Ear piercing for little girls/ Belly Piercing for Mom

DoulaDani · 06-14-2007, 01:13 AM

So my post on the other forum about dreadlocks got me thinking about body piercing and I'd like some expert opinions.

Question one:
My 3 yo wants her ears pierced. She doesn't cry over shots, and I think she'll probably be more annoyed than anything else, and would think it was worth it to have her earrings like her sister has.
~Should I have it done with a gun (like at Claire's) or a needle?
~A friend told me that when kids have their ears pierced so young, the hole doesn't seem centered later on... anyone agree or disagree?

Question two:
I want to have my belly button pierced. Any words of wisdom? Am I nuts? (Tamara, don't answer that last question... you know too much

) How long does it take to heal? What would be the best time of year to have it done? I was thinking late August (because the studio I was going to use gives half price piercings on your birthday) unless I can prove something else would be a better idea.

Thanks!
Dani

DoulaCBE · 06-14-2007, 01:55 AM

I let my older daughter get her ears pierced at 3, her holes are still centered. NO GUNS, needle only.

As for the navel piercing, if you like to swim in the summer, wait till fall. No swimming for at least 6 weeks (usually longer) after a tummy piercing. Also, avoid peroxide, rubbing alcohol and use salt water in a clean medicine cup or shot glass and soak for at least 15 minutes twice a day and dab dry with a clean cotton ball after the soaks and showers. If you think it might be infected, use tea tree oil.

Belly piercings heal from the inside out, and they get dirty/infected easily.

BestBirth4You · 06-14-2007, 01:57 AM

I'm not sure that I have a big opinion on you letting her get them pierced, but if you decide to let her I would not go to claire's. It would be be better to go somewhere that uses hollow needles.....about piercing guns from ezinearticles.com "First, it isn’t as accurate as a needle, so lining it up won’t always work. Just as with any gun, there is a recoil that will make the aim inaccurate. Second, the force of the gun will cause bruising and damage to the skin that isn’t necessary and will slow the healing process. Third, a piercing gun can’t be sterilized completely, so there is a higher risk of infection."

heathenmamaof5 · 06-14-2007, 02:53 AM

Wow! Great info ladies

I had both girls ears pierced with a gun when they were 10 weeks old. It became a tradition. I had each babies picture done at 10 weeks in my father's christening gown. Then we did our nursie picture and if the baby was a girl get her ears pierced.

You kinda have to know my family to understand why.

Anyways, Kelsey and my neice Kylie's piercings are still centered and they've had no problems. Linzey reacts to all metalos and has to have a hard metal like titanium. She also would never leave them alone when she was a baby.

live and learn I guess.

I recently got a piercing gun for like 14 bucks at WalMart. For all the piercing's people wanted it was cheaper that way. I don't know if I would trust a 3 or 4 year old to sit still for a needle piercing, unless it's done real quick? I don't know, just my opinion.

Anyways, keep us posted

tlcdoula · 06-14-2007, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaDani

So my post on the other forum about dreadlocks got me thinking about body piercing and I'd like some expert opinions.

Question one:
My 3 yo wants her ears pierced. She doesn't cry over shots, and I think she'll probably be more annoyed than anything else, and would think it was worth it to have her earrings like her sister has.
~Should I have it done with a gun (like at Claire's) or a needle?
~A friend told me that when kids have their ears pierced so young, the hole doesn't seem centered later on... anyone agree or disagree?

Question two:
I want to have my belly button pierced. Any words of wisdom? Am I nuts? (Tamara, don't answer that last question... you know too much

) How long does it take to heal? What would be the best time of year to have it done? I was thinking late August (because the studio I was going to use gives half price piercings on your birthday) unless I can prove something else would be a better idea.

Thanks!
Dani

I had all six of my girls ears pierced (with the gun) when they were about six weeks old. The only one that has one hole a little off is my oldest, but then again one of her ears is bigger than the other (only noticable if you really stare

). All the others look pretty even to me. If you were to do it I would do it with the gun because it is done in a second. I couldn't imagine a child sitting through them doing it with a needle. That seems almost cruel and like it would take too darn long and cause more pain.

Sorry, don't know anything about belly piercings

doula Michele · 06-14-2007, 09:09 AM

I had my daughters ears done when she was about a month or two old. Then she wanted a second hole when she was about 6.
It was all good, and easy to look after, never got infections, etc.
She also says she will pierce her daughters ears as an infant as well, as she never remembers being without a little pair of earrings in . I would definatly get someone with experience to do it, and use a gun.

