When Is a Good Time to Get a Babies Ears Pierced?

OKay I've read some of these answers and I must now add my two cents. I have two girls (ages 18 and 44 months) and and NONE of them have their ears pierced. I beleive it's something they should decide for themselves.
I remember recently reading about the outrage over piercing kittens because they had no say in the matter, and therefore it was a abusive. Quite the double standard I think.Don't read in too deeply, I don't consider getting a babiy's ear pierced to be abusive.
I am going to close using a statement from a mother I happened to agree a great deal with. It's a baby not an accessary. There is no harm in putting it off till she makes the decision for herself.

Y.,
I have a boy, but I can honestly say that if he was a girl, I'd be getting the ears done when when it is asked for!
I find it very odd that people are actually asking you about/expecting the ear piercing!
In the end it is a personal decision.

Who says you HAVE to get her ears pierced in the first place?

Just because people keep asking, doesn't mean you have to do it. Maybe you're more worried about what to say to these people who keep asking-as if it's their business. If they ask IF you're thinking about it sometime, fine, but they don't need to be asking "when" about it.

Well, since you asked... Personally, I think 16 is a good time. No offense (you're the mom, you're in charge) but it's not your body. She's not an accessory, she's a person. If she wants them pierced later, she can do it, but that's her call, not yours. You wouldn't get a baby a tattoo, would you?

We didn't circumcise my son for the same reason-- it's his body, not mine or my husband's. Obviously, some decisions (like vaccinations) we had to make for him, but thing that aren't necessary are his choice. No harm in waiting on her ears.

Wait until they a teenager and can take care of putting them in and out on their own and that they really want it.

Not a social outcast for not having pierced ears at all. Think more kids are unpierced then pierced anyway.

Also tell the busy bodies to keep their opinions to themselves.

Hi. I don't know that there is a "right" time for ear piercing, and I went through the same see-sawing that you seem to be going through, but I just decided to wait until my daughter was 1 year old. She cried at first and then forgot all about it in, and I'm not exaggerating here, 30 seconds! Now she's almost 5 and I'm happy I did it. You just have to be very careful about the type of earrings you put on her and the type of backs you use, and keeping the holes clean.

Good luck!

I had my daughter's ears pierced a few days after she had her tetanus shot, she was around 2-2 1/2 months. She actually slept right through it. From my experience, I would definately recommend doing it while their little. She has never bothered with them or tried to pull them out b/c they've been there all along. Hope that helps, and thank you for being a supportive wife to someone brave enough to defend our freedoms.

S.
Allentown, PA

I honestly don't think you should do it until she's old enough to ask you to pierce her ears, if not old enough to take care of it herself when it's done. I believe that it's cruel to pierce a baby's ears. It hurts, and I for one don't like sleeping in earrings. They are forced to do this when their parents choose it for them.

I actually find it odd that people are asking when you will pierce her ears! Why does it matter to them? Not one person asked me when I was going to pierce my daughter's ears, and some were actually a little surprised when I let her get it done at 4 yrs old. :) She had been asking for about a year, so we decided to go ahead and let her. The piercing gun misfired and they had to take one out and re-do it. She was so excited to be getting it done that she smiled through the whole thing, even the misfire and re-piercing. She was as ready as a child can be, but she eventually realized that they are kind of a pain to deal with and wishes she would have waited longer. She even asked if she could let them close at one point, but I wouldn't let them. She chose to have it done, and she will have to keep up with it. Her ears are super sensitive, and as of now the only earrings she can wear without pain is the actual piercing earrings (even her 14k gold ones hurt her ears). I had to go back and buy a few more sets of piercing earrings so she has some earrings she can wear. She had lost one of the original ones.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. I think it's unnecessary to pierce a baby's ears.

ETA: Just wanted to say my daughter is almost 8 now.

Hi Y.. I think a good time is when the child is old enough to be somewhat responsible for the care and maintence of holes and ear rings. I have three girls and they each got their ear's pierced around 2-3rd grade. I was glad in the long run that we waited, mostly because of ear infections and my oldest had sever reactions to every kind of earring post with the exception of platium! Best wishes

Hi Y.,

You know how much trouble it is to keep the earrings cleaned and taken care of!

Are you ready to make sure that twice a day at least the ears are cleansed with antiseptic.

