Questions Regarding Ear Piercing

My advice. Wait. With a capital W. The holes could get infected, she could swallow an earring and choke, she could accidently pull one out, she could have a reaction to the metal that they use on posts, the back of the posts could jam into her scalp if she bobbles her head hard or sleeps on her side. No, it is not better to have it done now. As she grows, the hole could grow too. Wait until she begs you for pieced ears when she's a pre-teen.

I have a young daughter, too. I say, wait until she is old enough to decide for herself if she wants them pierced!

I was 6 when I had my ears done. I was sooo excited! I remember being in the chair, I remember the piercing gun, but not the pain.

However, both of my cousin's little girls had theirs done @ 3 months of age. There were no infections or anything with theirs. I think actually it would be better to get it done @ a young age, because they can't play with them & get the new piercings dirty. Whereas when I got mine done, I was old enough to "fiddle" with them and get them all sore.

Hope this helped :)

Hi A.. There is no benefit of getting ears pierced in infancy as opposed to later. I personally don't believe in piercing infant's ears. I dont' think it's cute for babies to wear jewelry, and you don't know if she's going to want to wear earrings. Parents who pierce infant's ears are doing it for them, not for the baby who doesn't know she has earrings on. She doesn't know WHY it hurts. My daughter was 10 when she got her ears pierced. She hadn't expressed an interest before then, and I don't believe in choosing things like piercings and tattoos for other people. It's their body. They don't need those things. Also, I had no desire to take care of piercings, with the alcohol, the turning, the bacitracin so I would not have had it done when my daughter was little if she'd asked, she had to wait til she was capable and responsible to do it herself.

Good luck with your decision

Hi A.,

I have a 6 month baby girl and I will NOT get her ears pierced. A few reasons:
1. Another responsibility for me. I have enough right now with two children, a cat, a husband, work and a house.
2. I am so afraid that the post will dig into the side of her head.
3. I am afraid she will yank on the earring and pull it off.
4. I am afraid she will choke if the earring falls off and she picks it up and puts it in her mouth.
5. I want her to make the decision that she wants earrings. When she does, then I will surprise her one day and take her.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON:
6. She's beautiful without earrings.

Good luck with your decision!
J.

Hi
I dont believe in ear piercing as I think children should be allowed to grow up and have a choice in decisions like that. I think its more selfish on the path of the parents who wants it done as the babies arent even aware of the ordeal that they are being put through. Suppose the child grows up and didnt want her ears pierced. U would be held responsible. Its to the satisfaction of the parents who thinks its cute.well there are other issues to contend with as others alraedy mention. However the choice is yours so all the best in ur decision which I hope will be in the interest of ur baby. My daughter is 12 and she says 'Mummy I'm glad u never pierced my ears when I was young".

Why the rush to get her ears pierced? Does she frequently get mistaken for a boy when you're out? That's really the major reason most people pierce an infant's ears. I agree with the poster below who said to make it a special occasion that she can remember and treasure and have some part in, like picking out her own earrings. My husband and I plan to wait until our daughter is old enough to want it herself. It's just unnecessary, in my opinion. Especially if it's causing you stress.

Hi A.,
I'm with Monica. Why does a 5 month old need her ears pierced? She's got enough going on with learning about the world around her. If you do it, I'm sure she'll be fine and yes, it will only hurt for a minute. But why not wait until she's a little older and say 3 or 4 years? Then you can make a special occasion out of it. You can take her to get her ears pierced, go earring shopping together and out to lunch. I suppose I'm in the minority too but I think a 5 month old is cute enough - she doesn't need earrings to add to it.

Oh my goodness...I say don't do it...I personally don't understand why a parent would intentionally inflict an unnecessary pain on their child - and it does hurt!!

My advice...wait til she's old enough and it's her decision.

My 5 year old wanted hers done when she was 4 1/2...I told her she had to wait til she turned 5 and we would make a special birthday celebration around that event.

We went to the mall, had lunch, shopped for a little stuffed animal (which she held onto during the piercing)...then had her ears done...It was horribly painful for her...Once it was all over, she was fine, but it's a really special memory for her...

I say wait.
Best wishes,
J.

I got my daughter's ears pierced at about 6 months old. She was fine for 2 months. Then she discovered her earrings. She then learn how to yank them out! I would find her earrings in the crib, in her carseat, you name it. She would pull on the front so hard that the back would pop off. She even did this with the original posts that the jeweler had put in. I find it insanely hard to get those out myself. I was afraid she would rip her little ear one day, or possibly try and eat an earring. So I finally took them out and let them close up. I am going to wait until she understands how to care for them to have them repierced.

