circumcision
- Thread starter morris
- Start date
When we had our sons (21 and 24 year's ago) I left this up to my dh to sort out. He opted not to have our two sons circumcised. Our pediatrician at the time was quite against circumcising. Dh and I did our own additional research. We started with our own fathers who came from families where some boys were and some weren't and neither grandad could remember who and why not. We went to great grandma who said sometimes it was a matter of money and times were lean. She a mother of both types of boys could see no advantage one way or the other.
Fast forward to my sons. One of them is a dad now. I overheard his wife telling someone, they were continuing the non circ tradition so her son would look like his dad as my son had looked like his.
My son was shocked to find out his dad had been circumcise and somehow he never noticed despite open dressing around here.
I have seen boys circumcised and it did seem to hurt but not excessively so. I can easily argue this either way.
Teachreef
Fast forward to my sons. One of them is a dad now. I overheard his wife telling someone, they were continuing the non circ tradition so her son would look like his dad as my son had looked like his.
My son was shocked to find out his dad had been circumcise and somehow he never noticed despite open dressing around here.
I have seen boys circumcised and it did seem to hurt but not excessively so. I can easily argue this either way.
Teachreef
I had both of my boys circumcised. It was a hard decision with the first, but 90% of the boys in our area are circumcised still at the hospital. Plus we have a friend who was not and was picked on greatly in school, so he actually had it done when he was 21 - yikes! It was a non-issue with my second son.
Anyways, my husband actually watched our pediatrician do the procedure at the hospital with both boys. I stayed in the room pretty much just sick over the thought of my little guys screaming. My husband said both times they had the baby suck on my husbands finger. They did a general anesthetic on the area. Any neither of my boys cried during the procedure. My husband said it wasn't bad at all. You put A&D on it for a week and it's completely healed after that. Babies heal very fast. My second son was actually accidently knicked in the face during my c-section, within a weeks time you couldn't even tell.
Anyways, my husband actually watched our pediatrician do the procedure at the hospital with both boys. I stayed in the room pretty much just sick over the thought of my little guys screaming. My husband said both times they had the baby suck on my husbands finger. They did a general anesthetic on the area. Any neither of my boys cried during the procedure. My husband said it wasn't bad at all. You put A&D on it for a week and it's completely healed after that. Babies heal very fast. My second son was actually accidently knicked in the face during my c-section, within a weeks time you couldn't even tell.
I had my son circumcised (sp?) a day after he was born. My DH and I knew right off that we were going to get it done.I was surprised that the OB did the procedure, not the pediatrician. The doctor used a local anasthetic (sp?), and he was fine. I saw him right after, and he didn't appear to be in any great pain. The weirdest thing is when the scab fell off-it was gross!
I and my son were circumcised. Keeping clean is a little easier. I've heard stories of sensitivity that favor both options.
A 60 year old coworker of mine who was diabetic was faced with being circumcised or possible loosing "Mr. Friendly" as he was having numerous infections.
I imagine a 60 year old will remember the pain longer than an infant.
The grossest thing on an infant is that umbilical stub that falls off in a few days. I knew it was coming but I still freaked when it did.
Dave
A 60 year old coworker of mine who was diabetic was faced with being circumcised or possible loosing "Mr. Friendly" as he was having numerous infections.
I imagine a 60 year old will remember the pain longer than an infant.
The grossest thing on an infant is that umbilical stub that falls off in a few days. I knew it was coming but I still freaked when it did.
Dave
alsrnbsn
Cathlete
I am not a mom yet, but as a nurse, I have watched several circumcisions, both infant and adult.
As an infant, it really isn't all that distressing to them due to the local anesthetic that is applied.
As an adult, it's very painful and is basically considered major surgery where they go to the operation room and get placed under general anesthesia! Post-operatively is also very difficult and painful for several weeks as an adult, where as with a newborn, there isn't any noticed difficulties with pain.
