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Monday, August 1, 2011

To Pierce or Not To Pierce...

That is the question.

So, Jules is 2.5 months old and since that day at the hospital when the doctor announced, "It's a GIRL!", I've been debating on when to get her ears pierced.

I think it's ADORABLE to see a little baby with tiny earrings on her tiny little ears. But I am totally torn. Do I pierce her ears after her 4 month shots? Or do I wait until she's older and let her make that decision on her own? Will she tug on her ears and get them infected? If I want too long, will she be too scared to get them pierced?

I don't know what to do!

Do you have a little girl of your own? Does she have her ears pierced? Yes? When and why did you decided to do it when you did.

8 comments:

  1. My niece's mother pierced hers when she was around 4 months and we always had problems with them. Now she is 4 years and has actually chosen not to have them because they always get infected or bother her. I was a nanny for a little girl and after talking about it for moths she was allowed to get her ears pierced on her 7th birthday because she was old enough to understand the care of them and everything. I wouldn't simply because what happens when she starts rolling? And you have to be careful with towels and blankets to make sure they dont get caught on them. Personally I had mine pierced when I was 11. My mother always provided me with stick on earrings that I adored playing with.

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  2. I LOVED stick on earrings!!! :) I was terrified of having to get my ears pierced as a kid, heck even into highschool that I didn't pierce them until I was 22! I look back now and WISHED my mom would have pierced my ears as a young baby.

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  3. I think it depends on the mom & the baby. I'm on my third girl & I'm debating this as well..With my first daughter I wanted them done ASAP but she ALWAYS played with her ears so that made me not do it. Then I was pregnant with baby#2 due in October & we got them pierced at the mall in sept. (she was 17months at the time) she did really good we had two ladies do it at once. I didn't want her to sit thru it 2x. but in the end they didn't last because one fell out & we didn't have another earring to put back in it after all we spent too. but they both closed & when she asks for them or when she can take care of them I will make it a special day & do it. & for our second baby I was scared to do it again & spend the money & so on but they do look so cute on babies! thats why im debating it again..my 2nd daughter is almost two & I think she deff would pull them out or something so its a no go there. But I deff think the younger they are they wont notice really & you can clean them n stuff. Just have back ups! But this is my experience with it don't let it ruin it for yourself. I didnt get mines done until I was 11 but i understand feeling left out n stuff. karin marie :)

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  4. Everyone in my family has had them pierced as infants and never had a problem. With my daughter, her pediatrician was actually able to pierce her ears, but insisted on waiting until 6 months. The care of her earrings was not a big deal, just turn it and keep it clean. She never pulled at them or tried to take them out since she wasn't really aware of them. She is 3 now and has never had a problem. It really depends on your own comfort level. Good luck.

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  5. Nelly,

    When a New Baby is lying in your arms, you start to imagine his or her future. They are beautiful, kind little people with dreams of changing the world for the better. You want your precious angel to have gems hanging off of her ears but you know do not know when the right time is.

    The best time to pierce your baby’s ears is with in the first few months because a baby’s senses are not yet fully developed so they will not be aware of the pain for a long period of time. Some babies do not feel the ear piercing at all. What’s more important is where you get it done.

    When you create your checklist for new baby one of the thing you want to add is to research a good ear-piercer. Children fidget and cry so make you choose an experienced piercer that has done infant ears before. I have friends that got their ears pierced as a baby and their holes are crooked or uneven. Your children will have to live with these piercings for their whole life so you really want to make sure you know what you are doing and who you are trusting to pierce her.

    My ped emphasized the importance of finding the most experienced person to pierce your baby’s ears. How do you find out how long they have been piercing ears? You ask them! Asking the manager or asst manager at places like Claire's, Piercing Pagoda or Merle Norman will usually lead you immediately to the right person. How to judge once you've arrived with your baby to have her ears pierced? Three things on your list should be 1) sanitation, 2)experience, 3)and patience are the most important things to look for in the shop and ear-piercer themselves.

    She gave me some additional suggestions for moms having their dd's ears pierced. If you or any other moms would like them, write me an e-mail.

    Nelly, one last thing. If your're thinking about having her ears pierced now, then your mommy intuition is telling now is best. I'd go ahead soon.

    Amyswor@hotmail.com

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  6. I was just like you...wondering when should I and should I at all? But then my daughter was 6 months old, 9 months old, a year and I felt like I'd waited too long to do it as a baby. So, my husband and I decided to wait until she was ready. So in kindergarten when she noticed that "everyone else's" were pierced we told her that when she was ready, we'd get them done. But I also squeezed her ears tightly so she would get the idea of what it would be like. (My daughter is typical first-born--rational and more mature than I'm ready for sometimes).
    A few months of thinking about it and she was ready. We had a local boutique do it here and they had two girls handy so they could do both together. The lady took her time, making sure both holes would be very straight and that my daughter was very calm and ready.
    It did hurt, but she was ready for it and made to feel very special.

    Okay, sorry for the long comment, but I'm trying to say that I waited because I also wasn't sure and then it gave me a chance to do something special with my daughter that made her feel very grownup. So, if you're not sure, it's not so bad to wait...

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  7. I was just checking out your barefoot baby booties....they are ADORABLE and I want to make a bunch of them. My daughter is now 14 months. We were going to do it when she was 4 months, but it cost a lot at Claire's(being poor right after having our first(; ), so when she had her first birthday we decided to go get them done, and I haven't regretted it for a second. They did them both at the same time and she cried less than when she gets shots. She hasn't ever tugged on them or anything. She didn't love when I had to clean them, but after about 2 weeks they were healed and haven't had any problems since. Do what is best for you and your little girl though! Good Luck!

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  8. I always had (still do) infections with my earrings, so I'm going to wait until she's older. Like a rite of passage thing, you're six? Ok you're a big girl and can get your ears pierced! You know?

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