I saw a few threads about circumcisions on some of the females boards. As a circumsized father of a circumsized son, I wanted to see if us dads could contribute to the topic over here. I know when it comes to "down there' my wife leaves it all up to me in terms of cleaning it and making sure any excess "skin" around the head is removed at bathtime.
I think mom's see the male anatomy in the same way we see the female anatomy....like a foreign country or language.
If that area is not cleaned on a very regular basis, that skin will come back and it will be another snip, snip in the near future. That means peeling that excess skin back and really cleaning that head good. I think mom's don't want to be too physical down there, but I go right after it, because I have one too, so I know what is too much, if you know what I mean.
Keep it clean, wipe it down at diaper time, and in about a year that hidden turtle trick it is doing now will stop.
Re: Circumcision.....Issues......Concerns.
Speak for yourself, dude. Some of us are totally fluent in that language. Bam!
We skipped Circ on DS, partially because I didn't want to deal with any of this. I figure if he wants to get cut when he's a teenager, that's his business.
If we were to have a boy, I know the choice would be easy for my wife. She looks at circumcision on a general hygiene level and would just do it when he would not remember the procedure. I am rather ambivalent about it as there are both positives and negatives to the procedure. Ultimately it's a personal decision between the parents.
Maybe I should have used an NFL analogy instead....
I know everything about the NFL, but I would not survive one down in that world.
If I had what my wife has, anatomically speaking, even though I know how to use it, I certainly could never maintain it.
We decided to go with the circumcision right away. I know it'll be a little more work keeping it clean. But we already don't know what we're doing, so what's one more thing
My wife left it up to me, saying "those are the parts you gave him" she wouldn't admit, but I don't think she even knew that it was such a thing. When I first brought it up, she seemed very confused, and even asked if I was. I would think after 4 years, it would have been obvious
Sorry, not a Dad, but I wanted to throw out an alternate opinion since it doesn't seem to be represented here. We did not circumcise our son. There is no medical reason to perform circumcision. The reasons they used to be performed routinely have been disproven. It does not help prevent certain cancers as they once thought. It does not help with cleanliness. There are many reasons not to perform one, and rather than preach them, if you are interested simply google "cons of circumcision". In fact, many insurances are not covering the procedure anymore because it is no longer considered medically necessary.
My husband and I made this decision together. Of course it a personal decision every couple has to make, but there is a lot of old, false, information floating around about the need for it.
Talk about misinformation....
I can respect your decision to not perform a circumcison, but it certainly seems you are HIGHLY judgemental of those that do go with the procedure. Is the Hebrew faith a con as well??? Half of the males in this country are circumcised.
There is very much a hygeine aspect when it comes to comparing the two. A little boy would have to be taught how to keep it clean, so there is that to consider. The difference in that area is not something to shrug away. I do not know how to clean a foreskin, nor do I care to learn. I like being streamline down there, and I am cerrtain my son will as well. And my wife is very "happy" with the snip job down there.
As a teenager going through the whole male change thing, the difference between the two is very real as well. So there is a social element that may need to be addressed at that point. I played sports through college, and young men can be very, very cruel when it comes to talking about that area. That is reality, and needs to be considered.
Regardless of the the decision that is reached, there is no "con" behind being circumcised. My birthmother was not the vicitm of a "con" when I was snipped, and it certainly is not something that haunts me, and I am glad I was circumcised. So is my wife. My wife and I were not the victims of a "con" when we had the procedure done on our son on the second day of his life. He does not freak out when I clean him down there. And he will look like dad down there...I was glad I looked like my dad down there.
I can sit here and tell you the problems I have with it not being snipped, but at the end of the day, I do not feel that it is some tragedy that was some sort of "con". It does not lessen the value of a man based on a snip or not a snip! There are religious, social and cultural reasons to snip or not to snip. stating it as a con is very dismissive of the reality behind the decision, whatever that may be.
Female lurker here, but I made my husband read this. We are completely like this. DH will pull the skin back, and it makes me wince. I'm very gentle down there compared to him.
DH told me to "like" your post lol.
Please don't let this thread turn into a Circ debate.
It's boring and inevitably ends up being slightly offensive to those who do it for religious reasons.
That said, what kind of schools did you dudes go to where you were staring at each other's penises in the HS locker room? After middle school I never got fully naked for gym class. Helped I lived someplace cold, I suppose, and it was easy to half ass gym and not sweat.
I played sports year round from the time I started school as a young buck. And it is cold here in Milwaukee....VERY cold!!!!