Two of the biggest reasons for this procedure is religion (Jewish) and looks. What's not discussed, though is the health problems that can come if the boy isn't circumcised. If the boy is not taught good hygiene, then under the foreskin becomes a HUGE breeding ground for bacteria and yeast and in general, infections! There is also a risk of cutting off blood supply to the area if the foreskin doesn't get put back where it belongs and gets left pulled back, thus causing a tourniquet effect (castration).
DH also says that there can be an emotional impact to not being circumcised as well as an unconscious affiliation to poverty and not being circumcised when the boy gets old enough to start noticing the difference between him and his friends. DH was in the military for 17 years and as a healthcare provider, actually noticed that this was one of the #1 procedures the young men in bootcamp, basic training, and on board the ships wanted to go through even though it was so painful.
HTH
As an infant, it really isn't all that distressing to them due to the local anesthetic that is applied.
As an adult, it's very painful and is basically considered major surgery where they go to the operation room and get placed under general anesthesia! Post-operatively is also very difficult and painful for several weeks as an adult, where as with a newborn, there isn't any noticed difficulties with pain.
Two of the biggest reasons for this procedure is religion (Jewish) and looks. What's not discussed, though is the health problems that can come if the boy isn't circumcised. If the boy is not taught good hygiene, then under the foreskin becomes a HUGE breeding ground for bacteria and yeast and in general, infections! There is also a risk of cutting off blood supply to the area if the foreskin doesn't get put back where it belongs and gets left pulled back, thus causing a tourniquet effect (castration).
DH also says that there can be an emotional impact to not being circumcised as well as an unconscious affiliation to poverty and not being circumcised when the boy gets old enough to start noticing the difference between him and his friends. DH was in the military for 17 years and as a healthcare provider, actually noticed that this was one of the #1 procedures the young men in bootcamp, basic training, and on board the ships wanted to go through even though it was so painful.
HTH
Amy,
Wow-thanks for explaining everything! When my son was born, my DH never even ?'d the procedure, we just had it done. Several people told us that it's so painful for the baby (how would they know?), and the child should make that decision when they are older. Yeah, we ignored all that and got it done. I had a human sex. class in college, and whoa, you are right about having to know good hygiene!
Your post was very informative!
-Jen
Wow-thanks for explaining everything! When my son was born, my DH never even ?'d the procedure, we just had it done. Several people told us that it's so painful for the baby (how would they know?), and the child should make that decision when they are older. Yeah, we ignored all that and got it done. I had a human sex. class in college, and whoa, you are right about having to know good hygiene!
Your post was very informative!
-Jen
Fit_mommy
Cathlete
We had our son circumsized. He was given a pacifier coated with some sort of sugar water solution to suck on. The OB said the sugar will put him into some type of "euphoric" state so that it will be easier for him. When he was returned to us, he was fine....Didn't even look like he had been crying at all. The OB said he didn't get "crazy" at all. I was very nervous changing his diaper until it healed though and it took about 3-4 weeks to heal. It was sooo much easier to change him once he was all healed up.
fitaholic mama
New Member
Just my feelings about the matter, not directed at anyone or meant to offend:
I am 34 weeks with my son. We are not going to circumcisize him. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend doing this anymore (check their website). The reason? Modern research confirms that there is no medical or physical reason to do it. It amounts to doing plastic surgery on your childs genitals - the most sensitive part of his body - for purely aesthetic reasons.
Wheather you beleive in evolution or creationism the penis is made with a foreskin for a reason. It is natural to have one. There are thousands of nerve endings in the foreskin that are cut off and replaced by scar tissue. Men that have had it done as an adult, including my dad, tell of reduced sensitivity. If people were doing this to girls as they are in some countries, there would be outrage. I would prefer my son to experience his body as it was made. He can make his own decision about altering it later.
I am 34 weeks with my son. We are not going to circumcisize him. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend doing this anymore (check their website). The reason? Modern research confirms that there is no medical or physical reason to do it. It amounts to doing plastic surgery on your childs genitals - the most sensitive part of his body - for purely aesthetic reasons.
