piercing a babies ears

Juana - posted on 05/28/2010

In the Mexican tradition, we only put gold earring when we pierce their ears,so its not likely that you have a reaction to gold. And as a mom its up to us to clean daily and take care of their ears just as we take care of their belly button, don't we clean it until it falls off? That's the same way we take care of the ears , we clean it and gently turn the earring so that it doesn't stick to the ear. and newborns usually wear mittens so they cant pull on their ears. When you get your ears pierced in the mall, the earrings are not gold, and some people have a reaction to fake jewelry, and if you get pus its probable cause you didn't clean them with alcohol daily

Angela - posted on 05/28/2010

In response to the ear piercing, I chose to wait until my daughter was around 4 so that I could take her for her birthday and make it a fun day but I did consider doing it when she was a baby. I think whatever choice you make about ear piercing, circumcision or whatever is your choice as a parent and who is to say what is right or wrong? They are all personal decisions so don't worry about what anyone says.

Kristi - posted on 05/27/2010

I agree with you about the circumcision "cleanliness" argument, Caitlin ... gotta say I would be pretty pissed at someone who had the nerve to tell me that my son is "unclean" because we didn't have part of his penis cut off unnecessarily. If it needs to be done, I get it - I even get it for religious reasons, but we had none of those and therefore chose not to have it done. My husband is circumcised but we still decided not to have it done to our son.

Caitlin - posted on 05/27/2010

I didn't pierce either of my daughters ears, I don't plan on having it done until they make the decision that they want it when they are older. I was "tortured" with this when I was younger, my mother really wanted me to have earings, my body reacted to the metal each time, I think they were pierced 3 times, I remember painful infections, pus, and pain. My ear lobes are still not pierced for this reason (though I have had other sucessful piercings). My first set of earings were when I was a baby, then 2 more.



About circumcision, there are medical reasons to do it, but most boys don't need it. My husband isn't, I wouldn't plan on getting it done if I had a son, all you need to do is teach them to pull back the skin to clean, which is as easy as teaching a girl to wipe from front to back - seriously the "sanitary" reason is a really bad one..

Marilyn - posted on 05/26/2010

it has been a tradition to pierce the babies ears early right when they are born and that what was done to all the girls in my family. my daughter got her ears pierced maybe a week after she was born and she didn't even cry, and now she is doing great with the earrings.
by the way i am puerto rican and nicaraguan.

Rae - posted on 05/26/2010

Hi Kristi, Medicare here is basically the same state by state. Im not sure but I think the parents here have to pay for a circumcision, but will get refunded a small amount. I am going back a while so may be all changed now. I know that I wouldnt had to pay for one, due to his kidney conditions.

Kristi - posted on 05/24/2010

Vina - can you explain what you mean about "other boys" making fun of the uncircumcised boys penis? I find this a very odd comment - as I would guess that there isn't 99% of boys that are circumcised ... I would think it's more like 50/50 so there wouldn't be just one kid who wasn't circumcised ?!?

Also, I would like to know where you information regarding cleanliness of circumcised penis's vs uncircumcised one ... I believe this is misinformation you are giving to other people!!!

V - posted on 05/24/2010

It was interesting reading the responses. I am having a girl in Sep and was wondering whether I would maybe pierce her ears early or wait. Haven't totally decided, probably will more than likely wait. I didn't have mine done at an early age and when I had them done, there wasn't any pain. I think ear piercing and circumcision is personal preference. Circumcisions I think now days aren't necessarily done for religious reasons, but rather what the parents want. I had my twins circumcised and not for religious reasons, more for aesthetic and hygienic reasons. If I was a boy I would think I would rather have had this done when I won't remember anything vs when older. In the end think its everyone's personal decision and since no one person thinks exactly alike we all have different opinions. My insurance paid for it. Another thought with circumcision, someday when all these boys are in the locker room and everyone is circumcised but one guy know exactly what will happened; the other boys will make fun of him and then he will be asking his parents why they didn't and why that.

Kristi - posted on 05/23/2010

I am from Canada. I live in Alberta - and we have provincially run health care systems here, as opposed to country wide programming. I know that's different from many other places

Rae - posted on 05/23/2010

U.k originally but now living in Australia. Where are you from?

Kristi - posted on 05/23/2010

Rae, where are you from (country wise?)

Rae - posted on 05/23/2010

I have a problem with circumcision and a baby wearing earrings.

My sons are not circumcised, but it is not a rare medical occurrence, I have personally found that any Renal specialist I have met, through my sons kidney treatments will try to push for a circumcision.