Most doctors have ear piercing kits. So,I waited until my daughter had a well visit that didn't require any shots. At nine months, my daughter's doctor did it in the office. Just make sure the doctor has done it before, you don't want her holes to be uneven. If your doctor doesn't do it, I suggest going to Piercing Pagoda on a weekend when they have more than one employee working. With two people, they can pierce both ears at the same time. This way, if she freaks out after the first one, the second ear won't be torturous. Good Luck!

Wow, judging from the other responses I'm going to be in the minority here, but I have a girl and would never do anything to her body without her permission. I also have two boys that are not circumcised because it's their body to choose to do with it what they want, I don't believe that decision is mine to make. My daughter can make the choice when she is old enough / mature enough to understand and I will take her. I just won't do any kind of body modification on anyone when they are too young to protest.

I had both my daughters' ears pierced when they very young.My older one was about 4 and 1/2 months old and the younger one about 3 months old. They are now 14 3/4 and 9 1/2 years old. The younger loves to wear jewelery and the older one could care less. The cleaning and twisting was easy. We had no problems with any of it. I do have watch my younger daughter because she has allergies and can only wear gold or silver earrings nothin with nickel in it. I am so glad I did it when they were younger because i think my younger would never do it now because she hates getting shots and she doesn't even remember it now.

I think it's certainly a tough choice! My mother let me make my own decision on it, when I was 14. (My ears are pierced.) One of my girlfriends had her daughter's ears pierced when she was very young and ran into problems. They were very into "pretty girl" stuff and used hairspray on their infant's hair to keep it in place. Some of the hairspray got into the newly pierced hole...the earrings only lasted three weeks before they had to be taken out, due to the infection from the hairspray. I guess what I'm saying is just know that if you pierce a baby's ears, it's completely your responsibility to keep them clean! ;-) Like buying a kid a puppy...they're never REALLY going to walk it.

Hi A.,
I have 3 kids and two are girls they both have there ears pierced and they were done at 6 and 7 months old. My pediatrician pierced them for me. Neither one of them bother there ears and we have had no infections. I cleaned them twice a day with alcohol and changed them after 6 weeks or so. I use earrings that have safety backs or screw on backs,I only use 14 kt gold in there ears. I buy the earring either at the jewelry store or walmart. Good luck with your decision. My doctor did tell me to either do it while they were young or to wait until they were older. I wanted to tell you that with the Dr piercing them he had to do 1 ear at a time if you go to the mall they can usually pierce them at the same time if 2 people are working.
Sherri

I did it at the doctor's office at about 7 or 9 months.. she was fine

Hi A., I was 6 months old when I had my ears pierced and still have original holes without ever having a problem. I got my daughters ears pierced when she was 6 months old as well without any issues and she is now 15 with a "few" holes in her ears. It is a really simple process to keep them in good shape. Rubbing alcolhol loosens them and then you give them a turn. It really is quite simple and little girls look so cute with studs in their ears! Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

I had my daughters ears done when she was 2 months old. Never had a problem. I found it easier as she wasnt playing with them be the time she became a toddler as it was natural for her.

Care for them is easier than you would think, while your holding her giving her the bottle or each time you change her diaper just give them a little twist. When you bath her, swab her ears. If you make it a routine during those times, you only need to do that for a few months.

Check the backing each time you clean to make sure not to loose or tight.

Hi. I am a mom of 3 kids, 2 of whom are daughters. I had their ears pierced at 3 and 4 months old in a pediatrician's office. It went great. They cried, but were done before we left the office. I had to put antibacterial cream and alcohol on their ears for about 6 weeks twice a day or something like that. When putting the alcohol on with cotton balls it also turned the earrings, so it was no big deal. I also have friends that waited until their daughters asked to have it done and that was fine , too. Good Luck.

Hi,

I was born in Bolivia and actually there, you usually have the doctors pierce the babies ears while they are in the hospital. The key is probably where you get them pierced. Make sure (like someone else suggested) that the earrings are of good quality, make sure they are not allergic to gold and maintain the piercing clean.

Good luck!

