What do you think of circumcision?

Louisa1000

I'm wondering what your thoughts are. I have no religious motivation or anything, but I've heard people do it for preventative health as well.

PrimRoseMama

It's a personal choice. If I had a boy I would circumcise just because I hear it's easier to keep clean. I have no idea if this is really true. It can be a heated topic. Some view it as mutilation of the penis, unnecessary or out dated. I would be looking at the reduction of possible infection etc.

In the end it is something you have to research & decide for yourself. 

NewMoM2Be10

im not against it but i didnt circumcise my boys.. i think its a personal choice but thank god i havent had any problems with infections .. plus i try to always make sure they dont have wet pampers for too long so its less suseptible to infections and bathe them nightly to make sure they are kept clean in their areas..

carig63

My best advice is to talk to your DH/FI/SO about it. We can only speculate about what it's like for boys. We chose to, mostly for health. But I would ask someone who has an informed opinion about it.

hasenbank

We did it.  And honestly, I did very little research.  It's more of a cultural thing for us and we'll likely do it again if this babe's a boy.

Over all, it's a very personal decision - I don't feel comfortable preaching the subject one way or another, but I will share what we did.  

littlemansmama13

I had my little one circumsized  and I think that it was worth it. It is very easy to take care of and healed rather quickly. I think health wise it is also better for them with less risk for bacterial infections and other problems, but then again everyone has their own opinion.

mentalmel

Louisa1000:

I'm wondering what your thoughts are. I have no religious motivation or anything, but I've heard people do it for preventative health as well.

Not a single health organization in the world recommends routine infant circ'ing anymore.
Inevitably, it is the parents decision, that I hope it gets made based on facts, not on some crap reason of "he'll get made fun of in the change room at school".
The main thing I would recommend to any parent on the fence is watching a youtube video of circ'ing & educating themselves before making a confident decision.

vflipo

::grabs popcorn::

mentalmel

vflipo:

::grabs popcorn::

HAH!

MrsNiner

vflipo:

::grabs popcorn::

Can you share?

vflipo

MrsNiner:

vflipo:

::grabs popcorn::

Can you share?

Get your own  

 

 

Ok... fine. I'll share.

nattn

I have no idea what I'll decide if I have a boy, but, I do have a little experience both ways. I'm not going into a lot of detail, but the whole thing about ease of keeping it clean is totally true. 

NechamaChayim

I think it's completely unnecessary for the most part but because I am Jewish, I'll have it done if we have boys. I'm just hoping for girls that way I don't even have to deal with it. If I weren't Jewish it wouldn't even be a consideration.

doremi29

It's a personal choice- one that these boards can get fairly heated on.  We chose circumcision but I respect others' feelings to not. 

HenHen25

hasenbank:

We did it.  And honestly, I did very little research.  It's more of a cultural thing for us and we'll likely do it again if this babe's a boy.

Over all, it's a very personal decision - I don't feel comfortable preaching the subject one way or another, but I will share what we did.  

This. I let DH make the decision, and he wanted DS circumcised. So any furture boys will also be done

amjung2103

I work in pathology and there is a correlation between non-circumcision and development of penile squamous cell carcinoma.  However, they are not sure why there is a correlation (more infections, phimosis (ie tightening of the foreskin), not noticing a change due to the fold of skin).  Also, the cancer is rare - I have seen 2 or 3 cases in the last 4 years - and obviously affects older males (therefore they are at ages where at anytime they could have decided to have an elective circumcision) and not small children or babies. 

Because of these health concerns though, DH and I are leaning towards circumcision, however, we are still not completely decided in our LO is a boy.  I think like PPs have said the best thing you can do is be as informed about both sides as possible.  

jgowing

My theory is that he should look like his daddy. We would circumcise just to avoid the "Why does my penis look different than daddy's." But is definitely a preference not a necessity. 

Jasmine1082

I've heard about half of boys in the US aren't circ'd these days, so I wouldn't worry about teasing in the locker room. IMO its more of a preference on the part of the parents. 

amykins1283

It's totally a personal thing and I don't have strong feelings on the topic either way.  DH is not circumcised and has never had any hygiene issues or health problems and has never had problems with being "different" so we decided not to circumcise Liam.  Just do your research and make a decision you are comfortable with.

vflipo

jgowing:

My theory is that he should look like his daddy. We would circumcise just to avoid the "Why does my penis look different than daddy's." But is definitely a preference not a necessity. 

How often are they going to be comparing junk?

CharannLyn

vflipo:

jgowing:

My theory is that he should look like his daddy. We would circumcise just to avoid the "Why does my penis look different than daddy's." But is definitely a preference not a necessity. 

