Circumcision??

Hi,

Just wondering what people's thoughts were on the subject of circumsision. Taking out any religious beliefs, is it something that people are still doing & if so, why? My thoughts are to leave well enough alone, but as DH has had the snip, he thinks that if Bubs is a boy (& we don't know & not going to worry about finding out before), that he might like him to be the same as his dad. Which is really more about cosmetics than necessity, but I guess that if I knew it was still really popular, you kind of want your kids to not be too different to their peers.

You have just opened a can of worms!!!! LOL. I think you will find both sides of the story here. You really need to decide for yourselves what you feel comfortable with. Having said that, my DS has been done and a couple of boys at mothers group too but not others. I think 3 out of 5 are done but thats prob not a representative sample of the whole country just our area.

Hi all, personally we aren't going to do the C if bubs is a boy. It's a personal choice though. DH hasn't been C and has never had any issues. Not sure if it's like that for everyone (never really polled our male friends IYKWIM)!

I think that this really is a personal choice and everyones opinions are going to be different. I dont think that we will get it done if we are having a boy, I can just hear DP arguing about it now! "i'm not c'ed so my boy wont be c'ed!" But if it was required due to a medical isssue then I would have no problems with it. My nephew had to get c'ed when really young because he was having problems with urinating... so that would be one of the medical issues that would have me say yes to getting my son c'ed.

Like everyone has said this a very personal and hot topic. If our baby is a little boy he will be getting circumcised. I've researched and found that uncircumised men have higher incidences of UTI's and prostate problems. I've also spoken to guy friends who are both C and not C and they have told me about not C guys dribble urine more and they have found they have odours.
Caro thanks for the link. I love doing heaps of reading, on both sides, on everything to do with our babies.
But it is the same with any single topic you have arguements for and against and studies that back up both sides. You need to do some reading and talk to people to gather all the information you can and then use all this information to make your own personal decision.
Good luck with yet another decision. There is just so many and our little ones aren't even here yet. God knows what is actually in store for us.

My DH is cut so if bubs is a boy then he will be as well. Boys want to be like their dads, esp since dad will be taking them to the boys toilets when they are older.
In regards to school, it's a matter of telling your child that everyone is different. There will be such a wide range of boys at the school with different religions, skin colour and accents so why not different willies. lol

If we have a boy, we will be getting it done. But, I dont think it should be a huge issue. My DH is done, and from my experience of having a partner that has been done, and a partner that hasnt, i prefer the partner that has been done.
But, its all personal choice. I think my older brother was done for medical reasons, and so they done my little brother at the same time. (must of been a 2 for the price of 1 :lol:)

Definitely a personal choice if you don't have religious grounds. I know I'm having a girl, but before we found out DH and I discussed this. We thought a bit like you Jan - Daddy's c'ed so maybe our son would prefer to look like his daddy - that was our motivation for thinking we probably would do it (depending on whether or not we had a doctor who would - not all of them will these days!). A friend made a very valid point that if that is the only reason we were doing it for, then perhaps its best to think about how many boys of that age will have the snip - kids prefer fitting in with their peers far more than with their daddies, and daddy being different can be dealt with a lot more sympathetically than little Johnny not looking like every other boy and potentially copping a lot of teasing for it.

this is an interesting question, mainly because i didn't realise it was something that people even considered (unless dictated by religion of course)!
if we have a boy we won't be getting him c'd (unless of course a medical condition develops which requires it)... my dad is a Dr and is c'd himself (was the norm in his days), but didn't have either of my bro's c'd... also, my DH and his bro's aren't c'd - i just assumed that no one ever did it these days!! i'll have to wait and see if my OB mentions it between now and the birth.. i wonder what the stats would be...

If i was to ever have a son i personally would never consider it. Most of the boys/men i am close to have not been circumsised and have never had any problems. IMO God put it there for a reason so why remove it? And as a parent do i have the right to remove something that is a part of my child's body when they aren't even old enough to make the decision for themselves? Of course if the foreskin was causing major health problems then that's a different story. We live in a society with very clean conditions and good health standards so unless a physical problem occurs, and if we teach our sons to clean themselves correctly, i don't think there is a need. But again - this is just my opinion and each person is entitled to choose for themselves :D

Hi Jan, here is a link to a loooong thread about circumcision. It got quite heated and was closed but has lots of relevant information.

Good luck.

Yep Nat it did get quite heated. But there is some good info there Janno.

Our son wasn't/ isn's C'd... When the paediatrician asked I was like "huh?" It definatley wasn't something I thought about before he was born.

well, i've read through the previous thread that Natalie set up a link to - gee it was LOOOONNGG!!!!

i was interested to read that some men (who have been c'd) report decreased sensitivity during intercourse - do you think i'd be able to trick my DH into having his c'd at the age of 27? might stop him chasing me around the bedroom so often!! ha ha ha!!

i was also interested to note that some of the women who are strongly opposed to circumcision are opposed because of the pain they think that the baby goes through.. that would not be of too much concern to me (not that i'd WISH my baby to go through pain, but because i believe that with modern medicine the pain would be temporary, and not absolutely debilitating), but for me, it's more that there just isn't any reason i can think of (for us) to have it done in the first place...

my heart goes out to those whose sons have developed infections later in life and needed a late circumcision - it must be a painful and traumatic experience for all (esp the little boys involved). of course if i KNEW that my son was going to develop a debilitating infection later on in life then i'd choose to have him c'd straight away after birth, but unfortunately i won't be equipped with that knowledge at the time! it's a bit like the elective c-section debate - if i knew that i was going to suffer terrible tearing and leave myself incontinent then i would definitely go for an elective c-section.. but i won't know until it's too late!! i've decided that i'm just going to leave both decisions to nature, cross my fingers, and hope for the best!!

i might raise the whole circumcision question with my DH tonight out of interest, but suspect he will be a definite "no"...

