For those with a boy or expecting one, (circumcision)

butterflynola · May 2011

My biggest worry about finding out if we were having a boy was the circumcision issue. Now that I know we are having a boy this is on my mind and I'm wondering what everyone else's thoughts are. There has been a lot of news about this subject on CNN lately and even an attempt to ban it in CA as recent findings say that it is purely cosmetic and an unnecessary surgery that some babies even die from. I'm a little freaked out and intend to do lots of research before making a decision just curious how you ladies feel about the issue? Thanks

jillcanada · May 2011

I haven't gotten to the research part yet, but in my husband is ultimately the one who will decide based on the information he/I gathers.

BritanyV · May 2011

We have a son and he is circumcised.

Not circumcising can actually cause issues in later life. My FIL had to have one in his 40's! I'd rather my son go through it when he is little and won't remember it then to have to get it done when the risk are greater and the recovery time is longer.

I know someone that works in a nursing home and said it is quite common for older gentlemen to have to get it done because of the issues it can cause. Who wants to be 70-80 going through that???

Aubs13 · May 2011

We are having a boy, and we are having the circumcision done. I've read conflicting information, but DH insists that our LO have one, and I respect that decision. (He knows better than I do....)

quezzo · May 2011

My husband wants to do it and feels strongly about it so we are going to get it done.

For some reason when we were at lunch with my grandparents they brought this up and asked if we were getting it done and we said yes. My grandpa was happy because apparently he did not have it done when he was little and at some point it got infected and he had to get it removed. He was like 12 when it happened. However, it is a very personal choice so I'm shocked they brought it up and felt like it was TMI from grandpa.

On the subject of banning it, I think they are going to have a hard time with this because for some it is a religious thing and it seems it would violate freedom of religion, but who knows.

kathymarie · May 2011

He's having one. There was no question for us. I'm not up for a debate on the subject, it's just our choice.

Jordan1234 · May 2011

Aubs13:
We are having a boy, and we are having the circumcision done. I've read conflicting information, but DH insists that our LO have one, and I respect that decision. (He knows better than I do....)

This. Given the conflicting information, I thought that even if it is purely cosmetic, I figured it would be better for him to have it now than for him to be embarrassed later on in life and have to get it then. I've had a few guy friends who weren't circ'd and it actually did cause them some emotional stress (being picked on in locker rooms, reactions from girls).

mrs.tashnash · May 2011

Wow, it seems like I'm the outcast here. We didn't have DS done and if we have another boy he will not be done either. I feel pretty strongly about it being a decision that the holder of the penis should make (DS not my H). I made myself watch a cicumcision to make up my mind the first time and I figure if I have a hard time watching it, I'm not putting my son through it.

It has been deemed by Canada that it is purely cosmetic and hasn't been covered by our health care for over 5 years. To me that says something about the necessity. I also have a step mother that worked in an old age home and honestly she said the old ladies genitals were WAY worse that the old mans. Should we trim them back as well? Sorry if thats a gross thought and I know some FGM is way worse than male circumcision but to trim back a labia (which most FGM is) is pretty much in line with what we do to males.

jkfranklin · May 2011

::butting in from TTCAL::

Our school of thought was if dad was cut then baby should be also. So that's what we did.

Our doc just gave DS a little sugar water and some tylenol so the risk was relatively low. I'm not sure if that's how the do it at all hospitals though.

If you do decide to do it, make sure you have a ton of vaseline (we liked the tube of it) on hand. We ran out and had to make several trips to Target. I would suggest at least 3-4 tubes.

::butting out::

olivia_eve · May 2011

We will not be circumcising. There are pros and cons to it, but ultimately I don't feel like it's a necessary procedure. There are some medical benefits, but not enough for the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend routine circumcision. The men on my side of the family are not circumcised, and there has never been any medical or social problems because of it. It's also becoming less and less common (our pedi just told me she's seeing many more uncircumcised boys), so the concern about teasing doesn't really resonate with me.

