To Circumsize or not to?

Heather - posted on 05/29/2010

I am due in August with a boy and wished this wasn't as decision I have to make! Having my daughter - there are no decisions like this! lol

We will not be circumcising our son. For one, I don't feel it's necessary to put my brand new baby through something so medical so early in life! My husband is not circumcised and I really asked him what he thought since he is the one with the penis. He said he didn't think there was any good reason to do it. He never had it done and has never been deemed different or have any issues with it. And I was like phew, one less traumatic thing for any of us to deal with! lol

Maddie - posted on 05/28/2010

As far as I see it, we don't chop the "lips" off our vaginas, so why chop the skin off his penis.. I don't believe the hygiene thing should be a factor at all. its totally your decision but I don't really think its necessary to chop something that off that is there for a reason

Mazy - posted on 05/27/2010

We did not circumsis my son because there is NO medical need for it & I saw no point in CUTTING my brand new baby for no reason other than vanity & false claims of cleanliness. It is not any more sanitary & there are no problems with cleaning the penis. My husband was not circumsised & he has never once had any issues, complications or problems. You do however, risk infections if it is done improperly which can be a big deal to a new infant. Personally, I wouldn't do it.

Jamie - posted on 05/27/2010

We chose not to circumcise our son, even though my husband is. We could have paid for it at the time, but felt it was religiously and culturally unneccesary. So far, my son has had no problems. The care of an uncircumsised penis is the same as the care for a (healed) circumcised one. His foreskin is not retractable yet (he is three), so a little soap and water on his penis and he's good to go. We're now expecting our second baby, and if it's a boy, he will not be circumsised either.

Jessica - posted on 05/27/2010

It's your sons body, when he is old enough to make the decision, he will. We can mostly assume what that decision will be, but until then why change something so drastic that every boy is born with?

If your newborn baby could talk and make decisions on his own, and you asked him if he wanted part of his penis cut off, what do you think he'd say?

Serene - posted on 05/26/2010

I circumisized my son when he was born i wasn't going to but i didn't want to teach him how to pull back the skin and clean it. Itr would be alot easier to clean too.

I also talked to one of my friends that wasn't circumsized as a baby but, now he is a grown man with diabetes and his penis turned blue, he went to the doctor and they told him that he had to get a circumsicion so that he wouldn't have problems down there. He did but, if his parents did it then he wouldn't of had that problem. Hearing his story made me get my son circumcision.

My son has a classmate that is 2 years old and he has to get recircumsized because the foreskin grew back. That is a very rare case, but that hardly never happends....Good luck in your decision.

Liz - posted on 05/26/2010

I'm going to have it done with my youngest son when he's born, and we're in the process of trying to get our oldest circumsized, since he and his twin sister were born preemies he couldn't have it done in the hospital.

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2010

my husbands family does not believe in it but i do cause they can get infections and diseases and i have heard about guys getting yeast infections. so when my son was born i went ahead and did it. but its all up to you and ur husbands no one else! do wat you think is right! good luck

Ciera - posted on 05/26/2010

And Alicia, you should consider the fact that your son is only 5 years old. He has not yet developed his sense of self. That will not come until he reaches about 8 years old and still not fully until he is about 11 or 12 and then will continue the battle throughout his life. A 5 year old will not see themselves as different bc the brain has not yet developed these ideas. It's totally up to the parent but know that as a child grows up, these differences WILL impact them...even your son Alicia so be sure to explain to him WHY he is not circumcized so that when he is faced with a situation, he will have a solid reason to fall back on rather than questioning himself about his differences. I too am a Christian, my father has been a Pastor my entire life and although we do differ on some of our belefs, I see, I do think it is important that what we do to and for our children has good purpose and isn't just done for no reason. And if God created the Jewish men with it but wanted them to keep it then why would He COMMAND them to have it removed according to your idea of His intent. ??? It wasn't about having it or not it was about obedience. And God never stated that they didn't have to anymore. And God never said that Jesus came to banish the law...in fact, Jesus Himself said He came to FULFILL the law. Everything He ever did was inaccordance with the law and never ONCE did He go against it so why do you say that the law is void? I have studied Scripture all my life (not "read"..."STUDIED") and I have never once found where God has abandoned the law. In fact, all I have ever been assured of was that God confirms the law through Jesus. Anyways, thats way off subject. It really is the parent's right to choose and whatever the father is I think the son should be but have better reasons than that so that when your son does face the issue some day in his life, and remember....he's a BOY so he will as that is just the way of men, he needs to know why he is OR is not. It needs to be something you are convicted of even if it is just cleanliness so that that conviction is imparted into him and becomes his conviction as well. This is when a boy will not develop a disillusionment about himself bc he must BELIEVE what he says about himself and what his parents say about him.

