every day to clean the earrings and the pierced ear lobes and in a matter of weeks it's all healed and you don't have to ever worry about it. My daughter is 3 now and she loves earrings and likes to choose her own. hope this helps.

Hi, I have 3 girls and I pierced my 4 and 5 year olds ears this year they didn't cry but their ears were red for a few days. I didn't pierce my 3rd daughter yet. I was worried about her pulling at them and she would not be able to tell me if they hurt her. She was 9 months old. I have known of lot of parents that have pierced their babies ears. But I waited until they wanted it done. My niece had hers done as a baby and she has had lots of trouble with infections.But she is now 22, so that was a long time ago. Just another moms opinion. D. B.

I have three children and two of them being daughters and have chosen to wait to get their ears pierced. The reason is this, I have a cousin that had her ears pierced as an infant. When she was about 18months, she got some toy caught on her small earing and ripped it out of her ear. Now one of her earlobes has a permant scar from where the earring was and she can not get her ears pierced in the same place again. I have not checked into this to actually see if you could get them repierced or not, but I would hate for my girls to have that permanent scar from something like that. I plan to wait until they are old enough to take care of them for themselves. I got mine pierced for my 13th birthday. That was so exciting for me to turn a teenager and be able to get them pierced. I hope this helps your decision. You just have to decide what is best for you and your children.

If you are going to do it make sure you have at least 14K gold earrings put in. With her being so young you never know what she is allergic to. I personally had to have my done twice because of being allergic to metals, even surgical steel. The reaction can make it more exetremely more painful for her.

Hi I had my daughters ears peirced when she was 6 months old. They healed very quickly. Really they didn`t even get red or anything. The only thing I would say for advice would be to use the cleaning solution they give you, use nickel free earings, and try to make sure they are tight but not too tight. My daughter is almost 4 and she`s been through probably 10 pairs of earings!

Christmas 06 we did all three girls the same day. 5yrs, 2 yrs and 5months. the 2 yr old was by far the most difficult. We just held the youngest tight, it was over in a minute, gave her a sucker and she was fine. too young to mess with them, they never have been infected and we just keep the same starters in most of the time. just turn them and clean them like they say. otherwise I would wait until she's old enough to make the choice herself like our 5 year old. it is very cute though.

It's interesting to note that the pro-piercing moms all say it was no big deal, noting that their daughters only cried for a minute. It seems like it was kind of a big deal to the baby daughter. I consider anything that makes my baby daughter cry a big deal.

Just consider this... For who's sake are you peircing your daughter's ears, yours or hers? If it is so that everyone will think she's so adorable, than it's probably for your sake. I bet she's adorable already anyway. If you can come up with a good reason as to why it would be for her sake, then who's to stop you.

I do sometimes think babies with earings look sweet like you said, but I personally want to wait until my daughters decide to do this on their own.

1. all infants are different , so the Idiosyncrasies of " oh what benefit would that be to her and her sleep and this that and the other" are false+++ It is all based on INDIVIDUAL beliefs and experiences...and what we all have "heard from others"....each child is different just as all of them in our world.
a- her sleep might be effected if the ears are not taken care of or she has a reaction to the piercing itself. That is a 50/50% chance...base it upon your own experiences as a child? I myself have had many piercings and my ears have been fine each time! Along with my tongue and my belly button area/naval*...so its up to you.
b- consult with your pediatrician if you feel you need further advice or consultation and only go to a licensed piercing specialist.
2. We took my daughter Mia at 8.5 mo's old to the Strongsville Mall and went to Claires Boutique ( www.claires.com and they have beauitful gold /platinum /etc earrings at reasonable prices - we paid $28.+ with tax.

Do what you feel is best...after getting all your resources gathered! Blessings!

Society forces little girls to look, behave, and endure consequences of things they are way too young for. Having your baby's ears pierced at this age is a selfish decision. It's not for her, it's for you. If you truly want her to have the "pierced ears" look in her pictures, then get stickers but do not force pain upon your baby just because you think she would look "sweet", wait until she's older and wants her ears pierced. Then it can be a super special "mom and daughter" day when you go together and she does something neat for herself because she chose to and you support her decision. Don't rob yourself and her of something that could be a very bonding and memorable thing if you allow it to be.

well i have just read the other responses, and i am sorry to say, mine is quite different. i have a daughter who is 8 yrs old, and i am just now considering letting her get her ears pierced. my granddaughter is 2 1/2 and just had her's done, and she did do great. but i have to say....
they go through hell when they get shots...and those are for a reason. if only for a minute or two, you are willing to put your innocent, precious baby through pain, just to "look cute" ?? well happy for the ones who didn't think of this when they got their kids ears pierced, but sorry, i could have never done this to mine at an age when they don't understand why someone is hurting them.

well good luck with whatever you decide.