Wheather you beleive in evolution or creationism the penis is made with a foreskin for a reason. It is natural to have one. There are thousands of nerve endings in the foreskin that are cut off and replaced by scar tissue. Men that have had it done as an adult, including my dad, tell of reduced sensitivity. If people were doing this to girls as they are in some countries, there would be outrage. I would prefer my son to experience his body as it was made. He can make his own decision about altering it later.
Calico
Cathlete
Ok, I will tell you my circumsion horror story. I have 3 sons mind you and the first one was circumcised with no problems. The second one came along and again we had him done (the OB does it here too which I think is strange), when the nurse brought him back she said that she was sooo sorry, I asked why and again she said that she was soooo sorry. By this time I am really asking her "WHY" are you sooo sorry??! She said that the doctor did him twice!!!?
Said that he did him once looked at it said whoops didn't take enough off and did it again.
By the time I got him home and was giving him his first bath a week later, I removed the gauze and went to wash him and it started to bleed. Since I already had 1 son I knew this wasn't right so I called the doctor. I was already taking him in for his 1 week check up so I waited til his appointment time. When she took one look at him, she sent us to a Urologist. There was an eighth of an inch separation between the penis head and the shaft (which was what had bled) that if he had been adult would have needed to be sutured back together, but since he was a newborn would heal on his own. The Urologist said that it was a botched circumsion.
We won't know until he is older (he is 12 now) whether he will have any problems, basically he has no foreskin left.
When I found out I was having a 3rd boy I did NOT want that same OB doctor to do his circumcision and thankfully he did not and there were no problems.
Hope I didn't scare you too much.
Said that he did him once looked at it said whoops didn't take enough off and did it again.
By the time I got him home and was giving him his first bath a week later, I removed the gauze and went to wash him and it started to bleed. Since I already had 1 son I knew this wasn't right so I called the doctor. I was already taking him in for his 1 week check up so I waited til his appointment time. When she took one look at him, she sent us to a Urologist. There was an eighth of an inch separation between the penis head and the shaft (which was what had bled) that if he had been adult would have needed to be sutured back together, but since he was a newborn would heal on his own. The Urologist said that it was a botched circumsion.
We won't know until he is older (he is 12 now) whether he will have any problems, basically he has no foreskin left.
When I found out I was having a 3rd boy I did NOT want that same OB doctor to do his circumcision and thankfully he did not and there were no problems.
Hope I didn't scare you too much.
Yes, we had out son circ'd and will have any future sons circ'd. He went to the nursery and when he came back to me he was calm, cool, and collected. I witnessed numerous circs when I worked in the nursery and the babies tolerate it better than you would think. Of course, some do better than others.
My DH wanted our son circ'd for religious reasons (not aesthetic). As a RN, I am well aware of the AAP recommendations and respect the consensus of such medical organizations. However, I read the research and came to my own conclusions regarding the medical benefits of circumcision. One other note, for every circ horror story there is a horror story about the boy/man who was not circ'd.
My advice is research, research, research. Ask questions. Make the best decision for your family.
Take care!
Autumn
My DH wanted our son circ'd for religious reasons (not aesthetic). As a RN, I am well aware of the AAP recommendations and respect the consensus of such medical organizations. However, I read the research and came to my own conclusions regarding the medical benefits of circumcision. One other note, for every circ horror story there is a horror story about the boy/man who was not circ'd.
My advice is research, research, research. Ask questions. Make the best decision for your family.
Take care!
Autumn
My first son Caleb was circ'd. I made the mistake of asking the Dr. what the procedure entails. His words: "We 4 point him (tie his arms and legs down), give him a shot to numb him and then cut the skin". I have 2 boys,Isaac and Caleb. I asked that they both be brought to me when they were done. They looked fine and were sleeping. You just have to make sure you keep it very clean.