In the end, it really is a personal decision.

vlewis515 · May 2011

We did both and I felt strongly that he should be circ'd but obviously the best thing is to do your own research and come up with an answer that make you comfortable.

damabo80 · May 2011

Jordan1234:

Aubs13:
We are having a boy, and we are having the circumcision done. I've read conflicting information, but DH insists that our LO have one, and I respect that decision. (He knows better than I do....)

This. Given the conflicting information, I thought that even if it is purely cosmetic, I figured it would be better for him to have it now than for him to be embarrassed later on in life and have to get it then. I've had a few guy friends who weren't circ'd and it actually did cause them some emotional stress (being picked on in locker rooms, reactions from girls).

I'm one of those girls. In college, finding out a BF wasn't cir'd was a break-up-able offense for me. Hey....never claimed I wasn't shallow Stick out tongue ::flips hair::

It's interesting, DH and I were 100% always of the "yep, he'll be cut" mindset. But after having a preemie, now DH is actually on the other side of the fence, that if it's not 100% medically required right now, then it's not worth it to do it. I was shocked when he said that to me. If we do end up having a boy later on down the road, it will be an interesting conversation, to say the least. Uncirc'd (whether on a guy I'm dating or my own son) skivvies the fvck outta of me.

StephK86 · May 2011

I have read the conflicting reports but never found anything so horrible that made me feel it was the wrong decision. My son had it done and this baby will to. I rather have the circumcision done while they are babies then later in life. It was hard when they took Gavin away to do it but when he came back he was o.k. I just rocked him back to sleep.

Junebug060609 · May 2011

We won't be doing one. After doing research I was leaning towards not wanting it done. When I asked DH what his thoughts were after we found out it was a boy, he was adamant it not be done. FWIW for those saying there are medical benefits to having it done, DH never had it done and he's not had a single issue because of it. Socially it couldn't have caused too many issues if he feels so strongly his son not be cut either.

I agree with Olivia, in the end its a personal decision. I'm glad that the subject is being brought up more nowadays though, as its not a necessary proceedure for most boys.

Karen1998 · May 2011

I have to admit, whenever I hear "California wants to ban it" I always do this - Hmm It really doesn't matter what it is they want to ban, it always gets the same reaction as they're well known for having weird laws. That's not to say, though, that they don't have some good ones.

I've actually helped with a circumcision (many, many years ago). It wasn't the big deal so many people made it out to be. It's not pleasant, but it's also an incredibly minor procedure. The child it was performed on didn't cry. His sweet little face did ball up in an unhappy face, but no tears at all. It may have also helped that I was rubbing his head and talking to him, as I've found that that's calming to many babies.

I also had a friend who had MAJOR issues from not being circumcised. The really sad thing is that all of his issues would have never happened if he'd just been circumcised at birth. He had constant infection issues (not due to lack of cleanliness but due to how his skin fell and was attached - things that were not apparent at birth) and could rarely ejaculate as the skin would get stuck. Unfortunately for boys, you can't just block it off and hope the sperm go away, so it's really painful. He was in nearly constant pain from his foreskin issues and debating whether it was bad enough for an adult circumcision. Unfortunately for him, the surgery would be more than just a simple one as the skin grew and moved a bit during his life so it was a much more complicated surgery than a simple circumcision.

That being said, those experiences have skewed my view towards circumcision. I've also had DH research it and he's pro circumcision. I don't think it'll be the most pleasant moment for our son, but it'll be worth him avoiding the possible complications and issues that can come later in life. Regardless, it's a decision that's a personal one and one for each parental unit to make itself.

Manderlin923 · May 2011

Okay, here's my thoughts and why we decided to keep our son the way he was born. I respect any parents decision, after educating themselves, to do whatever they want with their son's penis. And I am in no way trying to pick a fight or say someone else was wrong. These discussions tend to get heated when people get offended. This is simply what made our decision for us and if you didn't come to the same conclusion, that is fine. Different strokes, different folks

1. The "look like dad" thing- our son is not going to look like his father in many ways. He does not have pubic hair, his penis is (obviously) a lot smaller, he doesn't have body hair, he doesn't have the muscles. There are a lot of differences. We have no problem explaining to our son in the future that his penis looks different than daddy because he was born in a different time and we chose something else for him. I also asked DH if he knew if his dad was circumcised to which he replied, "Hell no. I have no memory of ever looking at my dad's penis and I wouldn't care anyway."