How often are they going to be comparing junk?

 

We circumcised DS because DH is half Jewish and the whole "why should it look any different?" thing.  But, honestly, you make a good point!  How often will they be comparing one another or even see DH's other than potty training?  We almost didn't, and I wish we wouldn't have.  DS has had more problems being circumcised, because I think the doctor did not cut it right.  His foreskin keeps trying to fuse back on (sorry, TMI).  But, that can cause infection and is very painful for DS (and mommy) everytime the doctors pull it back.  I'm glad the doctor is not going to cut him again, but it is frustrating to worry and have to watch and use A&D to make doesn't stick again.  Plus, the doctor asked us not to bring him in just to pull foreskin back and showed me how to do it.  They said the problem will fix itself as his penis gets longer. We kinda upset with the doctor and ourselves, because DH is not even a practicing Jew.

kparker83

jgowing:

My theory is that he should look like his daddy. We would circumcise just to avoid the "Why does my penis look different than daddy's." But is definitely a preference not a necessity. 

This exactly.  We ar choosing circumcision should our LO be a boy based on this.  As PP have said, everything has their own opinion which I respect but we want our LO to look like DH...

mama&baby

We chose circumcision for LO and I wouldn't take it back for anything. We have pulled it back either every or EO diaper change to prevent any sort of fusing/infections and I can't stress enough that you should do this! Some parents are kinda afraid to touch their kids junk (not that I like it, but I don't care either and will do it to take care of my child) and then it ends up getting fused/crusted and infected. We did this from the beginning and have had no problems

Doc also said LO never even cried during the procedure he just winced for 2 seconds..... so less painful than getting a shot. I think everyone should research it as well as the doc doing it.

Whatever+Ever

If we have a boy, I'm leaving this decision completely up to DH.  He has way more experience owning a penis than I do.

mishka29

This is a topic that I have looked into a little myself.  I thought it was very common and most people did it however I found that it is becoming less common.  The cost used to be covered by government (Ontario) but it no longer is.  The cost would not deter me if this was something we chose to do it but I will certainly spend more time doing some research. 

PinkRoses53

vflipo:

jgowing:

My theory is that he should look like his daddy. We would circumcise just to avoid the "Why does my penis look different than daddy's." But is definitely a preference not a necessity. 

How often are they going to be comparing junk?

I always think the same thing when people on the bump say this!

As for me, I don't have a strong opinion on it either way but my H is adamant that he wants us to circumcise if it is a boy.

lynn3yb00

Knowing the increased risk of UTI's for uncircumsized males, if DH and I have a son, he will be circumsized. My bladder is misformed (has been my whole life) and I have suffered frequent (about once every 3 months) bladder infections for most of my life. When I was little, my parents repeatedly took me to the ER because I was screaming non stop and they had no idea why, only to find out it was a UTI (over and over and over). As a child, several times I even had to stay home from school because the pain was so bad I couldn't get out of bed without crying. I would never want my child to have a UTI and if that means circumsizing my son to help decrease his risk (among other things to decrease my child[ren]s risk), then so be it.

mentalmel

lynn3yb00:

Knowing the increased risk of UTI's for uncircumsized males, if DH and I have a son, he will be circumsized. My bladder is misformed (has been my whole life) and I have suffered frequent (about once every 3 months) bladder infections for most of my life. When I was little, my parents repeatedly took me to the ER because I was screaming non stop and they had no idea why, only to find out it was a UTI (over and over and over). As a child, several times I even had to stay home from school because the pain was so bad I couldn't get out of bed without crying. I would never want my child to have a UTI and if that means circumsizing my son to help decrease his risk (among other things to decrease my child[ren]s risk), then so be it.

The foreskin is actually designed to help keep bacteria and infections OUT, not to trap them in. It's like a mini shield.
If you're gardening , with one hand bare, and the other hand with a gardening glove on it, which hand is gonna get dirtier ?

kcisthebombdotcom

I would do research on both sides of the coin before making a decision. There are medical benefits to the procedure. Some people may feel the risks aren't worth the reward, but it's important to know what they are so you can make an informed decision.

From some credible medical sources--

https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/circumcision.htm

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/efforts_to_defund_or_ban_infant_male_circumcision_are_unfounded_and_potentially_harmful_johns_hopkins_experts_say

https://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/116633/new_circumcision_research_is_cha?quick_picks=1&utm_medium=sem2&utm_source=outbrain&utm_campaign=outbrain&utm_content=outbrain_feb_test

 

GL with your decision!