If you are then do it. If not, tell everyone when the baby can ask for her ears to be pierced then she will have them pierced.

good luck. D.

My little girls ears were peirced by one of her pediatrcians a few days after her 6 mth shots. She stopped crying before we left the exam room where it was done. We loved getting it done this way. Hope this helps

I personally don't see why anyone would want to pierce a baby's ears. I think that is a decision that the child should make themselves. I have girls and waited until they asked if they could have it done. One was five, one ten and another 6. I wouldn't do it to them, no matter what other people said.

All three have had problems with the holes getting infected, and the older they are the easier it is to get them to clean and take care of them. There is a good chance that the earrings could get caught in a baby's blanket, hat or other clothing and rip out of the ear, then you have that problem to deal with.

But it's your child, you do what you feel is right and not what other people say you should do.

I have always heard after they have had their first few sets of immunizations. My daughters were 6mos & 9mos when they got theirs done, it was right before Christmas and they were great it didn't even phase them, J.

Y. and DADDY ,
In your case ; You should wait for DADDY to be home to 'ENJOY" a girly day w/ his little girl and wife ... !!!!!! it is worth the wait .....
well, now I self peirced my girls ____@____.com DAY they came home from the hospital ... no issues EVER ... their little bodies believed they were born w/ earrings ... henceforth , I do not recommend this practice today ...to many bacterias , germs , infection in our new world ...
my grand daughter waited 'till kindergarden ...
what a nightmare !!!!! she was a run'n, scream'n , cry'n child three seperate times with 3 different family peoples [ mom, grammy l, grammy t] ... we managed o-n-l-y- 1 ear peirced ..!!!!!!!!!!!
than ... at age 10 'she' asked for earrings .
she sat down with the ' double gun' [ left and right at the same time] and bham ... done , lovely , happy skippy ..
I would really consider waiting for daddy and have the dr. do them .. [ ask @ your next visit to pedi... the dr. used to peirce all the time]

ps= I put white thread in my childs ear before insearting a set of gold earring [6 wk.]
if the dr. will do this for you ; ask what kind of earring you need .
pss= if your baby is 'not' a hand chewer ... get a baby ring !!! all jewelery stores sell them ... braclets too !!!! or; if she chews on her right hand ; place a baby gold ring on left finger ...[ be safe ]
in my tradition , girls just always wore jewels ...

pss= if you are waiting to Baptize Mia ... great time to get her ears peirced , a ring, a st. neclace, a braclette and daddy can pick it all out ... he would love this ...
thank you
tell daddy mamas in l.v. said,' thank you . be safe, Mia's waiting !'

Hello!!
First, wonderful name for your baby girl...my 19 month old sweetheart is Mia also! I also have a 5 year old Riley and they both have their ears pierced. Two different stories with this...When Riley was about 5 or 6 months old i thought about getting hers done because i figured it would be better when she was younger and she wouldnt remember that it hurts a little...well i took her to her doctor to have it done because i saw signs for it and i figured that it would be better there then in some mall...it was one of the most horrible experiences EVER...they took her into the room strapped her down to this table which just made her histarical before they even did anything, they did not have all of the stuff ready so they left her strapped to this table while they played around with the piercing gun and then they finally got her one ear done...by this point she is screaming so hard that i am in tears with her...so they then proceed to take their time trying to get the other earing in the gun to do the second ear which it jams and they are laughing about...i am furious at this point...and they finally get it done...she goes to her grandmothers for one night and comes home with only one earing in (1 week after the horrible experience) and she says that the earing fell out and Riley would not let her put it back in...so IT CLOSED!! Grrrr... I took her other earing out and waited until she was about 3 1/2 to take her to the "dreaded mall" where she told me that she wanted to have it done and there was only one single tear shed and she was SO excited when it was over...With Mia she was about 7 or 8 months and i wanted to get it done for her...again so she wouldnt remember...and never had the strength to do it on my own...we were walking through the mall one day with my two girls and their daddy and he said lets just do it...Mia screamed for two minutes, the lady gave her a lollipop and it was over...SO much better then Riley's experience...I would suggest just doing it now, find a nice patient person at the mall...That is where i had the best experiences!