A.,
i had my 10 year old daughters ears done when she ws 5 month old and we were very lucky, she fussed for a few minutes and was done, the person who did her ears was not able to do both at the same time but after she did the first 1 i gave my daughter her bottle and she was fine for the second. my second daughter had her ears pierced when she turned 3 and again we have been lucky, have had mine daughters done at 2 different ages i would recommend the earlier the better. i would love to have the 1 year olds done but my husband is very much against havingthem done before they can request it. i was lucky, i was a single mom w/ my oldest daughter and was able to make the decision to have hers done on my own!

good luck

I did it when one was 4 months old and my older was 5 years. It was like night and day, the little one had no problem and older had tears and infection. So much better when they are little they barely notice and really seems to hurt less. Good luck

I think it's a good idea to get it done early, it's better now then later when she'll be more fusy. I had my 2 daughters' done about that age. Cleaning is easy with rubbing alcohol and a bit of neosporin afterwards will help. It's a great idea to get the screw type so she wont lose them.
and of course they look so pretty...
good luck..

I have two daughters, both of them have their ears pierced. My older daughter had hers done at 6 months and my younger daughter had hers done at 9 weeks. Niether one of them ever had any problems. There is nothing to worry about!!

Hi A., all the little girls in my family have their ears pierced between 3 and 6 months. You will be in charge of cleaning and twisting and all should be well. Grandma Mary

I had my daughter's ear's pierced at 7 mos. She cried for about a minute, then it stopped. Now, she never touches them and they look so cute! We did it at the Jewel Box in Whitestone, Queens. I also did my goddaughter's at 6 mos. She also cried for about a minute, then it was over. We did hers at Tri-County. It was $40 with the "diamond" studs. They did a nice job. I would do it now because when you get older you're more aware of fear and pain. Good Luck!

Hi A.,

I have 3 girls and all had their ears pierced before a year old. My oldest was 8 mos. and she was the more difficult of the other two in terms of wiggling. I found the younger they were the less they wiggled and were aware of what was going on. It was easier for both of us that way. As for cleaning, wherever you get them done, they will tell you how to clean them and you really just have to remember to twist them once or twice a day for a while. Good luck!

Hi A. L

I had my daughters ears pierced when she was 2 months old
the PA at the doctors office did it. All i had to do for like the first two weeks i think was put bactine on around the front and back and turn them a few times a day. it was fine no infections. you leave those earrings in for at least 3 months then you can take them out and put others in. she cried for a second and then it was over.

The Twisting and turning and cleaning is all a breeze and it just makes her look more feinne. My daughter is 7months old and we had hers done at 6. It's great. Dont be worried!

Hi A.,
It's funny you ask this question today. I just got my 10 month old daughter's ears pierced yesterday. We had planned to get them done when she was 6 months (thats the earliest my Ped. will do it) but her ears were too small at that time. The worst part yesterday was when they took the band-aid off that was covering the numbing medicine. It was stuck in her hair and when the nurse took it out it ripped her hair! Then she couldnt look at the nurse without crying! Bring a bottle with you to soothe her either during or after. It kept my daughter distracted and her head straight while she was doing it. She cried but I honestly think it wouldnt have been so bad if she wasn't upset about her hair being pulled out. We gave her some Tylenol afterwards and once she woke up from her nap she was fine. I had no problem cleaning them last night or today. She didn't seem uncomfortable at all either. Many people, even the nurses told em I should wait until she could ask for them to be peirced. My thoughts...who doesn't ask to get their ears peirced??? Everyone here said their daughters eventually asked to get them done. Talk to your ped. about it and they can help give you information. Then you and your husband should talk about it and make the decision together!! Best of luck :)

Hi A.!

I had both of my daughters' ears pierced at about 6 mos. of age. At the time of the piercing, they cried out a little (more because of the noise it made rather than any actual pain). Once it was through, they stopped crying immediately and we went about our day without a hitch. Fortunately, I did not have a problem with either of them (my oldest daughter is now turning 5 and my youngest just turned one) and it looked so pretty! I was very vigilant about cleaning and turning the earrings, this is a really important step, especially with infants. One thing you may want to look into is whether your Pediatrician can do the piercing. Many doctors do ear piercing now because of the popularity. Unfortunately, our doctor didn't do it, but there are plenty that do. Its worth looking into.

Good luck with your daughter!
K.
(Stay at home Mom of three- daughter (almost 5), son (almost 3) and daughter (just turned one!)

