Baby Ear Piercing: My Daughter Takes Her Earrings Off!
Baby Ear Piercing.
It continues to be a topic of high debate amongst moms.
I fully understand that placing your child in pain deliberately is absolutely the last thing any mother willingly wants to do. But, for those moms who choose to pierce their daughter’s ears, they may run into a few snags along the road.
My position still stands that I feel that yes, babies do feel real pain when they get their ears pierced. But, it is a pain that is quickly forgotten and one they will not remember.
I sure don’t remember getting my ears pierced.
I know that it is one more thing to do in the long list of daily tasks that a mom has but, keeping their ears clean and turning the earrings is not something that can’t be incorporated into a routine for 2-6 weeks. (I’ve previously posted about a few tips that I used for both of my girls when I pierced their ears as infants, you can read more about that, here.)
Well, I don’t regret piercing their ears because I feel that it is a form of femininity and it is something that eventually mostly every girl wants to do.
Both my daughters are very different.
Gabriella is loud, funny and so very gentle and kind-hearted. While Michaela is my little spitfire, she is confident and knows what she wants and is very particular. Of course, every toddler her age is but, when it comes to pierced ears, it’s not the best quality.
Since she’s so particular, she doesn’t seem to like the weight of earrings on her lobe and thus removes her earrings with precision far beyond her one year, kind of like Houdini could escape his underwater tank.
She’s that good.
Do Your Research!
So, if you are thinking about piercing your infant’s ears (always make sure to consult your physician and research before you do anything out of your comfort zone) or if you’ve already done so and are running into the same snags, I have a few solutions that may just help. I know some may argue or judge as to why even keep them in in the first place but, alas, it is my choice and if you’re here, you’re obviously looking for some perspective. Well, I’ve come to these solutions in order to keep the piercings and avoid Mimi any pain or discomfort.
Here are a few problems you may run into:
“I’ve cleaned and maintained my daughter’s ears for the recommended time but, once I removed the piercing studs and replaced them with normal gold or hypoallergenic earrings with regular backs and plastic covers, she seems to just pull them off.”
Like anything, if it is done over and over repeatedly, it gets worn and tattered. In this case, if you continue to put in the earrings and you know that she will rip them right out, she is damaging her lobe and leaving chance for infections. Not to mention, she is causing a lot of pain to those little ears needlessly–which is something that we all want to avoid.
Use ear antiseptic and a cotton ball or pad and clean the piercing and lobe. Leave it alone until redness has subsided. Don’t worry about the piercing closing, if you’ve treated it and it’s been open for months it won’t close. I’d re-approach her when she is asleep and I’d recommend the screw back earrings.
These earrings have a stud in the front and the endings of the earring have grooves that screw in the backing. The backing is a plastic semi-circle with a metallic insert that allows the earring to screw into.
Insert new earrings and secure tightly. For most girls, this usually is the final solution. The plastic backings also keep the back of their ears safe and free of rubbing or poking from the pointy backs of normal earrings.
“I’ve tried screw-back earrings and my daughter still takes them out!”
I’d recommend that you leave them out for at least a week and you can try to use segment hoops. I’ve personally have not used them, simply because Mimi has a very small lobe. The segment earrings are pretty neat, you pull out a segment of the hoop, insert it into the piercing and then pop it back in.
Once it is in, the opening is not visible. So, your child will not be able to pull or yank it out or use those little fingers to get them lose. You literally have to look at the earring closely to find the beginning or end. The only problem is that the segments are usually thicker than most hoops, so it may require a little gauging and that is something I steered clear from.
“I like the idea of segment earrings but I do not want to gauge my daughter’s ears.”
Go with the Flow!
This is my little snag in the road of infant ear piercing, my first daughter was a breeze and never ever touched her earrings. Mimi, on the other hand, can’t keep anything on! She’s a free spirit! She’d run around naked if she could! LOL.
My solution was to purchase a pair of sterling silver hoops. A pair of really small ones where the end goes right into the earring. The only way to remove them is to apply pressure. The hoops that just clipped did not work. She’s kept these in with no problem. Plus, I love how she looks in hoops anyways.
Just a disclosure…
This was my solution and how my daughter reacted to them. I know if she showed any signs of tugging, I would have removed them immediately. As always, use caution and your own judgment. Seek the help of professional for medical advice.
So, you may run into little snags along the way. If you do want to keep your daughter’s ears pierced you can try the above. I am by no means an expert, these are just tips I learned through my own experience. I’m just a mama. One who doesn’t want to bring her little girl to get her ears pierced at the age of 8.
Or have her end up with one pierced ear.