Y.,
It is your decision, but I recommend piercing little girls' ears as infants. This is a time when they are unable to run away and they only cry for a minute or so. My sister-in-law did not pierce my niece's ear while she was an infant. My mother decided to take my niece to a jewelery store when she was about 3 years old to get her ears pierced. I went along and it was quite a scene. My niece cried something terrible and would not let the jewelry clerk pierce the 2nd ear. She made such a scene that the jewelry clerk asked my mom to bring her another day because she didn't want to upset the other customers. It was well over a year before my mom could coax my niece to get the other ear done.

I had all 3 of my girls done at 13 weeks. They never even cried. an with being cleaned an turned daily you'll have no problems.I think the longer you wait the more scared they get with some stranger touching them an holding them still.My peds didn't allow it untill 13 weeks. I did all 3 of my girls at the mall an she did a great job.

Personally, I really think it should be up to the person whose body it is to have it altered. Even if it's just their ears. They're hers.

I remember getting my ears pierced when I was a kid & it was a big deal--like a rite of passage. I felt so brave & strong having it done. It was something that I was afraid of & I felt so accomplished when I was able to do it.

That being said, if you choose to make this decision on your daughters behalf, I HIGHLY suggest that you look into having it done at a tattoo shop or piercing salon, NOT the mall!!!

There have not only been outbreaks of Hep B linked to piercing guns @ malls, etc... but the people who pierce are not trained very well. The guns that they use can not be sterilized, as they are made out of plastic, frequently jam and even pinch the baby's cheek in the gun while the ear's getting pierced. It also uses blunt force trauma to pierce the ear since the earring itself isn't sharp at all, and causes a lot of pain & inflamation of the ear.

At a tattoo/piercing studio however, they are trained professionals who specialize in body alterations. All of their equipment is 100% sterilized. They use a very sharp, thin needle to pierce the ear, which only feels like a little pinch. They also use hoops instead of studs, so bacteria doesn't get trapped in the wound while it's healing.

When my daughter chooses to have her ears pierced, I will be taking her to a professional piercer at a tattoo studio.

Hope that helps some!

Ok let me just start by saying this is your decision. I have 3 daughter of my own and had previously worked for 10 years in a jewelry store piercing ears. I pierced all of my girls ears at 6 months old. It is the noise from the plastic popping that scares them and they stop crying within seconds. They do not play with them because they forget about them and think they belong there. In my years of piercing I had many times where parents wait until "they ask" and the children get one ear done and off they go nevre to return for the other. I do not recommend 2 at 1 time b/c they are never straight b/c 2 people will always be a second off and the child flinches. Trust me if you decide to do this now you will have people say mean things, i have heard them all. People would stop in the mall to tell me what a cruel thing i am doing, but guess what it is the mothers decision and not anyone elses. People will always disagree with your decisions in life. Just make your decision and stand by it.

You have to decide when the best time is. But we had our little one's ears pierced when she was 4 months old. She sat on my lap and there were two ladies that did an ear at the same time. And as soon as they were done, she started to cry, I gave her a bottle and she was fine. She is almost 4 now and she has never played with them and they have never gotten infected. We kept putting this antispetic solution around the piercing for the first few weeks to keep it clean too. But take a friend with you for moral support. And it's over in five seconds. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Age 10 or 12, when they can make the choice for themselves.

When she can make the decision for herself, perhaps?

Personally I would let her make that decision when and if she wants them pierced. While it may look cute on an infant, there are risks involved at any age. Wait until she's at an age when she wants to have them, not just becasue it's cute. Both of my older girls had it done when they were 8-9yrs old
V.

I know many babies get their ears pierced, but I would wait until the child can make her own decision...around 5-6 years old. I have a three year old with no holes. She has never asked and I am not rushing.

My family is Puerto Rican, so it's kind of a tradition to get the girls' ears pierced. When my older sister was born in Puerto Rico (42 yrs ago), they actually pierced them in the hospital! Today, double check with your ped, then if he/she gives the ok, do whatever you're comfortable with. Six years ago my ped told me to wait until my daughter had her 4 mo checkup and shots, so we had them done at Christmas time when the kiosks were having jewelry specials. I held her arms, they did both ears in a matter of seconds, and she cried from the kiosk to other end of the mall, which was a 2 minute walk. After that, she was fine, didn't fiddle with them, and she looked really cute. I know a lot of moms don't approve, but as I said, it was a cultural thing, a family thing, and now my daughter has the choice of wearing or not wearing earrings. Some of her friends want pierced ears, but are now afraid of the pain. Good luck with your decision.

