What a doozy of a title for a fairly straightforward blog post!
After sharing that we got Mila’s ears pierced on Instagram, I got a lot of questions about the experience, where we went, how Mila did, etc., so I thought I’d share a quick post about all of that.
Let’s get to it…
Why 6 Months?
Someone on IG asked why we chose to pierce Mila’s ears now versus let her decide when she’s older. If I’m being honest, Vishnu would’ve been just fine with that. He wasn’t eager at all but ultimately left the decision up to me. I honestly didn’t give it too much thought, and totally get the notion of choice. I also figure she can remove the earrings if she doesn’t want them when she’s a bit older and let the holes fill in.
As to why 6 months. I decided to do it at this age because I’ve heard it’s harder as they get older (harder to sit still, feel the pain of it more, etc.). Most of my friends did it between 5-8 months.
Where did you get it done?
You can absolutely go to a Claire’s (does Claire’s still exist?) or Piercing Pagoda type of place, however, we chose to go to a pediatricians office. My friend recommended a practice to me since our office doesn’t do piercings. It was a simple process just like scheduling any appointment. If your pediatrician doesn’t offer this service, I’d just call around to other practices in your area.
In terms of the process itself, when we arrived, we were taken to a small room, and a nurse brought a sample of all the different stud options they have (there were probably a good 15 or so to choose from). Once I picked what I wanted (went with the crystal stud) and marked the spot where we wanted the earrings to go, we had Mila sit in my lap with her feet secured between my legs. One arm held her head against my chest, and my other arm wrapped around her arms.
There were two nurses who came to pierce her ears – one for each! What a genius idea. It literally took all of three seconds once everything was ready.
How did Mila do?
She cried for less than 30 seconds! And then nothing after that.
Kids are so damn resilient! I cried more than she did when I got my nose pierced!
What does the maintenance process entail?
We got a cleaning solution to bring home. We dip a Q-tip in that and clean around the front and back of the earrings and also turn the earrings three times on each side. We were told to do this 2-3 times a day for 30 days. So far so good! Mila doesn’t seem to mind it at all.
How much did it cost?
$50 – piercing itself + the earrings!
Key Takeaways
- If your peds office doesn’t offer piercing services, call around until you find one that does.
- Mark exactly where you want them to pierce baby’s ears. One of my friends said they did this with a fine tip permanent marker before they actually went in. You can also ask to be the one to mark right before with a nurse there with you. Have them double check with you to make sure it’s even!
- Hold your baby tighter than what feels normal. It only takes a few seconds but you don’t want your baby to twist their head during the process.
- Follow care instructions!
It really was as simple as that. Let me know if you have any questions.