I think its a personal choice. But I wouldnt get it done to any of my boys UNLESS it was for a medical reason.

If we have a boy my DP wants to get him circumcised, I think its at like 3 days old or something like he was. I personally wouldnt want it done, I get in tears when my daughter had needles let alone something like this. But thats just me, as everyone says its your choice :)

:)

Both my boys haven't been circ'd but my DH is. We both decided we didn't want it done and most of the boys these days don't seem to have it done either (from what I've heard). It's definately a personal choice :) Good luck with your decision.

We are having a boy, and have not even considered having him c'd. My hubby is, but he was of the opinion that it wasn't done anymore. Unless there was a medical reason for it, I wouldn't. I see it as a cosmetic thing, and the idea of doing it with no anesthetic is mortifying! My baby boy can keep all his bits, as nature intended! Good luck with your decision, I don't think it is an easy one.

I think proper research of both sides of the debate enables people to make an informed decision on risks vs benefits. It is really hard to find unbiased info on both sides. Its important to look at scientific studies.

I know that this is a topic that can cause some rather heated discussions and apologise now if it upsets anyone!!

We dont know if we are having a boy or girl but DH and I are discussing whether or not to circumcise if bubs is a boy. DH is circumcised so his first instinct naturally is to want to have his son circumcised as well. At the moment we are undecided and all the info is rather overwhelming but as most of our friends have had girls theres no-one we can really talk to about their personal experiences.

I have read the pros and cons and am aware of the dangers and I'm not looking for an argument here! I know this is a personal decision that we will have to make ourselves but would love to hear from those who have had their sons circumcised. Did you have trouble finding a doctor who would do it? Was your DS in a lot of pain?? Was it difficult to manage while healing? Do you regret your decision???

I dont mean to offend anyone or start a debate - just looking for some honest advice/suggestions from those who have been through it!

Thanks

Tina I've merged your thread with another circ thread that was started last week.

Just makes it easier ;)

*hugs*
Cailin

Sorry Cailin - didn't realise there was another one.
Thanks

we thought about this a lot and researched it.
we decided that 'to look like dad' was not a good enough reason for Milo to be circumcised, so didn't get him done.

tina, in answer to you questions
Did you have trouble finding a doctor who would do it?None at all. I just asked around a few of my friends and also one of my midwives.
Was your DS in a lot of pain? Yasin cried for a while when it was done but was back to being a happy little guy in no time. Imran was upset because he was cold but he was happy again as soon as he got some boob. Both of them were back to normal within minutes of getting the snip.
Was it difficult to manage while healing?Yasin's a tiny was more difficult because he did a big slimy poo that went all over the place and I freaked and rang up the Dr but he said just wash it off with a bit of water and the panic was over. Imran's had no little issues.
Do you regret your decisionNot at all.
HTH

In answer to your questions.
My OB did it, a fact that I knew about in advance from a friend si I had already discussed it with him beforehand. He still made me give him reasons why I wnated it to be done. I know a couple of paeds in our area will do it too.
Riley had the emla gel on beforehand to numb it and had it done in the nursery (at 2 days) so I wasn't in the room, when he came back 10 minutes later he was settled and I just gave him a feed and he went to sleep.
The aftercare was fine, we had no dramas at all, he has had worse side effects from his needles.
No I do not regret it at all.
May I second everything Neverplan has said too, that has been my experience as well.

Jesse is circumcised. We chose to for health reasons. DH is also done. Regarding looking different, i know alot of boys that are done. Secondly, DH has said when he was younger the boys had better things to do and talk about than their willies. His best friend isnt done and they dont think anything different about each other.

Tina.. in regards to your questions:
Did you have trouble finding a doctor who would do it?
No, we just went to our local GP who gave us a referal and 2 OB's to contact.

Was your DS in a lot of pain??
Not at all. Jesse cried from the local needle and then was fine during and after the proceedure. When we had to wait in the waiting room afterwards he sat there talking and smiling to me. The next week and to this day, he's been oblivious to it all and been his happy self.

Was it difficult to manage while healing?
Not at all. As the surgery told me on the day, just get some gause, dab it in vaseline and place it on. Do that each nappy change. That was it. Didnt have to touch it at all.

Do you regret your decision???
Not at all.. so happy we got it done and definately would again if we have any more boys.

But again.. this is a very touchy subject and a personal decision. Dont let anyone else tell you what you should do. You do what you feel is best for your baby.

my 2 boys are not done, but my step son is, it makes for lots of discussion at bath/shower time, between the 3 of them.
but if i had another boy i have already told dh, that i will not get it done(since his son is) and he doesnt have a problam with that, apperantly he didnt want it done to his son, but his ex wanted it done, as for her it was, it looks better.that was her reasoning for it done.