Anne Mommy

I totally respect everyone's right to make up their own mind on this subject. I would look into your insurance too. Some companies will not cover it as it is elective surgery.

Eags

We just found out we're having a boy and had already talked about whether to circumcise or not.  We plan on having it done, but I think it's definitely a personal decision between the parents.

dande2129

I did not circumcise my DS, and I have never regretted the decision. I did my own research, and it is a personal decision. There are a lot of things that I roll my eyes at, mostly the "it's easier to keep clean [when they're circumcised]" ......I have never had a problem keeping my son "clean." It's basic hygiene.

We also didn't have any religious motivations one way or the other. 

MintBerryCrunch

I'm an OB nurse so I assist w/ circs all the time and know the different methods for doing them. I've seen good ones and really, really bad ones...I've never seen a baby not cry during one. I don't think we're going to do it if we have a boy. If you are going to do it, please make sure the doctor will use lidocaine first. You would not believe how many doctors don't use any anesthesia.

mentalmel

vflipo:

jgowing:

My theory is that he should look like his daddy. We would circumcise just to avoid the "Why does my penis look different than daddy's." But is definitely a preference not a necessity. 

How often are they going to be comparing junk?

SaraRN12

I am for it and I think it is because I am a nurse.  I have seen a lot of penises in my line of work and I am sorry, but men are not always the best about personal hygiene.  More often than not men who are not circumsized seem to be horrible about pulling back their foreskin to clean under there.  After seeing one uncircumsized penis too many that is not being taken care of, there was no way I would ever not circumsize.  Not to mention circumcision helps to protect against HIV and because it is generally cleaner, general infections as well.  When I was working in pediatrics I saw quite a few boys who had to have circumscisions perfromed at three, five, eight years of age due to frequent UTIs and other infections. 

I also believe in it because it is so common in our area.  I feel bad for the few babies who do not have it done because I believe it may cause some social difficulty. 

Also, I have seen quite a few circumcisions done and most babies don't even cry!  It is quick and the nurses will give baby sweeties (very lightly sweetened sugar water) on a pacifier, which the babies love!  Once you stick that in their mouth they do not seem to mind what is going on down south. 

 

00jennifer00

mentalmel:

Louisa1000:

I'm wondering what your thoughts are. I have no religious motivation or anything, but I've heard people do it for preventative health as well.

Not a single health organization in the world recommends routine infant circ'ing anymore.
Inevitably, it is the parents decision, that I hope it gets made based on facts, not on some crap reason of "he'll get made fun of in the change room at school".
The main thing I would recommend to any parent on the fence is watching a youtube video of circ'ing & educating themselves before making a confident decision.

 

I you, I keep following you on posts!

We circ'ed our first.  I had a bad feeling about it from before we even did it, but I thought we "had" to culturally and religiously (my thought was that it was good enough for Jesus) and because it helps lower rates of cervical cancer.  I had no clue at the time that the only reason it helps lower cervical cancer rates is because of HPV and that that is an STD.  We plan on teaching abstinence and the dangers of premarital sex, so I just don't think that applies to our family.  What I learned long after, was that circumcision now is SOOOO much different than it was a long time ago.  Different than it was for Jesus.  They take WAY too much tissue now, and for a while men were getting circ'd too deeply and they didn't have enough skin left to support an erection (think more like the 60's I guess, maybe before then).  Someone, I think the quack Kellogg suggested deep circ's as a way to deter masturbation.  Nowadays, they harvest circ'd tissue and sell it to cosmetic companies who use it in anti-wrinkle cream.  No kidding, look it up.  It's expensive and stinky, but it fuels the drive for circing now.

When my son was circ'd, we had an appt at 2w (the pedi wouldn't do it until then).  A baby was bleeding out after his circ, so we had to come back the next week.  Stupidly, we did just that.  We choose the gomco clamp because I didn't trust the plastibell thing.  I was afraid of it slipping and causing more damage.  When my son was circ'd, his skin reattached to the head.  The pedi pulled it down and let me tell how absolutely gut-wrenching that was to witness.  Then he told me that I'd have to do that everyday until it healed.  I couldn't.  I prayed and I left it along.  Around 10mo, he got what I can only describe as a bubble on one side of the head.  Of course we took him right in because it was strange and worrisome.  Turns out that the skin was detaching on its own.  About a week later, the other side followed suit.  After that, I begged God to only give me girls because I couldn't do that again and my husband was still pro-circ.  I started doing research (finally...should have done it FIRST) and I just knew I could never go through that again.  So when we had our second son 5 years later, we left him.  He's 3 1/2 now and never had an issue with his foreskin.  My almost 9yo has never said anything about their business looking different, but I imagine he'll notice someday, and we'll talk about the mistake I made then.  I just don't think it's necessary, and as it's done today in the medical establishment, I think it's dangerous.