My son had my granddaughter's ears pierced when she was 4 months old. They did both ears at the same time(one piercer on each side) and she cried for minute She had no trouble healing, she is now 3 years old and she is wearing lady bug earrings. The look adorable on her and she is so used to them and has several pair now. Ryan just makes sure every day or two to make sure they are tight(not too) so they backs don't fall off. I want to add his wife and mother of Emma abandoned her at the age of almost two and he got custody and they (Emma and him) could not be happier. He is a excellent Dad.
We live in Sandusky and when we travel 75 to go south we usually stop in Tipp City to eat.

If you are going to do it, do it now. They leave the earrings alone better the younger they are when their ears are pierced. They also heal pretty quick if you keep them cleaned.

There are many parents that have sucessfully pierced their babies ears. They also look darling. I never have done it with any of my girls. I felt as though they needed to be old enough to make that choice for themselves. It hurts and they can be sore for a few days. For one of my daughters it was a good thing to wait because she had two allergic reactions to the piercing......She chose to under go not only the piercings but the infections as well. Turns out that this child can only wear real gold ear rings of 14k or more. Funny isnt it.....expensive girl....hahaha

I do not have anything against parents who pierce their babies ears at all. It is adorable. I would ask my pediatrician to find out what to look for with any possible infection or alergic reactions......Also make sure you go to a professional and not just anyone......Good Luck....

I have 2 daughters 6 and 2. They both have pierced ears. I waited until they were 1 yrs old. I don't see anything wrong with doing it now. I think doing it young will give you a better chance of her not messing with them. They will be fine for her pics if you do it now as long as you use the cleaning solution they give you. There was no swelling or anything when I took my daughters to have it done. Good luck. I hope this helped.

I think you should wait a little because she's just getting into the phase where they are exploring EVERYTHING and she'll easily be able to take off those ear rings and swallow them. I'm sure your daughter is pretty without ear rings and I'd let her wear other accessories that she can't swallow.

Hi D.,
I actually had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 3 or 4 months old. I took her to a ENT doctor at Cleveland Clinic and he really took care of her. The pediatrician would also check her earlobes everytime I took her to the doctor and we had no problems at all. She cried of course but it was not that bad. I believe it hurt me more because I had to hold her and watch him do it. I just could not take her to some ear piercing place because I truly did not trust them with a child that young. It really is a personal decision however.
I can't remember the doctor's name but it was the ENT department at Cleveland Clinic in Beachwood, OH.

I have no experience with it, but my opinion is to wait. This is something that she will never get to undo if she doesn't like it. And, why put your daughter through unnecessary pain just to have her "look so cute"? I'm sure that your daughter is very cute as she is. Why do you feel this is so important to do now? What would happen if you waited a few years? (My ears are pierced 4 times on each side, but I only wear one pair and they're the same every day.)But that's my opinion! She's your daughter. Good luck.

I am a grandmother and a nurse who works for our family doctor. What he advised was to wait until the child was around 8yrs old and let her have it done as a spcial event (birthday, etc.) I don't think there true health hazards if you have it done by someone responsible (like NOT your neighbor)and you keep the earlobes clean daily with alcohol. Make sure the first ear rings you have put in are good quality-I invested in a small pair a gold studs for my daughter to have as a keepsake.

PSN

PSN

Go to a professional piercing place or a doctor's office. I learned in nursing school that the "guns" used to pierce with cause a "splatter" of tissue and blood and are not safe or sanitary. You might feel weird in a tatoo parlor with your baby, but totally safer and sanitary. Having had it done with a "gun" and a piercing needle myself, the needle was WAY better! No loud noise, and I didn't feel it at all. Plus it is less tramatic to the surrounding tissue, so it heals quicker.

Hi D.,
I have 2 girls, I had both of their ears pierced when they were 2 monthes old, my one daughter didn't even wake up, the other cried for a minute so I began nursing her she was quiet. Their ears are a little red for a couple hours after piercing, but they were fine. Your baby is a little older, may I suggest to bring something she loves to snuggle afterwards, and get her a yummy treat to take her mind off the sting. Thats what my sister did with my niece as she was older than my girls when her ears were pierced. While some may say its cruel, it is better to do it as young as possible in my opinion, I've been with friends who have taken 2-5 year olds, it was not a pretty sight. Also, when you take her make sure there are 2 employees to do the piercing, this way they can stand on either side of her and do both ears at the same time, this too is much easier on baby and mommy too. Let me know how it goes. M.

I pierced my daughters ears when she was 2 months old. It did not take long to heal. I had to put a solution on her ears (they gave me) every day for a few weeks. Unless there is some sort of infection, she should be fine for pictures. I would say the dangers in doing it is a small chance of infection... I did not have any problems. I know some doctor's offer ear piercing in their offices now. I took my daughter to the mall, I didn't know that doctor's pierced ears or I probably would of went to a doctor to be extra safe. I'm glad I did it... I had no problems and my daugter is 3 and loves wearing earrings! GOOD LUCK!