Circumcision...

[~Jo~]

Have never considered altering Sammy's perfect body in any way, same as the girls! If they choose to change their body when they are older it is their choice. We have never had any probs with infections at all, nor do I believe the 'cleanliness' issue as being valid.

Jo

[Tiff+2]

My Dh n I had the same dicussions and researched when we were preg with my bub (we didn't know we were having a girl!).... We decided to have it done if we had a boy as my DH is circumcised. I don't want my little boy to wondering why he looks different to daddy in the shower. Had my DH not been done then its not something I would have bothered with. In saying all of that I think it is cruel getting it done to old fashioned way .... I believe it should be done by the Dr with pain relief and the little cap thing they use these days.
Good luck with it all.

[CathyS]

I had my son done in 2000. His Dad was done, and I wanted him to be the same. If my partner had not been circumsised, I would not bother.

He recovered very quickly from it (within a couple of days the bandages drop off). The only thing I did not like is that we could not be in the room with him when it was being done. I was upset outside.

I don't know if I am having a son this time around, but I will ask my partner how they feel. I do think it is easier to keep clean though.

[~Kaz~]

The only thing I did not like is that we could not be in the room with him when it was being done. I was upset outside.

Cathy I think that is terrible and really cruel for the medical people to have made you wait outside and not be able to be present and comfort your baby. The two that I witnessed, both sets of parents opted to wait outside rather than stay with their children. This was partly why I found it so distressing personally to witness - I wanted the choice NOT to see that and I wasn't given that option but the parents were.

Personally, I don't agree with cicumcision (after my experience with it), but I do respect the rights of other parents to make different decisions for their children.

Mellz - thanks for your last post - it raised issues I hadn't considered before.

[Trillian]

Just one thing I'd like to add is that there are so few places that do the procedure these days that anyone who does do it will seem like they do a lot of them kwim? So just because someone does x amount in a day, he might be the only person that does them in any given area. Also UTI's are preventable most of the time and again a lot of issues that men have with them is a failure to keep it adequately clean.

[kitten76]

A friend of mine who is circumcised has very strong issue about the look of his penis and has had pain while having sex, so much so hes sought counselling. He now wishes his mother had not done it but left the decision up to him. I have a son and hes never had any infections but if he was to ask me to let him be done ,as long as he understood fully what would happen, I would let him. His body , his penis and his decision.
But thats just me. Its a personal choice and if your comfortable then proceed but if youve doubts about it, dont.

[MamaPan]

just to let you know that in a tradtional brit milah (ritual circumcision - jewish) you can also use pain relief as described above (emla cream etc) and you also do not have to invite lots of people over (as many people do) you can do it privately with your family and the mohel. It would not be a rabbi but a mohel who does it, and most of them are drs also. if you decide to go ahead with it spk to the mohel beforehand and find out what aftercare they have and also what you do beforehand (ie emla, other pain relief etc). PM me if you want more info.

[CathyS]

I would have liked the option of staying with my baby to comfort him. My husband was not happy about that either. We did not know until the day unfortunately. Ofcourse you want to be WITH your baby if he is going through anything like that. But I guess some parents like it better that way?

[Trillian]

You know, that raises an interesting question - if you can't bare to see it done, then why do it? Doesn't that provide an answer for you kwim? Not directed at anyone at all, more of a rhetorical question really.

[Ginger]

i have to spread the love...but i totally agree with trillian on this one...

[~Kaz~]

Trillian - that's EXACTLY why I found having to witness the procedure (twice in one day) as a student so distressing. The parents in my situation were given a choice to be there or leave and they chose to leave. I know that sounds judgemental of me, I don't mean to be and I understand parents not wanting to see their kids in pain but it really upset me. It's probably not representative of what most parents do (or would want to do like Cathy), and most probably do stay but parents leaving is what I saw. It might not have been so bad an experience for me, if the parents making the choice to have the procedure done on their baby had chosen to stay and comforted their child (remember that the ones I saw did not have pain relief - they screamed until they were purple).

ETA: In hindsight, I should have been more assertive and left myself. I knew at the outset that I didn't want to see it (and medical procedures like that have nothing to do with my training), but being a student on placement there was a lot of pressure to "put my best foot forward".

[CathyS]

I do agree with this. You should be there when your baby is having it done. It's more upsetting NOT to be there I think. Because you have no idea what the baby is going through. I guess the reason the dr didn't allow it is because some parents might get a bit crazy? Who knows..

[Snoopea]

Hi all,
Both of my son's were circumcised before they turned 2 weeks of age!
I left the final decision to my husband after much debate and research while I was pregnant with our first son.

My second son was done about 7 weeks ago and the gyno informed us that research results are now coming in that circumcision can reduce crevical cancer in sexual partners now as well as a list of other things like transfering of std's. This didn't guide our decision but made me fill alot better about having the procedure done.

My first son did let out a scream but came out to the waiting room like nothing had happened, he was normal and the ring fell off about 6 days later.

My second son did the same and returned to the waiting room asleep, so I don't think that it disturbed him in any way, his ring fell off about 8 days later.

I feel that it's a decision that you should make and if your not comfortable with it then don't have it done. I've found alot of people are for and against and will willingly give you advice but don't let it sway your decision, this is something you and your partner must decide together.

Hope this ramble helps and the best of luck with your decsion.

Snoopea

[Trillian]

Just before we get any further I want to remind everyone to play nice LOL. That is all.

My two boys are not done and we've had no problems at all. My eldest is nearly 8 and he washes it every night in the bath since he was about 6 (when he could retract it) and knows how important it is to clean it - nothing special, just pull it back and give it a splash with the bath water. Even if you do get it done, that doesn't absolve him of any responsibility to clean it - they can still get cheesy if they are done so that sort of 'busts' that myth doesn't it? At the end of the day, it is a 100% personal choice between you and your DH - it's great to hear of positive results from both sides of the fence, but only you two know what is right for your son. If you were to write a list of all the pros and cons for each side, I think it would be pretty much even, which does make it harder to make a decision.

That said though, my DH wishes that we had gotten our eldest done (in hindsight mind you LOL) but we just couldn't come up with a good enough reason to do it. We are not religious so that isn't a factor and I think your DH might have to do a bit of soul searching too if his reason isn't a religious one when he is Jewish himself kwim? If he is adamant and you are kind of leaning that way, then maybe a Dr would be best if you feel bubs would be traumatised to have it done traditionally.