Piercing Infant Ears?

[Living42Day]

Opinions on piercing an infant's ears? My friend just had her 2-month old's ears pierced. At Claire's no less. Putting permanent holes in your child when they're fresh out of the womb and can't consent is just wrong in my opinion.

 

[C&Jx2]

I don't think it's cruel or anything, I mean... We do lots of cosmetic things without a baby's consent like circumcision (more and more evidence shows it's not medically necessary and the benefits are marginal), remove benign birthmarks, etc...

BUT in my family we look at ear piercing as a right of passage. My daughter got her ears pierced around 3rd grade when she was ready and was able to take care of them herself. My husband and have had a lot of tattoo work done at a local shop and had them do it. Professional piercings are more sterile and have better healing outcomes than the places in the mall that use the guns.

 

[KayMichigan]

My father was a pediatrician and he was against piercing the ears of babies because they can't take care of them themselves.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I wouldn't do it at that age.

 

[sam_gordon]

We didn't do it. Our girls got their ears pierced when they wanted it and they were responsible for taking care of them. However, if someone is going to do it to their infant, I couldn't care less.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I know that in some places it's a cultural tradition.

My feeling is that it's an aesthetic decision each individual should be allowed to make for themselves if and when they are able to express it and, of course, can be responsible for caring for it.

 

[Karin1984]

Very common in Europe and according to Google also Hispanic countries, India, Brazil.

Here in the Netherlands there is no minimum age, but jewellers don't usually do it under 3 months old. And it is up to the jeweller if they do pierce ears on babies or only children and adults.

 

[punkin]

My grandmother back in the "old country" had her ears pierced at birth by the midwife. She did not have her daughter's ears pierced at all. I had mine done at 12. I was begging after my 16 yo sister got hers done. I don't think it really matters at the end of the day when or if you get your ears pierced.

 

[unrequited23]

It's not the age of the child that gives me pause, it's the fact that it was done at Claire's. I'm firmly in piercings should take place at a professional body piecer or Dr.'s office if an infant.

 

[MamaLema]

DH’s culture it’s done 2-3 months of age.

My culture it’s around 12 years.

We have 3 boys so it wasn’t an issue for us

 

[mjkacmom]

It's not the age of the child that gives me pause, it's the fact that it was done at Claire's. I'm firmly in piercings should take place at a professional body piecer or Dr.'s office if an infant.

I waited until my girls asked, but this was before knowing it is so much better to go to a professional and not a Claire’s. I remember asking my pediatrician, they didn’t do it, she said they had an ear gun but obviously weren’t really trained. Needles are much better than those guns (they go to a tattoo parlor now). Lots of babies here get them.

 

[tzolkin]

In my family, newborn girls got their ears pierced. I'm not sure the exact age, but I think mine were done a few months after birth as were all my sisters and cousins.

Putting permanent holes in your child when they're fresh out of the womb and can't consent is just wrong in my opinion.

I think I was the first person in my family to break the tradition and mainly for this reason. I wanted to let my children decide if they wanted them and when they were ready. (We also chose not to have our son circumcised for the same reason which was a HUGE controversy.)

I was once at the grocery store with my niece and my middle daughter. Niece was an infant in a carseat and DD was around 2. This lady approached and was being super weird and motioning and whispering trying to ask me something. I finally figured out that she wanted to know why I pierced the baby and not the older one. She was concerned that DD would feel "left out" because she didn't have her ears pierced. I just responded, "that one's not my kid".

My father was a pediatrician and he was against piercing the ears of babies because they can't take care of them themselves.

My family saw that as a benefit They felt that it was better to do it when they were a newborn so they wouldn't be messing with them while they healed.

 

[Moliphino]

I would wait until they're old enough to ask for them and take care of them themselves.

 

[mom2rtk]

I worked at a book store at the mall when I was in college. There was a Piercing Pagoda right outside our store, and dang. The sound of those babies crying made an impression. Said I would never do it until my child could consent and take care of it herself. My daughter had hers done at 13 and promptly told me I should have done it when she was younger so it would have been done already without her remembering or anticipating with fear. Lol. I'd still wait though.

 

[fly girl]

This is one of those cases that personally, I wouldn’t pierce, but who am I to tell someone else what they should/shouldn’t do with their own child?

 

[mamamary]

I can’t remember how old my daughter was - maybe 10 or so. That’s when she wanted it done.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I had my ears pierced when I was a baby. I was maybe 4 or 5 when apparently I decided I didn't want to wear earrings any more and I haven't since, the holes have long since closed. My sister also had it done when she was a baby although she continued to wear earrings (not sure if she still does but she did into at least part of her adult life).

The advantage to when doing it when you're very young is the pain isn't something you usually remember (especially when done as a baby). I wouldn't get my ears pierced as I was older, the anticipation and pain, etc would have made me say no way.

As far as the hole part in terms of what is being talked about it's extremely minor. If someone isn't comfortable with doing it to their child that's not an issue whatsoever, but in terms of ear piercings it's also not something I see an issue with whatsoever for other parents to opt to do it to their child.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We have 3 boys so it wasn’t an issue for us

I could see it not being a social norm for a male baby to have their ears pierced but I went to school with multiple guys who had piercings in their ears some had quite a few actually. Gauges were common enough as well (both sexes wore those too).

 

[AppleDumpling]

I personally wouldn’t do it, but don’t judge others who do. JMO, babies and little girls are beautiful without any extra adornment and don’t need jewelry (or makeup). I prefer it when they’re older, responsible, and can make the choice themself.

 

[sailorstitch]

My cousin and his wife got their first daughter's ears pierced as a baby. (This was in the early 90s.) Later they regretted that decision because she couldn't consent. When they had their second daughter they didn't do it.

I agree about the Claire's point. I tried to get my ears pierced when I was 15. I found out the hard way that I'm allergic. Last year I went into a Claire's store. They happen to be having some piercing special that day. The sales lady approached and asked it I wanted to get my ears pierced. I told her what happened when I was a teen and that my doctor said to never do that again. She scoffed, "Of course a doctor would say that." She completely dismissed my very valid no and continued on with her sales pitch. Thankfully a second firm no ended it. I left the store shortly after because I was so uncomfortable.