Kristi - posted on 05/22/2010

I have no problem with ear piercing early (they truly won't remember the pain, but they will feel it) and if they don't like it when they are older, they can take them out.



As for circumcision ... it is not USUALLY done for religious or medical reasons, it's OFTEN done because that's what daddy has, or that's what the parents heard was best - and for aesthetic purposes. So rarely is it medically necessary - so much so that it is no longer covered in the province that I live in (covered by health care) and parents must pay out of pocket if they want it done ... I have a problem with it - but I have no problem with ear piercing!!!

Kylie - posted on 05/22/2010

Hey carol..my 5 yr old daughter is very girly so i buy her those glittery stick-on earrings, they are lots of fun. We have a collection of clip on earrings as well and whenever I'm at the swap meet i keep an eye out for weird ones from the 80's..they are great for dress ups.

Carol - posted on 05/22/2010

i would love to pierce my 18 month olds ears, however i know i wont until she gets older. she has eczema, and my only worry would be that she would be scratching her ears and hurt them when they are just done. im not sure id have the nerve to do them if she didnt have eczema. she is quite a girly girl, with her shoes and handbag and necklaces, so im sure she would like tem done, so maybe i would. when she gets old enough to know not to scratch however, bring on the pink sparkly earrings :-)

Kylie - posted on 05/20/2010

I wouldn't piece my kids ears because i feel it's their body and their choice. My little girl is beautiful just the way she is ..she doesn't need jewelry to make her more feminine or pretty. My parents got my ear pierced when i was very young and i don't like wearing earnings but i have the scars on my lobes, so i wish they had let me choose.

Rae - posted on 05/18/2010

The negative comments are from you doing something to your child that is seen as something aesthetically pleasing, in your culture its the norm, while in mine its not My daughter will not be getting her ears pierced unless she wants it done and can tell me. As for circumcisions this is generally for religious or medical reasons, but yes sometimes its done for the same reason as you poking holes in your daughter's ears.

Renee - posted on 05/17/2010

I had my ears pierced before I went home from the hospital when I was born and I'm not sitting around resenting my parents for it. I did the same with my daughter and from what I can tell she doesn't seem to be emotionally scarred by it either. I don't get why people get so emotional over 1) Something that I chose to do with MY child and 2) Something as trivial (in the grand scheme of things) as ear piercing.

Juana - posted on 05/08/2010

I agree with you on that they don't remember. With my daughter she was drinking her milk at the time and didn't cry for the first one, the second one she didn't like that we interrupted her eating to swiched her to the other side and all she gave was one cry and back to sucking her bottle.Im mexican and I dont know of any one that doesnt have her ears pierced, in fact most of the ones I know have two piercing in their ears.

Tina - posted on 05/08/2010

It all comes down to what you think is best. I have a 17 month old son, so there is no ear piercing with him until he is older. I myself have over 30 piercings. I know it's a lot, but i like it. Yes the baby does feel it, but they also feel shots, and blood draws, and any complications that may have happened at birth. My son went through a lot when he was born, and every time that they did something he would scream and cry. Eventually it wasn't so bad because i knew that he wouldn't remember it. That's the thing to remember they won't remember it. It's also a big responsibility to the parents to keep it clean. If the parents is able to care for it properly, than i don't see a problem with it.

Melinda - posted on 05/07/2010

i was 5 when i got my ears pirced coz i wanted them however i wouldnt let my mum turn them or clean them so they got infected,

i dont have a daughter but some days i think getting it over and done with when they are younger might be better then the battle when they are older..i duno i keep changing my mind,

btw my son isnt circumsied i find it completly different to piercing ears

Jenee - posted on 05/07/2010

Just because your baby doesn't know what pain is doesn't mean that they don't feel it. Why do babies scream when they get shots? Because it hurts! I feel that there is no need to pierce a babies ears. Let them when they are older decide if they want to do it. I feel like your baby has no say in the matter and what happens if your daughter doesn't want ear rings when she is older?

Juana - posted on 05/07/2010

I pierced her ears at that age because at that age they don't know what pain or fear is. I pierced my ears for a second time at age 16 and I was afraid of the pain I would feel.. Babies would not know the difference from a poke of a needle for blood work ,for a shot , or a piercing. Don't they say that teaching a baby to swim is the best time cause they don't know fear! I'm talking about a poke in the ear, not mayor surgery.

Jenee - posted on 05/07/2010

Vaccinations save lives ( at least I think so ) Ear piercing does not. Circumcising can be done for religious reason. I don't see how ear piercing is religious? Why did you pierce your daughters ears? .