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Sep 06, 2023

Woman ignites fiery debate after piercing newborn's ears: 'Don't feel pain'

A new mother's decision to pierce her daughter's ears just one day after the

A new mother's decision to pierce her daughter's ears just one day after the baby's birth has ignited a fiery debate on social media.

The contentious act gained widespread attention when the mother, who posts under her daughter's name, Lara, on TikTok, shared a video comparing her newborn baby girl to her three-month-old self. Both showed the infant wearing small floral stud earrings.

In a brief video that has garnered over a million views since its posting last week, the mother fondly recalled her four-month-old daughter when she was a newborn.

"The moments flew by too quickly. I miss you being this tiny," she wrote alongside the video, which was captioned, '1 Day vs 4 months'.

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The comments section of the resurfaced TikTok video exploded with individuals questioning the appropriateness of subjecting such a young child to the discomfort and potential risks associated with ear piercing.

"Why would you pierce their ears before they can talk?" one woman asked. "If their ears feel sore or irritated, they can't tell you. If they're allergic to the stems, it's misery for you and the baby."

Critics also expressed their disapproval of the perceived aesthetic aspect, finding it unsettling to see infants wearing jewellery.

"I'll never understand why people do this - not to mention it looks absolutely ridiculous seeing a tiny baby with jewellery in their tiny ears," one commenter remarked. "So gross."

As the conversation unfolded, several individuals candidly shared their personal experiences, expressing regret or dissatisfaction regarding their own childhood ear piercings.

One mother expressed relief for the decision she made not to pierce her daughter's ears, reflecting, "I had my ears pierced before I could remember, but I never thought it would be okay to pierce my beautiful daughter's ears. She's 15 now and hates jewellery, so I'm glad I didn't choose that for her."

Another woman recounted a do-it-yourself ear piercing in her own childhood that resulted in uneven piercings. "When I was a baby, my mother pierced my ears herself with ice and a needle in the backyard," she recounted, revealing she now can't stand wearing earrings.

While their location remains undisclosed, it was clarified that the ear piercing was performed by neonatologists within the hospital, which is not a common practice in Australian hospitals.

Lara's mother defended her decision, asserting that babies' earlobes are softer when they are very young and claiming that her daughter did not display any signs of pain or discomfort during the procedure.

"When they are 2-3 days old, they don't feel pain like a year or two!" she wrote.

Supporters of the mother argued that piercing young girls' ears as infants is a common practice in certain cultures. One woman shared, "In my country, they pierce baby girls on the first day they are born." Another echoed this sentiment, stating, "Love how she has her ears pierced! Honestly, I'd do the same."

Meanwhile, several parents who waited to pierce their children's ears later in life expressed regret, citing their child's fear of needles or the difficulties they encountered during the procedure.

"My daughter is so angry at me because I didn't pierce her ears as a child," one mum wrote. "She wants earrings so bad but is terrified of needles."

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