2. The "locker room" thing- circ rates in our country are going waaaaay down. The largest population of circumised boys in the midwest (where we live) but on the coasts it is I think now the minority- I *think* only 40%. That and the fact that I think most boys, if caught checking out other guys junk in the locker room, will get picked on more than the percentage of boys who have intact penises. I certainly didn't look at the naked girls in my locker room- we were all just trying to get dressed as fast as possible!

3. As far as letting DH decide- the only hesitation I have with that is why just because he has a penis does he get to decide? Circumcision comes with risks- a lot of them, something like (edited) more than 100 boys a year die from it- this isn't a scare tactic- it is truth. And if we had a daughter and they wanted to modify her body in any way, just because I have breasts or a vagina, I would still 100% expect and need my partner's take on things.

4. We didn't think we had the right to change our son's body. If someday he wants it done, we will fully support and pay for it.

5. As far as the "what if" something happens in the future thing- the vast, vast majority of men in other countries, including England, are not circed. With proper care and cleaning (you should never force back the foreskin to clean a baby- this can lead to infection/pain/swelling/and needing to be circumcised later on) it is very rare to have issues. Circumcision can lower the risk of UTIs (which are extremely rare anyway for boys) or penile cancer (which I think occurs less than 1% of the time) and there was a study in Africa where they found the occurance of AIDS to be higher amoung men who were intact- but this doesn't take into account using condoms! We decided we'd rather our son practice proper hygeine and safe sex than worry about what could be.

6. "later he may need it done and it will hurt more." I don't think it will hurt "more" I think it hurts no matter how old you are- infants do not have the capacity to vocalize their pain the way a grown man or teenage boy does. Many times infants in pain will fall asleep or go into shock- it doesn't mean the circ wasn't painful for them. And I'd rather my son have to get it done as a grown man when he can vocalize, "It does hurt. I need lots of pain relief. Don't touch me." etc than have to guess whether or not everything is fine.

7. We have no problem teaching little girls to clean inside their many folds. A vagina isn't a flat thing, with no spaces. There are several spaces that dirt/bacteria/fluids can get trapped. I personally think a normal vagina is a lot harder to clean (having worked at a daycare and changing many, many diapers of both sexes) than a penis, whether circed or not. But we trust our girls to clean themselves.

8. Some old men in nursing homes may get nasty infections from not being able to clean themselves. But do not some old women as well? If there are horror stories of old men in nursing homes (which people like to throw out in discussions like this) shouldn't the fault be that of the staff who isn't cleaning them properly? If an elderly person had any other body part that was infected due to not being cleaned wouldn't that be the problem as well?

9. Finally, I won't touch the issue on religion. But some people like to bring up female circumcision (as is done in Africa/Asia in parts) but I do NOT agree it is the same. It is modifyings someone else's genitals, without their permission, but it is not the same. Female circumsision is much worse, I'd argue. However, the AAP last year, made a statement (then retracted it) saying they'd support female circumsision done in the US (to appease some religious groups who were sending their girls to other countries to have it done)- which would entail a pediatrition to "nick" or cut the clitoris with a razor-type blade. I'm assuming this would be done with sugar water or tylenol or maybe (hopefully) some form of anesthetic. The AAP then retracted that after public outcry. Now, as a female, I can only say that if my clitoris is roughed up a little too much or rubbed against the wrong way, it can fricking HURT. I cannot even imagine someone bringing a razor blade against me and nicking me there. That alone made me try really hard to imagine what it must feel like for a little boy to be circumcised.

All I recommend is do as much research as you can, on both sides. And you have to respect when other people make a different choice than you. I can tell you that I laid awake many nights before my son was born, trying to decide the right thing to do. In the end, I couldn't find a compelling reason TO do it. So that helped me decide. Whatever you do, be confident in your decision. I have never regretted not changing my son's penis. I think you should watch a circumision if you are on the fence and you should accompany your baby to the procedure, if possible. I also would highly recommend giving the baby pain medication- strong medication before it is done. If you don't think it's a big deal then that's your decision and I respect that.