My daughter has had a belly ring, for about a year now. It took along time to heal, and she seemed like she as constantly picking some sort of goo from it for about 6 months. Now it really does seem fine, and it does not seem to bother her at all. Her job is very physical, with lots of bending and stuff, and the only thing that bugs her is the fact that her work pants sit right at her belly button.

DoulaYvonne · 06-14-2007, 09:44 AM

You're the mom, and you know what is best for your little girl. I took my dd to get her ears pierced for her 6th birthday. She cried for a minute and then was done, she had them done with a gun (I rhymed!). I recently had my ear cartiledge (sp?) pierced, with a gun, and I regret not having it done with a hollow needle. DoulaCBE gave me some great advice when my piercing became infected 3 weeks after piercing. Tee Tree Oil rocks!!! BTW, my dd's ears are perfect, though she also got an infection at about 3 weeks and that was a pain in the a**! Two courses of antibiotics and she wouldn't remove the earrings OR let anyone touch her ears for 9 months!

As far as the belly button piercing, it really is up to you, I've never done it so I have no personal knowledge. A friend had one for years and years. She told me that she had it done in the summer a week before going on a carribbean vacation. She swam every day in the ocean and the salt water did a fabulous job of healing it up.

brilliant · 06-14-2007, 02:08 PM

fyi - a needle piercing is about as quick as the gun. i've had several places pierced and it's super super fast. i'd choose that method over a gun, definitely.

DoulaCBE · 06-14-2007, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brilliant

fyi - a needle piercing is about as quick as the gun. i've had several places pierced and it's super super fast. i'd choose that method over a gun, definitely.

It hurts way less than a gun too!!

UtahDoula · 06-14-2007, 03:53 PM

Well, I'll be the dissenting voice, then. I chose to not pierce any of my daughter's ears, opting to leave the decision on making artificial holes in their bodies up to THEM, not me. My daughters had to wait until I felt they were old enough to care for it themselves, as well. My oldest made the decision to have hers pierced when she was 10, but did not get up the courage to actually DO it for another year and a half. My middle daughter is 9 and so far has no interest. My 5 yo hasn't mentioned it at all, but I'd probably make her wait a year or two if she did, because she's not the most responsible kid yet.

Jilian · 06-14-2007, 05:08 PM

I'm with Utah on this one. I wouldn't let my child do it until she was older - like over 10 yrs. I also would skip claire's - that is where my ear was pierced (cartilidge) and boy did they F up the piercing!

tlcdoula · 06-14-2007, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jilian

I'm with Utah on this one. I wouldn't let my child do it until she was older - like over 10 yrs. I also would skip claire's - that is where my ear was pierced (cartilidge) and boy did they F up the piercing!

I honestly don't think you can veto an entire store chain just because one person screwed up. That would be like saying "I would stay away from all doulas because mine screwed up." Too general of a statement for me. Instead I think it is more important to ask the person what his/her experience is, how many children or people of x age have they done, etc. Be an informed consumer just like people do when they hire doulas

tlcdoula · 06-14-2007, 05:40 PM

I also forgot to say that I had three or four of my girls done at Claire's with no issues. I actually had two people do it at the same time, so while I held my baby both women did it simultaneously so only one pop, one cry, and it was over.

doula Michele · 06-14-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahDoula

Well, I'll be the dissenting voice, then. I chose to not pierce any of my daughter's ears, opting to leave the decision on making artificial holes in their bodies up to THEM, not me. My daughters had to wait until I felt they were old enough to care for it themselves, as well. My oldest made the decision to have hers pierced when she was 10, but did not get up the courage to actually DO it for another year and a half. My middle daughter is 9 and so far has no interest. My 5 yo hasn't mentioned it at all, but I'd probably make her wait a year or two if she did, because she's not the most responsible kid yet.

yup, each to their own...its your kid, do what you think is right. People will have an opinion either way.
People gave me nasty comments about piercing my babies ears. So i would tell them they could do what they wanted with their kid, and leave their opinions about mine to themselves.

brilliant · 06-14-2007, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahDoula

Well, I'll be the dissenting voice, then. I chose to not pierce any of my daughter's ears, opting to leave the decision on making artificial holes in their bodies up to THEM, not me. My daughters had to wait until I felt they were old enough to care for it themselves, as well. My oldest made the decision to have hers pierced when she was 10, but did not get up the courage to actually DO it for another year and a half. My middle daughter is 9 and so far has no interest. My 5 yo hasn't mentioned it at all, but I'd probably make her wait a year or two if she did, because she's not the most responsible kid yet.

i totally and completely agree.