You just have to be careful when changing. Take off your top/shirt carefully, it will only take an extra second or two to be sure you don't rip anything. Your earlobes can take a bit of tugging, the only worry is how thin the earring is - it can pull right through if pulled too hard.
The infections could have been caused by a few different problems. The biggest problem is wearing the wrong jewelry. If you're allergic to any part of your earring, even just slightly, it will irritate the piercing. Try wearing sterling silver or pure gold earrings. Titanium is also a great option, but it is more expensive and harder to find. The earrings with the "butterfly" backs can be irritating, because they press against the ear so tightly.
Another problem could be what you were using to clean them, or not cleaning enough, or thoroughly enough. Clean them with peroxide at first (like the first week of the new piercing) then just mild salt water after that. Try not to use soap, alcohol, iodine, or anything harsher than peroxide or salt water. Many people can get away with those stronger cleaners, but if your ears are sensitive, you will not be able to. Be sure to leave the earring in for the first week or two, but after that, remove it to clean your ears every few days. Removing it too much can be irritating, so be careful about that.
Lastly, it could be how they were pierced, or how your sleep on them - situational problems. If they were pierced at a strange angle, then you would be putting more pressure on them while sleeping, or even while wearing headphones. Make sure you are not squishing them too badly when you sleep. And make sure you get them pierced straight.
I have both of my ear piercings in each earlobe stretched, and they are doing very well despite previous problems. If you take good care of them, infections should not be a problem.
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"Everything counts in large amounts."