As far as caring for my son's penis- an intact penis is easy. Wash it as you would a finger. Never retract the foreskin. When the child is old enough for the foreskin to retract on it's own (between the ages of 9-14? maybe at average) they are certainly old enough to do it themselves. So it's pretty easy for you

Best of luck no matter what you decide!

quezzo · May 2011

jkfranklin:

Our doc just gave DS a little sugar water and some tylenol so the risk was relatively low. I'm not sure if that's how the do it at all hospitals though.

I work in a hospital and sit in the nursery of one of them specifically so I see circumcisions done all the time and this is exactly how they do it. In fact, it is mandated that they do this unless the parents don't want them to (the Tylenol).

fightingravity · May 2011

MH is jewish, but uncircumcised (his parents were hippies). I honestly did not even realize this was the case until MONTHS into our relationship (most men's foreskins retract when erect...which it was when I was seeing it). I dated one other uncircumcised guy prior, it did not bother me in the slightest.

At this point I feel it's essentially genital plastic surgery, and IMO the downsides vastly outweigh the benefits. Without medical necessity, I wouldn't do labiaplasty on a girl, and I wouldn't circumcise a boy.

MrsAtch · May 2011

If Jedi is a boy we will not be circumcising. DH isn't and we both feel strongly that it is now an unnecessary procedure. I have never heard of it creating complications later in life and we have done a ton of research. Our doc has presented both sides to us and it's not something that we think is important or necessary. Honestly, to each his own but I have never had an issue dating someone who wasn't circumcised and DH said that he and any of his friends that weren't never had any issues. The prevalence rate is going WAY down.

ashleyrsotomayor · May 2011

We are not doing it for a couple of reasons. First of all, the majority of men in most other countries are not circumcised...it's a very American thing nowadays from what I gather. My husband is from Ecuador, and he is all natural. In his culture, it's not normal to circumcise boys. It's also a completely unnecessary and painful medical procedure, and like someone else stated, with all the research I have done, the risks outweigh the benefits. No man in DH's family is circumsized, and they have never had problems. I am also not worried about him feeling self conscious about it later, DH never was...and I think it will be fairly normal by the time DS is a teenager to not be circumcized. But to each their own. It's a very personal decision.

haziedaze · May 2011

As a pediatrician I've seen and done circumcisions and I see both sides of the issue. I think the pain control we use is really good. We block the nerves at the base of the penis with lidocaine using the tiniest needle (TB needle). It seems a lot less painful than a heel stick which is done routinely. I have never seen or heard of a baby dying from circumcision. Certainly there is a risk in babies with bleeding disorders, but a similar risk exists for them from any minor surgical procedure, trauma, or a dental procedure.

My knowledge about the pluses and minuses puts me squarely on the fence about doing it or not. DH REALLY wants it done. I've educated him on the pluses and minuses and it doesn't change his opinion. I've told him that the deal is, if we do it, one of us has to be there when they do it to comfort our baby.

I completely respect people who choose to do it, but also want to be respected for our choice. I do not like it when people make those who circumcise out to be monsters. We live near SF where the ban is being put on the ballot and I can tell you there is NO way it will pass. I can not find the death rate info from a reputable source and most of the case reports in the literature were older babies. You could support an argument that death rates from complications related to UTI are higher, but in the end there is no "right" answer except what the baby's parents feel is right for their baby and their family.

AmorXAeterna · May 2011

DH and I both agree our son will be circumsized.

Monianna · May 2011

I echo the very well articulated thoughts of Maderlin9 and add a website that a friend of mine forwarded to me when DH and I were discussing this issue.

https://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/t012000.asp

Best of luck in your decision making process, it can be very fraught. DH and my decision not to circumcise DS cause HUGE issues with my inlaws. It is a subject that a lot of people feel very strongly in one way or another but ultimently you are the parents and have to make the best decision you can for your child based on the research available to you.

Manderlin923 · May 2011

haziedaze:

As a pediatrician I've seen and done circumcisions and I see both sides of the issue. I think the pain control we use is really good. We block the nerves at the base of the penis with lidocaine using the tiniest needle (TB needle). It seems a lot less painful than a heel stick which is done routinely. I have never seen or heard of a baby dying from circumcision. Certainly there is a risk in babies with bleeding disorders, but a similar risk exists for them from any minor surgical procedure, trauma, or a dental procedure.

