By Juliya Sheynman
Juliya is a marketing professional with most of her experience working with Jewish non-profits. A first time Mama - constantly Googling everything from weight average for infants to croupy coughs and colored poopies - she now shares her Mamale questions and dilemmas on LadyMama.
And yes, I was so pleased with her dainty new earrings and the girlish addition to her wardrobe.
Piercing Problems
It's every Mama's decision (and sometime's Papa's as well) to pierce or not to pierce...
...but that is not the question! I have already chosen to pierce M's ears. She got her little pearls (which her Dad picked out) at 10 months old. He was also there, holding her tight with love, as the super patient and calm woman tended to marking and stapling the pretty stones into her tiny, tasty ear lobes.
Yes, we spent quite a bit of time and convincing before deciding to do it now, while she's small. Yes, we decided not to wait until she made the decision on her own and asked for them on her 3rd or 4th or 5th birthday. Yes, it was a somewhat tough experience (though I'm pretty certain her screaming was due to the restraint versus the pain since she stopped crying the minute we let her go!). And yes, I was so pleased with her dainty new earrings and the girlish addition to her wardrobe. (By the way, she also got glasses a month later, so she's a fully accessorized babe.)
But here is the dilemma:
About a month ago we noticed some swelling and redness on her left ear. We went through the basic and Googled steps of cleaning the affected area with alcohol swabs. We cleaned it twice daily and the infection started getting better - until that is, it got worse! It got to the point where we called for a second doctor's opinion because it was so red and we were seriously worried. We took the earring out and, thank G-d, a week later it totally healed. However, the piercing is now closed...as the nurse and everyone else we consulted expected.
So now M walks around with her teeny glasses and her one hippy pearl earring and I don't know if we should either 1) remove the other, perfectly fine hole and let her go piercing free until she does ask for it or 2) re-pierce her ear and try again.
Would you pierce your babe again after a hole gone wrong?
6 LadyMama voices:
That's a tricky question. I only have boys, so this isn't anything I have to worry about yet. Maybe do some research about the rate of infection or reinfection and see if it's worth it to do it again right away, or if it's better to wait a while. Good luck!!
Go naval, much less risk of infection.
I definitely think you should re-pierce. Chances are it was a fluke...its uncommon to have such an issue. if it has healed and closed properly and you already made the decision about piercing, then re-pierce. Hopefully there won't be complications the second time around and she'll be pierced on both sides looking beautiful like you thought she would!
Mimi,
First, don't beat yourself up nor feel guilty about your dd having an infected ear. Those things happen and it won't occur again since you will be on top of things. It happened to my sister and we were just very supportive and it was a non-event. When I had our dd's ears pierced at 6 wks, our ped gave me a list of "Care for Newly Pierced Ears" tips. These things occur and do not mean you are a bad mommy or that you should have a guilt trip. It is water under the bridge and no permanent harm has been done. Best part it is an easily correctable thing by getting her ears repierced. If anyone notices she has only earring, tell them she is going through a pirate phase after watching Peter Pan :)
Second, please don't be embarassed at all. Things are not as bad as they seem. She still has one earring in, looks adorable. When taking pictures, just make sure to take them with earring poking through her hair showing her femininity and femaleness as well as being a little cherub.
Third, my sister went ahead and pierced her dd 1 mo after removing the earrings making sure there was no residual infection, but normal looking skin on the lobe. Just chose pearl piercing stud to match her existing ear and she'll do fine and never remember. Just plan to be methodical in cleaning them 3-4 X day when her ear is repierced. This time, you'll only have to clean one ear. Do clean the earring you put back in and leave it along excpect for cleaning it 2-3X day for a week or so.
Lastly, don't listen to any neysayers. You know how cute she was with both earrings and she will be again. Just think back how many compliments she got and how precious, feminine and cute she looked. This is just a minor set back and you should look totally at that way. You're not a mean nor bad mommy, just a busy one like all of us with family and committments.
Please don't hesitate to write me back and keep me posted. Do send me an updated pic of your dd with her darling little pearl earrings. I know she is very proud be wearing it and thinks the world of her mommy for piercing her ears as an infant. She'll never remember anything and this will just a minor footnote.
Write me an e-mail if you'd like our ped's tips for "Caring for Newly Pierced Ears."
AMY
Amyswor@hotmail.com
So what did you or are you going to do in the end? curious!
I was told it's best to wait to pierce little girl's ears until they are old enough to clean it themselves.
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