Why I Don't Agree With Piercing Baby's Ears

Ear piercing – a topic guaranteed to evoke heated debate, but something that is worth talking about.

I’ll be totally honest; I don’t agree with piercing baby’s ears, but when I say so, I’m often lambasted for it by defensive mums, told I’m being judgemental, and I often have the ‘my kid, my choice’ phrase thrown in there too.

So, I thought I’d discuss my reasoning in greater detail and hopefully encourage mums who are considering this to wait until their child is older.

Note: I understand that some cultures & religions involve ear piercing at a young age therefore this blog is aimed at vanity reasons.

Bodily Autonomy

I don’t subscribe to the ‘my baby, my choice’ thing – not in this context anyway…

Your baby is not your physical possession. This phrase absolutely implies parental ‘possession’!

It can’t be compared to vaccinating, as you’re making a medical choice that could be the difference between life & death; piercing is purely cosmetic, and something I feel that a child should choose for themselves when they’re old enough to understand.

Unnecessary Pain

‘But they won’t remember it…’

It doesn’t matter if they won’t remember it. It doesn’t change the fact that your baby still experienced that pain for nothing more than vanity purposes, rather than for medical necessity (like vaccinating, as stated above). We’re meant to protect our babies from trauma and pain, why subject them to it because you want your baby to look cute?

Possible Complications

Is it really worth risking infection, bleeding, injury and even deformity in the name of vanity…?

We all know how fiddly and curious little ones are – babies have been commonly known to rip their studs out, which can even cause permanent damage to the ear lobe.

Dribble, milk drool, dirt, sand etc (you know, the typical baby muck) can very easily find its way into the piercing, even if you keep it clean. Younger babies have weaker immune systems, so are more prone to infection and even the dreaded sepsis!

Allergic reactions to the metals used aren’t uncommon, and can be more disastrous in tiny ones – an older child can vocalise their symptoms and mean medical attention is sought sooner.

If a child flinches in pain (likely), it can cause a wonky piercing. Also, as a child grows, the hole on their ear lobe will appear lower and lower, resulting in the site of the piercing being lower on the ear lobe as an adult. You simply cannot predict how your child’s ears will grow and how it’ll look in the future.

Whichever you decide, please think long and hard about it and make an informed choice.

Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Love from Katie. Xx