I had my daughter's ears pierced at 4 months. We had no problems at all with anything. You just have to make sure you keep them clean with the solution they give you and twist them as they are healing. Make sure to wash your hands before touching them. My daughter cried for two seconds when they did it and then she was fine after that she and never bothered with them and she is 2 years old now. She still has the same earings in. We do change them but I love the piercing ones they have a good strong backing. We got her 24 kt gold with dimond studs. I suggest getting the backings that are rounded so that the end of the earing doesn't poke her. My daughter's came with them and I think most do. I did take my niece when she was a year old and it was terrible she screamed and then touched them alot and never let us touch them even when they feel out she wouldn't let us put them back in. We even tried when she was sleeping and it was impossible so they closed up. I took her again when she was 4 and again she screamed and fought us and then the same thing happened she touched them, they fell out, and we never got them back in again. To this day she is now 8 and she doesn't have her ears pierced and she won't go. I would highly suggest doing it now than later. I had mine done as a baby and still have them to this day and never had a problem. Hope this was helpful. If you need anymore info please feel free to ask.

Dear A., I had my daughter's ears done when she was 3 months old. The sooner the better as long as she is in good health. They cry for maybe 10 minutes and then go back to normal. Just make sure whoever does the piercing is putting in gold studs to avoid possible infection. Don't worry so much, I had mine done at age 1 month. Good Luck.

Hi A.
My daughter is now 3yrs old and I had the same experience as you are having now. I believe you will find it not as dificult as you are worried about. It was very easy and believe it or not your little girl will forget they are there after a short time. I did check out everything before doing it. What I found out was that its best to wait till they are 6mo and to make sure you use real gold post. As well as checking with my daughters dr I have friends that own a jewlery store and they said as well to wait till 6mo and use gold post. To this day my daughter hasn't had a problem with her ears! The more you clean the less likely they will stick and cause a problem. Like everything there are people with good and bad about piercings but I think you will find people having more possitive getting it down early. Good luck and god bless your little one!
M.

My first daughter had her ears pirced promptly at 4 months by her doctor, and my second daughter is due to get hers done at her 4 month visit (in 3 weeks).
As far as keep up, I always twisted my daughters in the shower (at the end) when the ear and any buildup around the posts has softened.
In the end it was the best way to go, she did not play with them because she "didn't know" she had ears yet. By the time she played with her ears they were very well healed.
Oh, and we never had an issue with an infection. Hope this all helped! Good luck in whatever you decide.

I wanted to pierce my daughters ears since she was a baby. My husband was against it.
At 9 her she finally got her ears pierced. Which didn't last very long. The back of the earring made its way into the very tiny ear piercing. We ended up having to go to the doctor to have it removed. She says she will never wear earrings again.

Good Luck.

I pierced my daughters ears at 6 months. She cried for like 20 seconds after it was done. I would swab alcohol and twist them when she was sleeping in my arms after breast feeding for like a month. She has never had any infections. Once it looked a littl bit red on one side I swabbed the alcohol on it a couple times for two days and it went away. This is a good age to do it. When they are older they are more aware and they touch it a lot with their fingers and that gets the infections. As a baby they dont even know its there really. I'm glad I did it!

I got my daughters ear pierced when she was 3 months. she was fine. Every night before i put her down for bed i would use a Small alcoholic wipe like the ones the doctor use before a shot. I would use that to clean it and turn her earing twice both to the front and twice to the back. This work out very well.

Hey A., I just had my 6 month old daughter's ears peirced and it went VERY smoothly. Like you, a part of me was terrified. (Funny I wasn't as nervous getting my son circumcised and that's way more scary if you think about it.)Anyway, I had it done at my pediatrician's office, which made me feel a lot more comfortable. Here's how it went down.

1. He made little marks on her ears with a marker. I checked to make sure they were even (I brought my mother for moral support and glad I did, b/c she made him re-draw the dots)

2. Then she sat on my lap. I had one arm across her chest, holding down her arms, and my other hand on her forhead holding her still. The doctor grabbed her earlobe and used a little gun to put the earrings in.
There was really no way she could move.

The care is VERY easy. I do it during diapering. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I wet a cotton ball with alcohol, squeeze it on boths sides of her earlobes and give her earings a twist and move them back and forth. It doesn't hurt her at all. It takes about 10 seconds.

The first day she had them done she was a little cranky (but she also had shots that day too) By the evening she was fine. And she hasn't complained since.

I do suggest doing it now when she won't remember the experience and you can control her wiggling better than a little girl. My brother regrets not doing it with his daughter who is now 4 and wants earrings.

