Circumcism & pulling skin back?

NicoleWI · January 2011

My mom is here and said that when my brothers were circumcised, she had to keep pulling back the foreskin so it wouldn't attach back onto the shaft. I wasn't ever told anything about this either at hospital or first doctor's visits. All we were told was to put Vaseline in the diaper for about a week to protect the wound. Am I supposed to be doing this???? Or anything else? He's already 6 weeks old. Thanks.

erinl5276 · January 2011

Our Dr said no...just put the vaseline on it....I might be wrong but I don't they cut the foreskin off? So there wouldn't be anything to pull back.

DH handled most of the diaper changes during that time cause I was intimidated by it lol

Sarahhhlynn · January 2011

Im interested in the responses. I never pulled anything back and now when i look at it, skin looks somewhat attached to his skin. At the same time, i dont know what a two month olds penis is saposto look like compared to .. what ive seen lol. I was also not told anything about retracting, and at his doctors appointments, doc said everything was "lookin g0000d down there"

Kate621 · January 2011

We were never told to pull the skin back but I know other people on here were told they needed too. I would ask your doc at your next visit.

kensbride08 · January 2011

I was told to do this by a friend not the pedi so that the skin wont start to grow back

becca529 · January 2011

I never did it while he was healing but pulled back a little on i the other day and realized it was quite dirty in there. He's fully circumsized, but if he doesn't have an erection, theres some skin folded over.

BTW.. it feels so weird saying erection when talking about my SON!!

spunkyprincessmande · January 2011

YES!! Pull it back! My son's skin re-adhered and the pedi had to manually pull it apart with her fingers in her office one day. At 2 weeks old my son was put on amoxicillin b/c the skin re-adhered and got infected. Then, he developed puss pockets on his penis from the medication and developed a yeast infection. We were told to pull it back and we were, but it still re-adhered. The pedi said it's quite common for little boys to need to be re-circumcised because the skin re-adheres. Originally we were told once a day for the first year, but since my son's skin started to stick we now do it at every diaper change and will probably until he's out of diapers. It doesn't hurt him, and it takes barely any time, so why not do it?

Ashdave12 · January 2011

we were never told to, but a friend of mine was told to do that by the pedi for her son. I don't know what the right answer is, but some of these responses are making me change my mind on pulling the skin back!

erinl5276 · January 2011

spunkyprincessmande:
YES!! Pull it back! My son's skin re-adhered and the pedi had to manually pull it apart with her fingers in her office one day. At 2 weeks old my son was put on amoxicillin b/c the skin re-adhered and got infected. Then, he developed puss pockets on his penis from the medication and developed a yeast infection. We were told to pull it back and we were, but it still re-adhered. The pedi said it's quite common for little boys to need to be re-circumcised because the skin re-adheres. Originally we were told once a day for the first year, but since my son's skin started to stick we now do it at every diaper change and will probably until he's out of diapers. It doesn't hurt him, and it takes barely any time, so why not do it?

Wow! I never knew that was a possibility! Did it re-adhere while it was still fresh and healing? Or after it already looked healed? I have never done it!! I feel bad for neglecting his poor little wee wee now!!

Rachel2315 · January 2011

Randomly lurking...

My son has a penile adhesion. He'll have to see a pediatric urologist to have it fixed. (Or more likely, just a regular urologist who has peds experience). Why? Because no one told me I should roll the skin back and it adhered badly.

My mom advice is "DO IT!" Its hell watching him get the skin torn back at every well child check.

austenreader85 · January 2011

I was told at our 2 month appointment because it was kind of sticking. She said to put Vaseline in it too. The dr said to do it as long as he is on diapers before we left the hospital but then we got a little lazy. After reading the above reply I'll be sure to do that. I apply directly on the penis since Dh swears the diapers leak more when just smeared on it.

jfwilliams · January 2011

Ds had his reattach in one spot, dr caught it at two week appointment and told US to rip them apart! That night we soaked him in a bath, and dh seperated the skin. Ds SCREAMED so bad...i think dh.s heart fell to his stomach. I never want to go through that again. We pull it back and clean it...it really picks up lint like stuff....

Smores730 · January 2011

we were told to pull it back and clean it which I tend to do every few days at bath time. He doesn't seem affected by it all so I'd rather be safe than sorry!

Water_Wedding · January 2011

Per the two pediatricians I've gotten to see regularly since DS was being checked on for RSV: You don't HAVE TO pull it back because they'll check on it and pull it back for you at the next visit if needed. It's better (more gentle) if you just do it as you go along. It's easiest to just do it during a bath. The white stuff is dead skin cells called smegma. If you see a purple rim around the edge of the circumcision, the smegma is underneath the purple edge. Pulling back softly releases it. It's just a few seconds in the tub. About once a week I see a bit of trapped smegma I need to set free. (This is all of course for after the circumcision is healed.)