She was so excited when she got home from school yesterday, that we went last evening. To the piercing shop. The guy was very kind and knowledgable. He held her lobe with a small pair of ring forceps, gently pushed the needle through, attached the earring to the needle and threaded it through her lobe. She cried a little on the first one, so we sat and talked until she felt ready for the second. She didn't cry at all with the second one. He spent a long time talking to us about how to care for her piercings until they heal and he talked to her, too. On the way home she lectured her little brother that he is not allowed to touch her ears, cause no one is exept her or mom or dad when we are helping her with cleaning.

THis am she says they don't hurt at all. I see this as wound care, and the nurse in me is fastidious about wound care, so I think we will be okay.

I feel like she was old enough to make a choice in this situation. My ears aren't pierced and neither are my older daughter's. This is something my younger daughter has been asking about for awhile.

When will they make piercing babies' ears illegal? That could launch me onto a whole nother topic which would be way off topic....so I'll stop here, with one more whole-hearted thank you!!!

Sounds like a very positive experience you both had.I'm glad to hear it went well midwife.

I remember being 5 when I had mine done.They used the guns,and I held back any tears because I didn't want my Mom thinking I made the wrong decision.I have 4 piercings in one ear and 2 in the other.All others I did myself,either with needles or a store I used to go to actually had ear piercing guns for sale.The gun was the quickest,lol.As for age,while I don't agree with babies getting pierced...I'm not going to lecture people.Both my nieces had their ears pierced as babies....not much I could say as I'm not their mother.

midwife - hehehe. i know the feeling. the other day i saw the most beautiful little girl with big blue eyes and she was so adorable -abou 4 years old i'd guess - she was on the bus with her daddy and she had this great big rats nest for hair, which I can only assume is going to be dreadlocks soon, since daddy's dreads were down past his butt. And I know I live in eugene, and I'm used to seeing people that have to wear their hair in bags (like black garbage bags) because it gets so heavy - but a little girl?
I don't know why that struck me as odd, I guess it's the same as raising your kid to anything else, it's the parents prerogative... but still it bugged the crap out of me!