I say 7 years old. I would never get them pierced as a baby. They fall down and bump their heads too often.

I have always been amazed/shocked when I see babies with their ears pierced. Now don't get me wrong, they do look cute. But, I personally would not put my daughters through that. Nor would I want to add the responsibility of caring for the newly pierced ears to my already busy schedule.

My ears were pierced when I was 4 yrs old. My mother told me that I asked for it. I had a second hole when I was 13. I have two daughters, ages 9 and 2. I have no intention of forcing them to pierce their ears. When they are ready, they will ask me. Only at that time will I even think about having it done to them. The responsibility of caring for the pierced ears is theirs and is part of the experience of having pierced ears.

My suggestion to you is this. You are already unsure of having your daughter's ears pierced at such a young age. If you were ok with it, you wouldn't be asking other mothers about it. Anyway, you are her mother. Which means that you are the only one, while your husband is away, that makes decisions about your daughter. If you don't want to, or are unsure, about having your daughter's ears pierced, don't be pushed into it by friends and family. Ultimately, you have to live with your decision, not the other women who are trying to force you into it. This is something that you really need to think about for a long time. Once it is done, there is no going back. If you do it now, you have to care for her ears diligently. If you don't, they will get infected. And then you will have even more problems to deal with then just the everyday care of your baby.

Good luck on your decision.

I had my daughters done at her doctors appt when she was 9 months old ( she did not get shots this visit) she cried for like 2 mins the same as a shot and she has never touched them since. Unless it is to say look at my earings.

I waited til my daughter was 10 and don't regret it. That was the age I thought she could care for her own ears and it was always something that she could look forward to. If you do it now, it is just one more thing you are going to have to take care of.

Everyone is different. My brother and sister in law decided to let my neice get her ears pierced when she is ready to take care of them herself. If you are really set on having her ears pierced do it now. It is going to hurt unfortunately. You can go to piercing pagoda they are good at doing childrens ear piercings. If they use the piercing gun it will be quick. Congrats on your baby girl. Sorry to hear you ahve to do it all alone. good luck with everything.

Y.:
I was going to just read others responses becuase I was curious as to what kind of advice you would get, but as always (lol) I read something I disagree with and now must throw in my two cents (quel suprise!:))

Do NOT get any other type of jewelery (other than what you decide for the ears) for a baby! Not like you would, but when I saw someone say it is safe to put a RING on a baby I fell off my chair ("she won't chew her hand" etc). ALL babies gum objects...it's how they experience their world...NO RING is safe...geez..agh..hormones raging...must stop...blood pressure rising...I had better just end it here. :)

Good luck with whatever YOU decide. It seems that some people have very strong opinions on this one. Btw...I thought only stuff like tattooing is "body modification"...really..ear peircing is considered it too?! Wow...

p.s I never peirced my dd's ears becuase she did some modeling and film (and yes she had fun and NO I 'm not a stage mother and she will NEVER be in a pagent) and they liked the fact that she could pass for a girl or boy..check out Father's Day cards his June from American Greetings..that's my girl! (okay, now I'm bragging..lol...it's just she looks so cute!!)

When your daughter should get her ears pierced is up to you. I was five when my aunt took me to get my ears pierced with my mother's permission and my cousin wanted to have the honor with my daughter so I allowed her to get them done when my daughter was three. My dauther did not like the pain at first but my cousin let her pick her earrings out and then when she looked in the mirror and saw them she was very excited. Sometimes she wears them and others she doesn't. Usually, at least as far as I have seen, two people pierce ears when children are involved to make it as quick as possible. With babies it is a lot easier but if you want her to wait that's okay too.

I worked in the mall across from one of those booths that did that. ITS HORRIBLY sad watching it done. How about waiting until she tells you she wants them pierced. It should be her decision to alter her body for decoration, not yours. Sorry to be so blunt but you are causing unneeded pain for "looks".