Good luck!

i had my little girls pierced very young,as soon as they gave me the ok i done it.They say the pain isnt there that young and its sooo simple to clean them,i went to piercen pogoda(usually in the middle of the mall) they have expensive earings but well worth it.There 14k and as long as u clean them with the solution like they tell u theres no problems and no infection.My daughter cant have the fake earings or she swells up and her earing whole gets all pussy so getting them pierced with the nicer earings eliminates the worry about that.Good luck with ur decesion-when it comes down to it use ur mothers instint and go with it-u have to be comfortable with ur decision...

I had it done at three and a half months old. It wasn't bad at all. If you are worried about the pain, think about it this way the ear piercing hurts alot less that the shots that she gets every few months. It is good to do it early my daughter is 13 months now and doesn't really touch them because they've always just been there. I don't know if that will change. But the cleaning and twisting was not bad at all. I think it to be done for six weeks. I just did it as part of the changing routine I think I did it before bedtime or maybe it was twice a day. your daughter is a little older than mine was when I had it done so I don't know if that would affect it. Good luck to you.

i had my daughter's done at 6 months and have never had a problem with them (she is now 2). Best recommendation use nickel free just to prevent infections. At that age its better to turn them when they are sleeping. My daughter now lets me take them out and put them back in also.

my mom had my ears pierced as an infant and then my dad freaked and she took the earrings out and said I could get them pierced at 8yo. when i got them pierced at 8, you could feel where the original piercing had been, and it was in a different area of the lobe than i pierced once my ears had grown to a more adult shape (it probably wouldn't have made a difference, but it was not the middle of the lobe).
I can see the argument for doing it as an infant (you would be responsible for all the cleaning and care, and that may work better than with an older child who would be more aware of the pain and less diligent about the cleaning), but there always are possibilities of complications (like anything in life).
Good luck.

My college roommate had her ears pierced as a baby. Her blanket got snagged in one of her earrings and as she pulled the blanket away the earring ripped through her lobe. Of course she doen't remember it, but she has a split lobe an cannot be pierced in the typical spot. So be careful whatever you choose.
A.

I have 3 girls ages 8,7 and 2.
Each of them had their ears pierced before age 3 months.

It's quick and easy, do it when they are young. Go to a good jeweler or pediatrician. :)

I had my daughter's ears pierced at 4 .5 months
the rule is once she has had her shots it's ok

my daughter had no infection or problems at all

I was nervous as you are and it was very easy.
I just turned them everyday and never even needed to clean or disinfect them, no redness or anything.

I am a mom of 7 and grandma of 7. Four of my 7 were girls. I had all their ears pierced by 6 months old. Never had a problem.Back then,ya went to a jewelry store like everyone else.A little alcohol on a q-tip each day w/a slight turn,and all was fine.
Today it is even easier and safer because most pediatricians do it now. I think that may make you alittle more secure in doing it. Ask yoour pediatrician if he does it or if he knows of one that does.

hi; i had my daughters ears pierced when she was 4 months. she barely winced. i winced more than her. i debated going to a jewrey store or ear piercing kiosk and it was suggested the kiosk because they do it more often. it was a clean environment the equipment is sterile. the turning of the earrings does not hurt she did not show discompfort when cleaning. if she moves alot then do it when she is asleep its only a couple of seconds. you pick the location of the hole (some say you should wait because the location may move as they grow but its centered in a location i like sofar also i had mine done when i was 3 months old and my holes look centered still. good luck

Our pediatrician pierced Jillian's ears at 6 months. They were fine, cleaning and Twisting them were no problem. I do have to admit, I sent her with my parents to do it, b/c I was to nervous, and my husband "had to do some work", I think he was scared LOL. I am very happy we had it done. Good Luck! LeeAnn

Hi A., I too was worried about having my daughters ears prieced when she was 4 months old, if my husband and mother- in-law would of had it their way she would of came out the hospital with her ears prieced. I'm glad I got it done my daughter didn't even cry, I was shocked and it never got infected. I also had her pediatrician pierce her ears. I didn't want to risk her getting an infection. My advice would be to ask her doctor to do it or recommend someone or some place. Good Luck.

Hi A., I had my daughters ears pierced when she was 3 weeks old she got her shots and her ears pierced at the same time. Alot easier on baby, never had a problem, now my baby is 16yrs old.

Hi A.-

We had our daughter's ears pierced when she was 5 months old. (She is now 3) We had no problems with the cleaning and turning of them. We also had no problems with infections whats so ever. The only problem we had was with the backs of the earrings. They were the screw on type and they seemed to come loose a lot but, that wasn't until we took the starter earrings out and replaced them with new earrings.