Staring is a pretty strong way to describe how a football team behaves when they are naked around each other everyday and one Friday night a week for a full season. Same with basketball and baseball.
Hard not see a bunch of johnson's when you play sports.
You misunderstood her use of the word "con", contextually. Just sayin'. And with over half of the boys being born in the US not being circ'ed these days there really isn't going to be the same level of social pressure or judgement about it by adolescent males in the near future. Seems like it will be pretty mixed in the [american] locker room from now on. In addition, the majority of men on earth are not circ'ed and suffer no hygiene problems to due to that. Nor do their wives seem to mind. In fact, it is not offered as an automatic option in most countries, and must be specifically requested.
She wasn't making a personal attack on your penis or your choice.
Whoa....
Read the thread, ladyjenna13....always getting the party started! I like it.
I actually snipped my son (not me personally, but choose to do so) and I don't regret it. My wife and I clean it and she is just has hands on as I am. I would definitely do it again from my future sons as well. However, I am not....no big deal, but if I could have made the decision 30+ years ago I would have probably preferred to be. But this is all my personal opinion.
She misspoke about insurance companies not covering the procedure. As well, most stats show the majority of boys still being circumcised in this country It was 56% in 2006. And until you step in a boys locker room filled with teen boys, your idea about social pressure in that area is a little innocent. I could care less what the practices are around the rest of the world on this, I am an American accustomed to American society and culture. What is good for Europe is fine with me.
Listen, I could care less if someone is circumcised or not. I know, for my family, all the males are circumcised. My wife actually does prefer it on me, and on my son. It is a personal choice that parents will have to make for their newborn boys. At some point, that decision will need to be explained to the boy, and for us, we prefer to have our son look like daddy down there, and not have to teach another lesson on hygeine down there. I certainly do not know how to clean a foreskin...I have never had to.
This issue is always a hot button one on the boards.
Some insurance companies, in fact, do not cover it- the procedure is not very expensive, but for some people, it is about that. Friends of mine did not circ their son because they felt the $300 price tag was simply not worth it.
Dh and I did choose to circ DS. Despite that it is not the "proper crunchy mom" thing to do, I am glad we did. Truth be told, I do think it looks a little...better.
But the days of balking at an uncirc'ed boy are long over, I believe. It's just becoming the "norm" to be either way, IMO.
"But the days of balking at an uncirc'ed boy are long over, I believe. It's just becoming the "norm" to be either way, IMO."
I would agree with this stance on the topic.
A little confusion on my end, but isn't this area for Dad's, or soon to be Dad's?
Great post btw...
yes....we welcome moms from time to time to keep it interesting.
tru dat!
Although sometimes we make fun of them. Mostly if they ask the same old "what should I get my husband?" question.
A few more periods, capitalizations and paragraph breaks would have made this a lot easier to read.
Actually science has shown that since babies nerves are still developing that coating and stuff. im sorry i forget name. they say babies feel pain 3 times as bad as we do so try and think how bad it would feel to be circumsized as a female which is not much different, actually worse for men cause they have more nerve endings and any ways times that pain by three.
also if they do try and numb them they admit they dont numb them enough cause baby cant tell them it hurts. also there is this thing that because of the nerves if shot is not iven just right it only numbs top half so bottom half being cut they feel the whole thing. they gonna be in pain for a while they a lil human like u and me just cause a lil doesnt mean they just forget and go back to being happy.
dont get me wrong i was all abt being cut because i hate the look of uncut my hubby is uncut and i wish he would get cut but he loves not being cut. and well i want my son to look like his dad and honestly it dont matter if i think it looks good more is at stake. also babies dying from being cut and being infected which they get infected alot. happens a lot more then one thinks and not geting cut dont have that threat.
Really?
It probably varies by region, but in California at least, the circ rate is below 50%, probably somewhere around 30-40% (somewhat higher among caucasians).
It sounds like current rates of circumcision are around 60% nationally in the US. That's hardly "rare". You're right that for men in their 20s and up it's definitely more common to be cut, but by the time our kids are teenagers it's really gonna be NBD either way.
Free country...free forum.
Come join us on the baby showers board. I assure you, we will welcome you.
sorry to jump in, just want to try to dispel some anger - I think when she said "cons of circumcision" she meant 'pros and cons,' not like someone has duped half the country into this medical procedure for nefarious purposes or something no one was suggesting anyone was 'conned' Thanks!
Everytime I read her response I am more convinced that she came on this thread to focus on the cons, and voice her opposition without looking at the social and religious reasons behind circumcision. She was most certainly suggesting that it was a con job, and since she has had nearly a month to reply to me, and has not, that confirms it for me.