LnR70707

00jennifer00:

and never had an issue with his foreskin.  My almost 9yo has never said anything about their business looking different, but I imagine he'll notice someday, and we'll talk about the mistake I made then.  I just don't think it's necessary, and as it's done today in the medical establishment, I think it's dangerous.

  You're going to tell your son that the way he looks is a mistake?  I'm sure that will do wonders for his self confidence.

mentalmel

L&R70707:

00jennifer00:

and never had an issue with his foreskin.  My almost 9yo has never said anything about their business looking different, but I imagine he'll notice someday, and we'll talk about the mistake I made then.  I just don't think it's necessary, and as it's done today in the medical establishment, I think it's dangerous.

  You're going to tell your son that the way he looks is a mistake?  I'm sure that will do wonders for his self confidence.

im quite sure shes referring to the decision being a mistake, not how he looks . sheesh. 

mentalmel

SaraRN12:

I am for it and I think it is because I am a nurse.  I have seen a lot of penises in my line of work and I am sorry, but men are not always the best about personal hygiene.  More often than not men who are not circumsized seem to be horrible about pulling back their foreskin to clean under there.  After seeing one uncircumsized penis too many that is not being taken care of, there was no way I would ever not circumsize.  Not to mention circumcision helps to protect against HIV and because it is generally cleaner, general infections as well.  When I was working in pediatrics I saw quite a few boys who had to have circumscisions perfromed at three, five, eight years of age due to frequent UTIs and other infections. 

I also believe in it because it is so common in our area.  I feel bad for the few babies who do not have it done because I believe it may cause some social difficulty. 

Also, I have seen quite a few circumcisions done and most babies don't even cry!  It is quick and the nurses will give baby sweeties (very lightly sweetened sugar water) on a pacifier, which the babies love!  Once you stick that in their mouth they do not seem to mind what is going on down south. 

 

1st Bold - That's QUITE the assumption to make about "most men" who are uncut being unclean. You know, the majority of the world's men aren't circ'd , so you're saying your an expert on all of their hygiene practices?? So either you're a huge slut, or you're taking a TINY sliver of info and warping it based on what you've seen IN A HOSPITAL (where most people go with already impending health issues, no?)

2nd Bold - Mutilation doesn't prevent HIV, Condoms prevent HIV.

3rd Bold - I'll let 70% of the world male population know that you feel sorry for them !

4th Bold -  If they don't cry, it's because they're in shock. https://www.drmomma.org/2011/03/he-didnt-cry-babies-in-shock.html



Are you from the past ?!?

zach'swife

We did with DS, only because I didn't educate myself and just did what I thought we were "supposed" to do. DH is, so I figured DS ought to be too.

I really regret the decision since researching the topic more extensively. I wish I would have known better with my son, but he had no problems and I'm not going to beat myself up about it now. 

However, if this baby is a boy, we will be leaving him intact. Since I was so uninformed before, I certainly don't get preachy or judge others, but I do think it's worth knowing all the facts before making a decision for your son. Peaceful Parenting has tons of informative articles about circumcision: https://www.drmomma.org/2011/08/intact-or-circumcised-significant.html

00jennifer00

I'm not going to tell him the way he looks is a mistake, no.  I actually like the way dh (circ'd) looks, and since I've never seen an adult un-circ'd, I don't have an opinion about how it looks.  But I will tell him that I made a quick decision on something that I didn't fully research, and that I'm sorry.  My son is a huge sweetheart, and the conversation may not even come about until he's got his own kid on the way.  I don't know how it will go down, but I need to be accountable for doing something that I view as a mistake.

Um, you DON'T pull the foreskin down, please don't do that!  It's actually fused to the head for quite some time.  Everything I've read says it disconnects around 3yo and that only the penis owner should pull the skin back when he's washing himself when he's older.

I don't really see the need to mass circ the population because some people don't keep themselves clean.  How about teach them to be responsible instead of cutting off valuable nerve endings?  And if they want to get it done when they're older, they can be put under and be given pain meds!  It most certainly hurts to have a piece of your skin cut off!!  And babies probably have more nerve endings than adults do.  It's most definitely shock.  I'm sorry.  It hurts.  Poke yourself with a pin down there and tell me it doesn't hurt.  My son came back with red rimmed eyes and tears all over his face.