I would also check with your peditrican to see if they pierce ears at the office. We had it done at the peditrican's office. I was a little uncomfortable about thinking about taking her to the mall or elsewhere. The piercing went smooth and they even prescribed a medication cream that we applied to her ear lobes 1hour prior to the appointment to numb the earlobe. They also recommended that we get them pierced before 6 months or after the age of 5.

GOOD LUCK and I wouldn't worry.

I had my daughters ears pierced at her 3 month check up at the pediatricians office. She did great. She cried less then with her shots. It was very easy. I cleaned them twice a day for six weeks with alcohol. She was too young to play with them and cause infection. That is why I suggest you do it sooner than later and I would make sure a pediatrician can do it so that it is done in a sterile environment. My daughter is now 16 months old and her ears are perfect and no problems. She doesn't even know they are there. Good luck!

Hi,
I did my daughter's ears around that age. I found that instead of using the straight post earrings with the snap on back I replaced them immediately with small loop earrings. This way I kept it lubricated with bacitration on both ends and could clean around the back and front with no problems. Also found that this helped to heal the ends of the pierced ear in both the front and back quickly. Using the loops you can easily push the curved post back and forth just enough to keep the earrings from sticking to the ear.

After doing this I told other friends of mine and they too said they preferred the loop earrings better especially the mother who had gone through this earlier with the oldest daughter.
Hope this is helpful to you.
B.

Dear A.,

Ear piercing is such a personal choice. I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 6 months old while at the doctor's office. My family is Latin and it is a rite of passage. She is 10 and has never had an infection or anything wierd. We just keep her stocked with top quality gold or silver earrings. She did try some cheap earrings once and her ear felt a little irritated and she has never tried any other metals again.

good luck.
Ana M.

Most doctor's offices don't do them until their 9 mos old. And with her being so young I wouldn't have them done anywhere else. Those places at the mail are o.k. if you can sit still, but at this age she won't.

Hi A.,
Be not afraid. Get clearance from her pediatrian first. Some pediatricians do it as well. Or go to a jeweler who has experience doing it. I took my 2 girls to the jeweler when they turned 6 months old. I had a bottle on the ready, which immediately comforted them after the initial shock. That's basically what it is to the baby, a brief shock, much like an immunization. Proper care is relatively simple, but essential to avoid infection. You'll get instructions. As for the twisting, baby won't feel it. Good luck.

A.,

I had both my daughters ears pierced when they were 6 months or younger. My husbands cousin is a doctor and had her daughters ears done when she was less than 2 weeks old.

They are easy to clean and from what I hear infections are rare.

A.

I my daughters ears at 8 weeks old, she is now 8 months. I had no complications with it at all the cleaning and twisting was fine. Of course sometimes she would keep turning her head when I would turn them but that was the worst... if you call that bad.
Best of luck
J.

My youngest daughter's ears were done at age 3 months. Not a problem at all and much easier to take care of than the 4 yr olds and the 6 yr olds done at the same time.

Hi,
I have a 16 yr old daughter. I waited to pierce her ears until she was old enough to decide if it was something she wanted done or not. She asked to have them pierced at 5. We had no problems at all. She was able to twist and clean them by herself for the most part. I don't believe in doing anything to my children's bidies unless it's something they want done themselves.

Hey there A.,
I had my daughters ears done at 8 weeks old...just after her shots. What I liked about doing it so young is that she only cried for like 10 seconds and fell back to sleep,So I didn't have a broken heart. As far as cleaning and twisting I just did it every other time that I changed her diaperand we never had an infection. I think that when they are babies they just think it is part of their normal routine. One note it to see if you can find a plastic surgeon in your area who does it or possibly a doctors office. They are usually better about working woth the babies than the places in the mall. Good luck and enjoy your baby...they get big too quick.

I have 3 girls, all have peirced ears. The rule of thumb is before 3 months or after 3 years. That is reccommended for safety reasons. PS. My first was 2, the next was 8months, and the last girl was about 5 months. Not too many problems, but you have to know your child. I babysit a thumbsucker/ear massager when tired, for her pierced earrings, not a good idea. I don't think it is a problem, but you need to keep an eye on them. DO NOT get the SCREW BACKS. They can screw in too far. Don't squeeze them too tight for fear they will fall off, again can go in too far. The doctor may do them for you, if you worry about safety. The decision is yours to make. I feel that if you both aren't in agreement, you should not get it done until you are both ready. That is my opinion.
Good Luck in your decision.
Teri

