Getting my baby's ears pierced...

Guest Blogger - Nibedita Bose

Ear-piercing – one of the few things which evoke lots of discussion, anxiety & arguments. At least it did in my household. It started with the discussion between me & my spouse about the necessity of getting Mishti's ear pierced. I am not diving into the details of the debate, but it was kind of tough (to put it mildly) to convince my husband.  After much cajoling & coaxing we got Mishti's piercing done when she was 10 months old. Here are few take away from the whole procedure from my perspective:

Right Age: This is one question which haunt many mums. I would recommend the concept of ‘piercing as young as possible’.  I would like to cite a few reasons to support my recommendation. First, their ear lobes are softer, thus the pain caused is negligible (just like an injection prick). Second reason is that you can hold a few month old infant more steadily while piercing rather than a wriggly, jumping toddler. Thirdly, in general younger babies are not aware of the whole procedure and would not tug the newly-pierced ears. There are few communities in India where it is a custom to get the piercing done when the baby is barely 12 days old.

Right Time: Choose a time when your child is not suffering from any other ailment or infections like cold, flu, cough or loose motions. In that case the child would anyways be irritated & cranky and this process would make her grouchier. Prefer those months when the weather is not extreme summers, monsoon or winters. Summer heat and monsoon act as a catalyst for infections and in winters while making a kid wear their winter wear the newly-pierced earrings might get stuck & pulled.

Method: Sometimes it becomes quite difficult to pin down our choice between a traditional & a contemporary method. Ear- Piercing is generally done in two techniques: traditional piercing with gold/silver wire and present day gun-shot method with sterilized studs. My personal opinion would be in favor of the gun-shot method. As per my experience it was a complete hassle-free & reliable process.

Whom to trust: Here again the dilemma between the traditional & new age thinking dwindle. Previously, only jewelers used to do the piercing with gold/silver wires, but now a day I have heard many people get it done from pediatrician who follow the gun-shot method as well. I got my daughter’s ears pierced from a renowned jeweler who used the gun-shot method. Also, one important tip is that whether you are getting it done from a jeweler or a pediatrician; keep a close tab while the marking for the piercing done to avoid any misaligned piercing.

What to wear: There are different kinds of ear accessories available like hoops, rings, studs, wired loops etc. My daughter is wearing small studs since last one year (we have changed the stud once in between). You can opt for any of the available varieties but do keep in mind that it should not have any pointed edge which can entangle and pull off while changing clothes.

Aftermath: You have to keep on rotating the studs clock wise and anti-clockwise turn by turn very gently. Applying coconut oil regularly after piercing helps to soothe the area. In case just after the piercing procedure if the child is too cranky then you can consult your pediatrician for mild pain relief/ anti-infection medicine.

On a lighter note, usually fathers of little kids create a lot of ruckus to defer or even forgo this procedure. Be a brave heart if you have decided in your mind to get it done, just go for it. Your little sunshine would look really wonderful with those earrings on.

Based in Gurgaon, Nibedita Bose (popularly called N.B in the blogging circuit) is an Ex Team Manager turned Stay At Home Mom of her 1.5 year old daughter.Trying to sail through the changes of life, N.B loves reading and blogging.  Do hop on to her blog, happy reading.