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@PrincessBaby: I know our LOs are really close in age and I hate to say it but I think at this point you should wait. I know M has pulled one of MY studs out of my ear so I would be worried that she could pull an earring out of her ear when shes alone in her crib and then the loose earring becomes a choking hazard.

I'd honestly just wait until she's older.

@PrincessBaby: I have no advice regarding baby ears, but personally, I think that tattoo/body piercing parlors are WAY better than going to Claire's. The tattoo/body piercing procedures are so different (and in a good way!)--tattoo/body piercing parlors will use a needle to pierce rather than the super blunt piercing gun (which causes sooo much trauma to the pierced site). The piercers are trained and regulated, and aftercare is taken seriously.

Again, totally just my personal opinion!

@ms.janedoe: +1

i live in alberta (canada) we have claires here too and if there the same here as where you id avoid. ive had mine done there years ago and they screwed up bad and got infected i took my daughter at 10 months to a local piercing place but a tattoo piercing type place would be better then a idea IMO
or a merele norman in you have those stores are so much better then claires

good luck!
it didnt even phase my daughter when we got them done via gun some advil and your good

@PrincessBaby: You and I were on the same page about ear piercing! I've been looking and looking all over - anytime I see a mom with a baby's ears pierced, I flag them down for info. Been having a tough time since our ped doesn't do it, another one only does her patients, and I still have another one to call.

About 1/2 the moms I've flagged down DID take their LOs to Claire's. Another option I was told was Piercing Pagoda. I haven't checked it out yet, but seems to be a chain in malls, JUST for piercings. Maybe you can check their website if they have one by you? I guess it's owned by Zales. That's my back-up plan if I don't find a doc to do it soon. One mom told me her doc recommended them by 6 months, or wait until they are bit older because they become conscious of them.
http://stores.zalecorp.com/StoreLocator.aspx?b=Pagoda

@PrincessBaby: it's Arab tradition to do them at only a few days old:) and then the grandparents shower the baby with earrings (gold ball/studs are tradition).
Anyways- we buy the piercing kit and do them at all. All my (Arab) friends pierce their niece's/daughter's/sister's ears at home. Maybe if you don't have the balls (I don't), you could get dh to do it?
Or just go to Claire's...who cares, right?

@sloaneandpuffy: did you do it yourself! I'd love to hear more on that!

Oh @princessbaby: if you chicken out and think it'll hurt her (ahem, previous posters?), just think how painful it will be when she's like 6-7 years old. Um, get it over with now
Just my opinion.

I had them done at a plastic surgeon her pediatrician recommended /c he doesn't do it there.. There were no problems, she was 4 months. I'm glad I had them done when she was that small. She never touches her ears either.

Ugh... stay away from Claires the gun procedure is terrible. I got mine done there (when I was 16 - so it's not like I was too squirmy or something) and the piercing gun causes so much excess scar tissue, AND they did them totally crooked!
I ended up letting them grow over because they got infected over and over for like 5 years and then didn't redo them until this year haha, but I can still feel a big node of scar tissue in my left ear.
So, maybe I'm from the "wrong side of the tracks" (hope not!) but I'd definitely recommend a proper piercing place that uses needles as well.

@TurtleDoves: Mexicans and Arabs have that in common! Except here they offer piercing in the hospital. A nurse did it just using the baby piercing earrings with a sharp back. We didn't get to watch but we made them describe he process beforehand (and also tried to emphasize the importance of having them perfectly centered hahaha).

Anyway, my foreign friends here who didn't pierce their girls' ears are constantly having them mistaken for boys and having to explain themselves so I decided, when in Rome...

@PrincessBaby: Fair enough... I think here some salons/spas do it?

I don't have a baby girl yet, but i think it looks so cute! A few of my friends have gotten their baby girls' ears pierced.

Personally I would feel WAAAYYY more comfortable having a baby's ears done at a tattoo/piercing parlour than at Claire's or another place like that. Hehe... maybe look around online in your area -- some of them are less 'hardcore' (so to speak) and super professional! Perhaps also ask each place about how often they do infant ears :)!

I think with the gun you are required to use the starter studs because the post is sharper than a normal earring post.

@PrincessBaby: as someone who has gotten a lot of piercings throughout their life.. I'm not sure if you can start with white gold earrings. Everytime I've gotten a piercing it had to be stainless steel. I could be totally wrong but I would call first and ask wherever you decide.

Honestly, I'd take her to someone who is a highly trained piercer, which generally means a piercing/tattoo parlor. They are highly skilled, know how to make it as painless as possible, keep everything extremely clean and sterile. I'd much rather take C to a tattoo parlor than Claire's.

@Arden: Agree.

I wouldn't want to risk my baby losing diamond earrings because she tugs her ears so maybe use something cheaper as her first pair if you do it. I did mine at 5. I believe my parents took me to a jewelry store. I remember it hurting but it wasn't anything traumatic.

@PrincessBaby: I had mine done at age 6 right after I had my tonsils taken out. I didn't cry once for surgery but did for my ears & I was always messing with them. However, I was able to clean them myself and turn them myself. Mom bought me really nice birthstone earrings in gold as my piercing earrings & I got them done at a high end jewelry store.

I must say this has me thinking about how cute it would be to have a little girl with pierced ears... Not sure how DH would feel about that lol. I would take my girl to the tattoo parlor to get them done. No way will I ever use a gun again for a piercing. I've been going to the same place over the last few years to get my tattoos & piercings done & know that they would have no problem meeting with me at an earlier time to avoid the "Wet Wednesday" rush.

Imo taking a baby to the dr to get them done is a little over kill. BUT I also don't have a baby to hold in my arms as I'm say this. My opinion may change once to babies are here