Dear A.,
We had our daughter's ears pierced at 4 months old, that was 24 years ago. My husband is a jeweler and could not wait. Like you, I had my reservations about it. But I experienced no problem taking care of them afterwards when she was that age. The only painstaking part was when she cried when they were done, but it was no worse than a vaccination. She stopped crying the moment I picked her up. I had them done at the pediatrician.
Yes, you should have them done early because babies quickly and easily forget the ordeal. You should decide whether to do it now or wait until she makes the decision on her own. And she will most likely want them done eventually.
You'll make the right decision.
W.

hi A.

i understand your ambivilance. my hubby wanted our daughter's ears pierced too. (why is it always the guys?) so i did it at the pediatrician's office at her 6 month checkup. When they pierced her ears the worst part of it (for me) was that they had to hold her completely still so they could get the earrings in evenly. That was the part she hated the most, because they held her down firmly. I don't think the actual piercing was so traumatic. She never bothered with the ears after that, they healed up nicely and there wasn't too much maintenance required. She is now 5 1/2. But for my second daughter, I didn't want to do it, so i am waiting until she is ready and I will take her to the mall or whatever. She is 3 1/2.

There are safety issues when considering piercing a baby's ears; even though, others have had no problem. When I was a student teacher, I had a really cute little sixth grader in my class. She always wore these really big button earrings, which I though was a little out dated. When I asked why she didn't change off to some smaller earrings for a change of pace, she showed me why. She had a huge triangular gash in her ear lope. Her mother had her ears pierced at a very early age and her earring got caught in her sweater. Instead of waiting for help, she panicsd and jerked her head. The earring remained caught in the sweater and left a gash in her ear.

Another consern I would have would be choking. If the earring falls out of her ear, she might pick it up and put it in her mouth.

I had my ears pierced when I was three months and my little one will have her ears pierced at her 4 month check-up, which is the earliest her pediatrician will do it.
I don't really understand the concern over pain associated with the piercing and healing afterwards - as parents, the decision to circumcise a newborn male comes easily (for most - I understand that parents are choosing not to do that now, but still). Circumcision is far more painful and permanent.
It will be easier for you to pierce her ears now when you are in control of cleaning it and she is too little to pull them out.

hi A.;

i had my daughter's done at 8 months and it worked out well. the cleaning and twisting was easy because in fact she was really too little to bother the ears at all and too little to stop me even if it annoyed her; which it didn't, really. now that she is 15 months she gets VERY annoyed if i want to change the earrings or check to make sure the backs are on snug, but i usually have screw-on backs so they stay all right.

i like the way little girl babies look w earrings but it's not for everybody. if you're not comfortable w it then don't do it! tell your husband look, i'm the one that has to clean it and care for it, it's my decision.

i would say the only other thing to think about is that it's one less thing for her to look forward to when she is older; the only regret i have about doing it early is that i remember how much i looked forward to it for my own 7th birthday, it was a BIG deal, very big growing up moment, so now my daughter doesn't have that. oh well. guess she'll get a phone instead or something. :)

good luck!
J.

I don't know of any girl who will NOT want her ears pierced so I don't feel that this is a decision to put off for the girl herself. I had mine done when I was 14 years old (after years of begging and hearing "no" I just went and did one day) and had infection problems for years.

Based on my surveys with other parents, I decided to have my daughter's done as a baby and she is very grateful because her ears healed within days and she never gets infections (like her friends). Babies have incredible healing abilities and you really won't have much problem to deal with this.

I am very much into keeping life as natural as possible and those of you who have read my other posts might find this one unusual but I really asked a lot of people about this before making my decision and I have never regretted it. My daughter was asleep when we did the first ear and then the second one was easy enough to quickly get done. She cried for a few seconds but I think it was more the shock of the sound of the piercing gun than pain. They never bothered her.

S. Hoehner
www.sharethecause.com/detoxqueen

My daughters ears were pierced when she turned 4 mos old. I waited to make sure that our doctor said it was okay first. My husband was the opposite, he wanted to wait until she was old enough to make the decision for herself. But I took her to the mall and had it done and she didn't cry and we had no problems with cleaning them and turning for 6 weeks. Now she is 8 mos old and everything is fine. Good luck

Dear A.:

I was born and raised in Romania and the tradition there is that baby's as young as few days old to a few months get their ears pearced. As far as infectitons go, I really don't recall anyone having any problems. They heal really fast and won't even realize it. I think you should go for it - it really is easier when they're babies. Don't worry!