If all else fails and your toddler or infant can’t keep the piercings in her ears, just keep them out. Every week and a half you can put earrings in to keep the hole open. Make sure to always have your hands washed and use an antiseptic to clean the ears when you do so.
How did your little girls react to her earrings? Did she even notice them there or did she take them out too?
Let me know, til then! Cheers m’deres!
Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
My daughter is the same way as your Mimi. I tried screw back earrings and she seems to be able to get those out but only the one I think so I might have gotten a dud but for 35 bucks I am not sure I am ready to see if I get the same result from another pair. I am terrified to put hoops into her ears. I am afraid she will rip her lobes if she pulls on them.
Great info, but my journey its going as smooth. My daughter lost an earring in her sleep and has yet to be found. I attempted to replace with tiny pearls but she HATES anything near her ear. I fear the vacant hole is closing and not having much progress gettin the other out.
Maybe try while she is sleeping. Or can you get the same type she had on before?
When my daughter was small i cleaned and changes earrings while she slept,she wore studs till she was about 7/8 tell she asked for hoops.
Love that!
my daughter is 8months and just 5days ago we pierced her ears, by mistake one of her studs got stuck on my top and pulled out, do i put it back in?
Personally and if it were me in the situation, I would put it in if I could see the hole opened on the other side. Of course, always wash my hands and clean the ear and earring before putting it back in. If you do not feel comfortable, you can take her back to where they pierced them and ask for their professional help.
If your child is constantly taking them out, just don’t put them back in. Please! Having scared ears will bother her more than having no holes in her ears when she is a grown woman. It’s easier to pierce an adult’s ears than to fix a deformed earlobe.
My toddler is a toddler and she gets to wrestle, run, jump and tear her clothes off at bedtime. I’d hate to always stop her from being herself so she doesn’t rip out her earrings by accident. It’s not 1800, she gets to be a child just as much as the boys do. Hoops on a toddler are like an accident waiting to happen. Do your kids with their pierced ears ever get to be wild?
Thanks for your comment. I have never stopped or told my daughters to not wrestle, run, jump, or tear their clothes off at bedtime. My kids with pierced ears are DEFINITELY wild and having piercings does not hold them back and never has. It is something you become aware of. My daughter wears hoops and has since she was a toddler and she is 7 years old and has never hurt herself. My eldest daughter who is 13 has never hurt herself either. As always, this is a very individual and personal decision. I am not a professional and I never encourage anyone to do what I chose for my kids. I do, however, respect a parent’s choice on what they want to do with THEIR child. Just like I respect your decision not to do so but, it is unfair to assume my kids are sheltered because they have pierced ears. That way of thinking is a bit more year 1800 in my opinion.
My daughter is 1 year and 9 months and she somehow keeps taking her Earring out and I have spent so much money replacing them and my husband says to give up and wait until she gets older??? Anyone have any suggestions?????
I am not an expert but, I say go with your gut. If she is so aware of them, maybe it is better to wait. I would not suggest hoops either because she can yank. If it was me in that situation, I would give her time and wait.
I got my daughters ears pierced at 3 months. She never messed with them til she turned 1! She pulled out the earrings she got her ears pierced with and lost one so I got her the hoops that go into themselves! Within 2 weeks, she toddled up to me with an earring in her hand as if to say “mommy look what I found!” So I got her the threaded ones… she yanks on them constantly and somehow managed to STRIP THE THREAD on one and now she can take it off.. I don’t know what to do! Her ears are not red, irritated, tender, or warm to the touch. She pulls on her earrings when she’s mad or teething and somehow manages to take them off. My fear is her putting them in her mouth and choking on it or the stud lodging in her throat.
Oh no, I am sorry you are going through this. Perhaps take them out and leave them out and maybe put them in for a little bit while she naps. That is what I would do. Good luck.
Our experience of having our daughters’ ears pierced as babies has been a lot more straightforward than other moms who have posted here. I took both my daughters to have their ears pierced when they were three months old (as my parents did with me and my sister) and we have had no problems at all with them. They are now eleven and nine years old and love the fact that they have always worn earrings 24/7. All other mothers of daughters I have known who have taken their little ones to have their ears pierced at younger than six months have had no problems since they heal very quickly. Those who have left it till they are older seem to have had more problems. It is also easier if schools do not like girls (or boys!) wearing earrings since the holes will have healed completely by the time they go to school and earrings can be left out for days without the holes closing. I think baby girls are best having it done as young as possible and am not the only one who thinks this I am sure.
I completely agree!!
We pierced our daughters ears around 10 months old. She never touched them until one of them came off. She won’t keep them on and tells me no when I ask her if she wants earrings. Sad. Lol. Guess we’ll wait till she tells us she wants them, 🙂
Oh no, sorry to hear that. At that age, it can be hard.