Here is a question from a woman concerned about piercing while she is still nursing:

Hi,
I was hoping that you could please give me some advice.
I'm wanting to get a tragus piercing but am still breastfeeding my second child who is now 12 months old. (I have had a navel piercing for many years with no problems and had a tattoo many years ago as well.) I read the website on safe piercing and it suggests to wait for 3 months after the birth before getting any form of piercing. My son is 12 months. I was speaking to the piercer at Polymorph in Sydney today and they mentioned a few things that I was hoping you could clarify. Firstly they suggested that there is an issue of adrenalin going through my breastmilk which could send my baby hyperactive. I'm not so concerned with that as an issue unless you suggest it's a major, major problem. Secondly, the piercer was hesitant to pierce my tragus while I'm still breastfeeding as a concern of acquiring an infection and it passing through my breastmilk to my son. I am only feeding my son still on average twice a day and he is on full solids as well. The website on safe piercing doesn't seem to suggest not piercing at this stage. What is your opinion? The guys at Polymorph were very helpful in trying to help me make my decision but I thought I would enquire further before making my choice to pierce at this point as I obviously don't want to risk an infection and then passing it on to my child. Please advise?? Do you think it is safe to pierce now? Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards, Trish

If you are in good health, I believe you should be able to get a piercing at this time. My understanding about the risk to a nursing child has more to do with his or her exposure to the antibiotics used to treat an infection--not the infection itself (unless it were local, but we're not talking about nipple piercing, so that is not the issue in question). I do not believe adrenaline is a consideration under your circumstances.

In a worst case scenario, if you were to get an infection that required antibiotics, it sounds as though your son is old enough to wean now.

Feel free to pass along my response to the studio staff at Polymorph. I applaud them for aiming toward the side of caution; so many piercers do not. Please send my colleagues there my warmest regards!