I. - Mother of 2 boys

Hi A.!

Both my girls (age 3 and 17 months) had their ears pierced at 3 months by their pediatrician. It was quick and easy. Both girls cried for a minute from the popping of the gun. The cleaning and twisting was really easy at that age and thank goodness neither had an infection. My older one loves her earrings and asks to change them every so often. My younger one has no idea they are even there.

Good luck with your decision! :o)
S.

I had my daughter's ears pierced when she was 6 months old and it was no problem!! She only cried when she heard the "pop" of the piercing gun and it only lasted for 1 minute!! No problems afterwards....Good luck!!

I'm going out in a limb as the only one...but...personally, I think the decision to have her ears pierced should be hers. When she is old enough to know what ear piercing is, if she asks to have them done, let her do it. It's just a matter of respect, in my opinion.

We got our daughter's ears pierced at 6 months old by our pediatrician. We had no problems at all. I agree that it's probably better to do when they are younger.

I realize that you posted this a few weeks ago so might have already made your decision but here's what my parents did with me:

I was told I could get my ears pierced on my 8th birthday. I don't remember the pain, what I do remember was how excited I was to turn 8 years old & thinking about what kind of earrings was I going o get. I picked out some gold hearts that I still have to this day...I'm almost 32 years old.

My grandmother (dad's mom) took me to get it done a few days before my birthday (which in retrospect & being a mom myself, probably pissed my mom off).

But what fun that was for me...

Hi A.,
I have an 11month old daughter, Jordin, and about 4 months after she had her first shots my girl friend and I took her to Westchester to get her ears piereced. I was nervous of course, so my friend Rose went with her to have the procedure done. It turned out to be relatively easy. The concerns and fear are usually our own and not the child.

If you find a facility where stff asks for and checks the child immunization HX, and they clean their products in your view and give you solution to clean the ears to prevent infection, then go with them. The turning also becomes easy because the possibilty of an infection greatly diminishes.

Talk over your fears with your spouse, and then make a decision that is comfortable for all.

I had my little girl's ears pierced at 13 months. I did have reservations of doing it whe she was younger but ended up wishing that I had done it much sooner though! At 13 months, my girl was moving alot and could not stay still as I cleaned her ears and twisted the earrings around for the 3 times a day for 6 weeks that was prescibed after getting the ears pierced! I think if I did it when she was younger than it would have been much easier and there would have been less of a struggle. I had come to dread the task of doing it and was so relieved when it was all over! My only other recommendation is to consider getting earrings where the back gets screwed on to the earring. I found that most of the earrings got caught on her sheet, her jacket, etc. and I would find an earring missing. I was scared for obvious reasons plus it was pure turture to wrestle with my daughter to put the earring back in! However, with all that, the earrings just made my little princess that much more beautiful! Even my husband, who was very reluctant in the first place, is glad that we had her ears pierced. She is now sporting pink and blue earrings that my husband bought for her! Good luck!

Hi my daughter ears where pierced at six weeks. It's less painful for them at an early age. She'll be fine,and so will you. remember to put 14kt earring in anclean with alcohol twice a day.

A.,

I had my daughter's ears pierced at 6 months old, when the MD would do it. Her pedicatrician gave me a cream to numb her ears 1 hour before the piercing was done. She has had them for almost one month now and thank God no infections. Just put alcohol on them once a day and rotate the earings daily. One piece of advice: Don't have your little girl have 2 more shots after that. My poor daughter was given her 6 month shots immediately after the piercing. She cried for one hour straight. She looks very cute and I have to say the ordeal was worth it. I will always remember that day but fortunately she will not. I say go for it.

I did not have my daughter's ears pierced and now she is 7. She has been asking me for the last two years to get it done although she is afraid of the pain. I REGRET not doing it when she was a baby. It would have been quick and over with. I know that I could not have taken her and would have to let my mother or husband do it. Even now, I am not mentally ready to take her because I don't want her to hurt. Good luck. P.S. I now have to make the same decision about my 10 month old son's circumcision (yipes)

Pierced my daughter's ears at 3 months old. Don't panic, it's as easy as cleaning her belly button was. Go to a good jeweler and they have choices of gold baby earrings to pick from. Pearls, birthstones, diamond studs, etc. They are screw backs so they won't fall off and you just have to make sure to turn the earring, not the screw back, daily and wipe with alcohol and/or dab some neosporin with a q-tip to the backs. It will be just fine, don't worry.