My first daughter I had her ears pierced when she was about eight weeks old - it was great because she was so young she didn't pull on them or anything. My second daughter had a few minor problems (cleft palate with many ear infections) so we held off. About age three she insisted I take her to have them pierced. I looked for a store that had two people working so they did both ears at the same time. It happened so quick she didn't know what to do! She did complain about them being sore for a few days, but they were already done. Either time worked fine for me - it's really what you prefer. Hope that helps!

Y.,

I think that this is one of those things that falls into "we decided what is best for our family." i have several friends who have pierced their daughter's ears as infants, Dh and I have opted to wait until our daughter is old enough to both ask for the procedure and to take care of them.

For us, several things went into the decision: a desire not to make permanent modification to her body without her consent, the inability to watch her every second when she might pull on the earings and hurt herself or cause infection. My parents left the choice up to me and i was probably in the 5-8 age range when I decided for sure that I wanted my ears pierced. it's one of my special memories of things i got to do with my mom. I also have some friends who have decided that they do not want their ears pierced and are happy that the decision was left up to them.

Good luck deciding what works best for YOUR family.

S.

Hello Ivonne,
First of all, I just read such weird answers from some people about the ears of your girl being pierced and bla, bla, bla...You decide what to do with your children, how, where, and when. I've being leaving in the United States for 11 years and I've seen the most wear behaviors in my entire life from some people. In this regard, I can tell you my father is a neonatologist/pediatrician and psychologist and when I was pregnant with my first child I asked him to advice me in the ear piercing deal. In my country, Venezuela, the nurses do it at the nursery, once the baby girl is brought to them. They have the proper sanitary environment and the technique is very simple. With the ear piercing piece they straight open the hole. The sensitivity is very low and you bet your baby will not remember anything, whatsoever. They are some pediatricians that do it in their offices. I have friends who have done it in States. On the other hand, I did not do it myself, as I planned to do it, because I had a baby boy. Furthermore , I think they look very cute with earrings and those who question the pain of it, they should question the circumcision, and the vaccine shots, as well. Is it that painful, too? You can consult your pediatrician and ask him/her for advice. Good luck.

I'd say that it is what you feel is the right time. My mother waited until I was old enough to take care of them myself. I have a 26 month old daughter and I took her to get hers done at 11 months old. They should do both ears at one time and I found it alot easier to deal with getting it done then compared to getting it done say now or when she was older. My daughter fussed for awhile, but she never really tried to pull at them or anything else. She has hers in 24/7. The only problem she gives me now is that she doesnt sit still enough for me to change them. I would suggets though to get the screw posts so that she doesnt lose the earing and maybe swallow it. Good luck and do it when you feel that you should.

Hi Y.,

As many people have already said, it should be your decision when to have her ears pierced. Or, if you're unsure about making that decision, it may be best to wait until (a) daddy comes home and/or (b) she's old enough to decide for herself. It's nice that everyone is sharing their opinion (even though some are not so nice about it), but remember that it's just their opinion. Do what's right for you and your baby.

I never thought I'd get my baby's ears pierced. I thought it was mean, unnecessary and a decision she should be able to make for herself. Well, then I had a little girl, started asking around (including the ped) and decided that, in all likelihood, she'd end up getting her ears pierced someday anyway...so we had it done when she was 7 months old. I was nervous (my husband held her), but she did so great. She started and was done crying all within a minute (literally...I took pictures and they are time-stamped). Yes, taking care of them is one more thing you'll need to add to your child care routine, but it's pretty quick and simple. I just kept a container of alcohol with some q-tips right on her changing table and cleaned each morning and evening when getting dressed. She's never played with them, they've never gotten caught in anything, etc.

Again, this is just my story and my opinion. Do what's right for you. If you're unsure, then hold off. And tell the people that keep asking you about it to mind their own business :) But, if you do decide to have it done, know that it's not a horrible thing, doesn't make you a mean mom, etc. Good luck!

I think it takes the baby look away from them with thier ears pierced. Plus babys play with their ears and could make them sore.To may people want their kids to grow up to fast. There is alot of time later for that kind of stuff let them be babys and let them look like babys.

I don't want to sound mean but . . . why don't you just wait until she's old enough to tell you if wants to have them done . . . there's no rule that you have to get a baby girl's ears pierced.

Y., I had my baby's ears pierced when she was nine months. Her pediatrician actually pierced them in the office. I felt so much better about the doctor doing it.