My knowledge about the pluses and minuses puts me squarely on the fence about doing it or not. DH REALLY wants it done. I've educated him on the pluses and minuses and it doesn't change his opinion. I've told him that the deal is, if we do it, one of us has to be there when they do it to comfort our baby.

I completely respect people who choose to do it, but also want to be respected for our choice. I do not like it when people make those who circumcise out to be monsters. We live near SF where the ban is being put on the ballot and I can tell you there is NO way it will pass. I can not find the death rate info from a reputable source and most of the case reports in the literature were older babies. You could support an argument that death rates from complications related to UTI are higher, but in the end there is no "right" answer except what the baby's parents feel is right for their baby and their family.

Thank you for sharing your side as a pediatritian It's great to hear different perspectives, no matter where we stand on the issue. Here is what I found when I looked up the death rate in case you or anyone else is interested:

https://www.mensstudies.com/content/b64n267w47m333x0/?p=7f582ec06f99426b811342e4ff6e3dca&pi=5

And recap from the ICGI: The study found that approximately 117 neonatal (first 28 days after birth) circumcision-related deaths occur annually in the United States, one out of every 77 male neonatal deaths. To put this in perspective, about 44 neonatal boys die each year from suffocation, and 8 from auto accidents. About 115 neonatal boys die annually from SIDS, nearly the same as from circumcision.

No matter what anybody decides I think it's best to know the pros and cons of anything we do as parents. The choice of whether or not to do this procedure is going to be only one of the many, many tough decisions we will all make as parents. Best of luck to everybody no matter what choice they make!

ETA: If there's a more recnet study, I do not know. This is just what I found. I'd still do more research about it if you're on the fence. GL

rock-elle · May 2011

(Ok I haven't read all of the other responses yet so I don't know if this has been discussed yet or not..)

I would not take one iota of info from CNN to heart. DH watches it and its full of sensationalistic (sp?) crap. I'd talk to your OB and a pedi and then make your decision, be careful what you read on the interwebz and don't let that taint your understanding of the issue.

We are choosing to go with a circumcision for a variety of reasons, but there was never a doubt in our mind not too.

Manderlin923 · May 2011

rock-elle:

(Ok I haven't read all of the other responses yet so I don't know if this has been discussed yet or not..)

I would not take one iota of info from CNN to heart. DH watches it and its full of sensationalistic (sp?) crap. I'd talk to your OB and a pedi and then make your decision, be careful what you read on the interwebz and don't let that taint your understanding of the issue.

We are choosing to go with a circumcision for a variety of reasons, but there was never a doubt in our mind not too.

Totally off topic but just wanted to say I love your little boy's name- so cute

Zed58 · May 2011

We had Austin circ'd and to be perfectly honest, I'm surprised we did. Since dh ISN'T, I kind of just figured that we wouldn't do it. However, it was dh that was so adament that we had it done. We are the first in his family to have done it...kinda.

Dh's brother had to have one about three years ago at the age of 24. He's not a dirty person by any means..in fact, he might be the cleanest most hygeine conscious person I know. At the time he was in a relationship with an equally as clean girl (who I didn't care for AT ALL, but that's besides the point). They had a VERY sexual relationship. He was getting a reoccuring infection from over-sexing (I made that term up) that his doc recommended he have it done it ASAP. He did and he's glad he did.

Also, dh is from Canada. In Canada, circs aren't nearly as common as they are here, but both dh and his bro came to the US in their teens to pursue better athletic opportunities. At the time he came, he did get heat from the guys in the locker room. Of course, it was nothing nasty...just friendly jabs cause that's just what they do. But, to some degree, it bothered dh. Still to this day the guys make their little comments just for the sake of keeping it alive. It doesn't bother him, but he looked at it like the teenage years are so awkward as it is -you're trying to figure out your body and self conscious and blah, blah, blah. He didn't feel like we needed to add any fuel to the fire by giving him something to be self-conscious about (not to say that he would have been, or that every un-circ'd kid is).

Also, we have many friends and co-workers of dh's that are either Canadian or European. Many of whom are not circ'd. That said, we know a lot of guys who wish they would have been. Dh couldn't think of one person he knows who was circ'd and wished they wouldn't have been.

Oh, and I'm not gonna lie. It TOTALLY wierded me out early in our sexual relationship. Obviously it wasn't a deal breaker, but it was kinda strange for me in the beginning.

noah-bear · May 2011

Butting in:

DS is not circumcised. There was no reason, in our minds, and after I read (with photos) how it was done, I was very positive I couldn't do it.

Having a LO circumcised does not make anything "easier" or really do anything but change how it looks. Plus, more women prefer the feel of an uncircumcised man than one who is.

Butting out:

haziedaze · May 2011

Manderlin923:
haziedaze:

Thank you for sharing your side as a pediatritian It's great to hear different perspectives, no matter where we stand on the issue. Here is what I found when I looked up the death rate in case you or anyone else is interested:

https://www.mensstudies.com/content/b64n267w47m333x0/?p=7f582ec06f99426b811342e4ff6e3dca&pi=5

And recap from the ICGI: The study found that approximately 117 neonatal (first 28 days after birth) circumcision-related deaths occur annually in the United States, one out of every 77 male neonatal deaths. To put this in perspective, about 44 neonatal boys die each year from suffocation, and 8 from auto accidents. About 115 neonatal boys die annually from SIDS, nearly the same as from circumcision.

No matter what anybody decides I think it's best to know the pros and cons of anything we do as parents. The choice of whether or not to do this procedure is going to be only one of the many, many tough decisions we will all make as parents. Best of luck to everybody no matter what choice they make!

ETA: If there's a more recnet study, I do not know. This is just what I found. I'd still do more research about it if you're on the fence. GL

I also found this article when I searched online. It's not a medical journal and isn't on PubMed which is where I usually go for my information. Wikipedia says the journal is peer reviewed so that's good, but other than that I can't find anything out about it. It may be a great journal and certainly focuses on an interesting area, but without knowing more about the journal or seeing their methodology it isn't a statistic I would quote to my patients. I have taken care of or know about boys who have died of SIDS or become septic from UTIs but simply don't know of any boys who have had serious complications from circumcision.

However, I NEVER push it on parents- we don't have enough data to "recommend" for or against it. That's also what the AAP's stand is. The AAP position statement is pretty balanced, and I have to say that Sears twists it a bit on his site. Here it is https://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/pages/Circumcision.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

It may be that the medical community is biased and close minded on this issue. Sometimes we're slow to accept changes in the way things are done and it is true that circumcision is not nearly as common as it was. The funny thing is that most of the pediatricians I know have circumcised their sons- go figure.

I like that our board has had a respectful erring of opinions on this issue. It's been much more balanced than most other discussions I've seen.

Manderlin923 · May 2011

haziedaze:
Manderlin923:
haziedaze:

Thank you for sharing your side as a pediatritian It's great to hear different perspectives, no matter where we stand on the issue. Here is what I found when I looked up the death rate in case you or anyone else is interested:

https://www.mensstudies.com/content/b64n267w47m333x0/?p=7f582ec06f99426b811342e4ff6e3dca&pi=5

And recap from the ICGI: The study found that approximately 117 neonatal (first 28 days after birth) circumcision-related deaths occur annually in the United States, one out of every 77 male neonatal deaths. To put this in perspective, about 44 neonatal boys die each year from suffocation, and 8 from auto accidents. About 115 neonatal boys die annually from SIDS, nearly the same as from circumcision.

No matter what anybody decides I think it's best to know the pros and cons of anything we do as parents. The choice of whether or not to do this procedure is going to be only one of the many, many tough decisions we will all make as parents. Best of luck to everybody no matter what choice they make!

