Mom Of Twins Defends Her Choice To Pierce One Of Her Baby's Nose To Tell Them Apart
It's a bit unconventional.
TikTok A mother of identical twins decided to choose an unconventional way of telling her babies apart.
In a TikTok video, the mother of twin girls, Kimberly and Kendra, received mixed reactions from viewers after explaining how she can differentiate between her two young girls, with many people pointing out that she could've chosen another way.
A mom of twins faces backlash after revealing that she pierced her twin baby's nose to tell them apart.
After receiving countless questions on her TikTok page about how a mom of twins tells her children, Kimberly and Kendra, apart, she decided to tell viewers her secret.
"A lot of you have been asking me to make a video on how I tell my twin girls apart," she began.
She explained that when Kimberly was three months old, she and her husband decided to pierce her nose in order to know which girl was which. "As you can see, we got Kimberly's nose pierced," she pointed out, showing off the silver jewelry situated on the little girl's left nostril.
While many viewers were convinced that the entire thing was a joke, the mom decided to make a follow-up video addressing comments from people asking why she didn't just pierce the little girl's ears instead.
She shared that, for her, she doesn't particularly like seeing children with earrings on, and while she doesn't like it, it doesn't mean she's against it. She clarified that she would let her children pierce their ears when they grow older.
"I am particular and I don't like it, so because of that, [my husband and I] agreed not to pierce their ear," she said. "I like it when people make their own decisions. When they choose what they want and what they don't want."
She continued, noting that she and her husband would allow their daughters to pierce their ears if they express a desire for it in the future.
Many viewers had mixed reactions to her decision.
"Just buy a bracelet with their name [on it]," one TikTok user wrote.
Another user added, "You didn’t give [them] choice [on whether] or not she [wanted] her nose pierced."
"Look for another sign/mark. No matter how identical they look... there will always be a slight difference," a third user remarked
However, other people defended the mom and pointed out that she is allowed to do whatever she chooses for her children.
"They're [your] kids, [you] can do whatever you like. [Your] husband is in support of it so [you] are good!" a fourth user wrote, while another agreed, writing, "love your decision, [it] is your life you must not please anyone."
There have constantly been debates in the parenting community on the ethics of giving babies piercings soon after they are born.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics website, ear piercing is safe for cosmetic reasons at any age.
When it comes to avoiding earlobe infection, though, the academy cautions parents as a general guideline to “postpone the piercing until your child is mature enough to take care of the pierced site herself.”
In an interview with TODAY, Dr. Tanya Altmann, a pediatrician in West Lake Village, California, routinely pierces babies’ ears in her office, but she prefers to wait until her patients are at least 4 months old so that they’ve had two rounds of vaccinations and have been given a clean bill of health.
“Anytime you pierce the skin, you have a risk of infection,” Altmann said. “And that risk is always higher if you’re piercing a baby’s ear outside of a doctor’s office environment.”
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics.