Uncirced toddler Q
Hello! It's been a long time since I frequented the bump and the AP boards. Have to say I found this board to be so helpful when my son was little.
Question: our 2.5 yr old son isn't circumcised and I have never, until recently, done anything with his foreskin. We moved overseas a year ago and in the last few months our son has had some urinary issues. During our visit to a nurse practitioner about the urinary problem I let them know I have never seen the foreskin retract - even when it's been "at attention." The NP told me I needed to try and retract it and that if I couldn't do it my son would need to see a urologist. Note: retracting it was not related to the urinary problem.
So, I recently retracted it and what a gong show. It finally came back but my son was screaming and I feel terrible about it. I've read some more research online and feel like the NP gave me bad info. I've read that it is quite normal for the foreskin to stay attached until 4 or 5 and sometimes even later.
Anyone with an uncirc'd toddler have some input on this? I'm in a UK territory - anyone in GB? Is this a norm over here?
Re: Uncirced toddler Q
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hmmm Not sure what the norm is there but here in the netherlands uncirc. is the norm. Everything I have read and been told is that you wash it like a finger and don't do anything special to it (so no retracting). I had never seen DS's retracted (even when at attention as you say) until DS was recently on the potty and for some odd reason started pulling it back on his own. I heard him whippering and then he said his pee-pee (penis) hurt so I went to see what was going on and he had retracted the foreskin a bit (just the tip was showing). So I told him not to do that because it hurts and carefully eased the skin back in place. I guess he was curious or something
Hopefully he won't do it again until he is quite a bit older.
I think as long as he can pee alright and it isn't painful or anything and there isn't an obvious infection or reason to susspect one I don't know why it would need attention. I am pretty sure that it is normal for it to stay covered at this point.
It is totally the norm there, so I am surprised by this. My ds was born in London, is uncirc'ed, and we were told more than once not to do anything to it until it retracted on its own. I would try to see your GP about it.
Geez, what bad advice!
There are quite a few studies that show some boys aren't retractable until puberty! My 6 y/o still isn't retracting and he has had zero issues, urinary or otherwise.
Please, please don't retract him again and don't let anyone else either. If he is having urinary issues, take him to a urologist.
Thanks for the advice ladies.
I am leaving it all well alone and will bring it up the NP's advice with our GP when I see her next.
I didn't do it, but DS could retract at 2yo. He'd spent much of the summer naked as we started potty training and discovered his new toy. He plays peek a boo with it.
I don't know if he's fully retracting it, but I'd guess it is as it's going back pretty far. However, it obviously doesn't hurt him as he's doing it as a game with himself.
I was told to NEVER do this and that we should do nothing to it other than clean it the same as if it were circumsized. (EDIT do nothing special to it) My kids are 13 and 16 now and there have been no issues, no problems.
I'm surprised that a medical professional would have said that.
EDIT I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I have heard so many things about this that isn't true.
Ugh, sorry you were given bad information! Poor guy! I found this site a while back and I think it's really helpful.
https://www.nocirc.org/articles/fleiss2.php
I found this post interesting because I have also been receiving conflicting info. All my research says to wash it like a finger and not to retract. However, my father is not circ'ed and he said that I should be retracting. We once went to the ER when DS was 6 months and the ER doctor said he used to work in South America. He said that nobody was circ'ed there and that it was common knowledge that you try to retract and clean from day one.
All that being said, we still haven't tried to retract our son's foreskin.
I don't have a son, but I did live in the UK when my daughter was born. You're right, it is the norm there not to circ. But, as you'll discover, medical advice varies even more wildly than it does from practitioner to practitioner then it does in the US. Definitely find a GP you trust and like and then make sure to do your own research.