ETA: If there's a more recnet study, I do not know. This is just what I found. I'd still do more research about it if you're on the fence. GL

I also found this article when I searched online. It's not a medical journal and isn't on PubMed which is where I usually go for my information. Wikipedia says the journal is peer reviewed so that's good, but other than that I can't find anything out about it. It may be a great journal and certainly focuses on an interesting area, but without knowing more about the journal or seeing their methodology it isn't a statistic I would quote to my patients. I have taken care of or know about boys who have died of SIDS or become septic from UTIs but simply don't know of any boys who have had serious complications from circumcision.

However, I NEVER push it on parents- we don't have enough data to "recommend" for or against it. That's also what the AAP's stand is. The AAP position statement is pretty balanced, and I have to say that Sears twists it a bit on his site. Here it is https://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/pages/Circumcision.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

It may be that the medical community is biased and close minded on this issue. Sometimes we're slow to accept changes in the way things are done and it is true that circumcision is not nearly as common as it was. The funny thing is that most of the pediatricians I know have circumcised their sons- go figure.

I like that our board has had a respectful erring of opinions on this issue. It's been much more balanced than most other discussions I've seen.

Thank you for the info on the study. I agree with your opinion about the board- I love it here

Scout05 · May 2011

noah-bear:

Butting in:

DS is not circumcised. There was no reason, in our minds, and after I read (with photos) how it was done, I was very positive I couldn't do it.

Having a LO circumcised does not make anything "easier" or really do anything but change how it looks. Plus, more women prefer the feel of an uncircumcised man than one who is.

Butting out:

Would love to know what you are basing this claim on. DH is circ'd and I have no complaints.

Not really being snarky, I just don't think this is what I would base that call on.

OP, good luck whatever you decide. I don't personally feel there is a wrong answer here; your son will be fine either way, so as long as you and DH come to a decision you feel good about, that's what matters.

butterflynola · May 2011

Hmmm. Lots of info to consider and some very insightful comments. I appreciate your thoughts ladies and will continue to research it until DH and I are satisfied with a solid decision. Thanks

rvandiver0705 · May 2011

I'm Jewish, so any sons I have will be circumcised. My father will hold on to the little guy during the procedure, which will be performed by a mohel. I honestly believe in the religious significance of the ritual, and I feel that it is an important part of our commitment to G-d.

Sorry that I got all religious up in PGAL, but I've rarely seen the Jewish perspective in these discussions. Smile

noah-bear · May 2011

rock-elle · May 2011

noah-bear:

Butting in:

DS is not circumcised. There was no reason, in our minds, and after I read (with photos) how it was done, I was very positive I couldn't do it.

Having a LO circumcised does not make anything "easier" or really do anything but change how it looks. Plus, more women prefer the feel of an uncircumcised man than one who is.

Butting out:

Noah, how can you generalize like that? You may prefer this, but I like my Mr's without a turtleneck!! Stick out tongue

Eris-Alexis · May 2011

If we have a boy, I don't think we will do it. DH is not cut and feels very strongly about not doing it to our son. He feels that it should be the individual's decision. I have gone back and forth regarding this, but ultimately I agree with him, and we feel like most of the possible health issues can be mitigated by proper hygiene. I am not worried about the reactions of other children or girls because DH can discuss all of that with our son. And personally, it was a little weird the first time I saw his penis, but I got used to it and it's not a big deal now.

Court1 · May 2011

Monianna:

I echo the very well articulated thoughts of Maderlin9 and add a website that a friend of mine forwarded to me when DH and I were discussing this issue.

https://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/t012000.asp

Best of luck in your decision making process, it can be very fraught. DH and my decision not to circumcise DS cause HUGE issues with my inlaws. It is a subject that a lot of people feel very strongly in one way or another but ultimently you are the parents and have to make the best decision you can for your child based on the research available to you.

This is the exact article I was going to link. Do your research & make your own decision. We did not circ DS, nor will we ever circ another boy. You can teach a boy to clean themselves just as you would a girl. DS is 3 & we've never had a UTI that some of the research states is higher in un'circd boys.

And I know it's a personal thing, but it kinda annoys me when women say "it's the mans choice b/c he has a penis". That makes no sense, you're both the childs parents. I won't make all decisions about a daughter because I have a vagina too.

Want a personalized experience?

For those with a boy or expecting one, (circumcision)

Re: For those with a boy or expecting one, (circumcision)

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