Ciera - posted on 05/26/2010

Well I will just say this...my husband and brother-in-law may have been a bit cruel growing up but they used to do horribly embarrassing things to uncircumcized boys all throughout school and even still make fun of them. Especially if your husband is I would recommend getting him circumcized. I don't know if you live in America or not but I know here the majority of baby boys DO get circumcized and there are mean boys in school (like my hunny was) who will do mean things to him. And if his father is, then there will be no justice in his mind. If the father was NOT circumcised it might not be as big a deal, in fact, probably whatever the father is I would recommend the son to be just bc the father is the one the son will look up to and want to be like and identify with his whole life. Also, I hear that uncircumcised is actually harder to take care of. I had my son circumcised (of course) and it was no big deal at all. 2-3 days of crying during diaper changes and about a week of A&D ointment all over it and that was it. And really, only the first day or 2 was all that it really hurt him. I felt HORRIBLE and I cried but then it was all over and I am SOOOOOO glad I did it. Easier maintenance.

Jessica - posted on 05/26/2010

It's 8 days after that they would do the surgery because a newborn's body takes 8 days to fully form the coagulation process that allows for them to naturally stop the bleeding. I'm not 100% sure if we're going to have the procedure done, but if so...we will wait 8 days so he won't have to be given a vitamin k shot.

Hannah - posted on 05/26/2010

About 50 percent of male babies born today are not being circumsized. Most people that say they had their kids done because it was "more sanitary." They don't know what they're talking about. They do it because someone tells them to or bc they hear its dirty not to. Do research before you make a decision. I was planning on having my son circumsized bc everyone kept asking me and telling me I should have it done. Then I did TONS of research and decided not to. My husband isn't and he's never had a single problem, not even as a child. If you have a girl, you have to clean her private areas in the bath too... No difference in having a boy. As long as you keep it clean, there should be no problems with infections and such..

Kristin - posted on 05/25/2010

This is a hard topic to agree on. Of course there are alot of publications out there that can't say for sure which is better. Our Son is 6 and we chose NOT to circumsize him. For 2 reasons. One being that is how the body is made to be, and second, because my Husband is not and this way they would look the same in the shower and during potty training. There will be a time when your child asks about the way it looks. If you decide not to circumsize your child you need to keep it clean and when he is gets old enough to understand bathing, you and your husband will need to teach him proper hygeine. It is not difficult to keep clean. My Son has never had any issues and is okay with the fact that his penis looks different then his counsins. Boys will go to the bathroom together and notice. It is not any differnent then girls noticing bust size. If you are still unsure after delivery, as the Pediatrian on call, and what their opion is. It might help you decide. Good Luck,

Windy - posted on 05/23/2010

please don't listen to us, do the research. the American medical association says circumcision is completely unnecessary. circumcising to keep clean is like cutting off your eyelids so your eyeballs stay clean. most health insurances no longer cover it either, as it is a barbaric practice. so, keep in mind you may have to come up with the $10,000 for the surgery too. read this:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/T012000...

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/go/in...

http://www.circumstitions.com/reasonsnot...



keep in mind:



1. Medical benefits - THERE ARE NONE! Do not circumcise your baby because you think there are some medical benefits. A recent review by the American Academy of Pediatrics looked at all the data from the past decades to see if there truly were any medical benefits. Their conclusion - NO. There are no significant medical benefits that make circumcision worth doing. Here are a few benefits that we used to think were true, and now know are not.



* Cleanliness - although it is true, a circumcised penis does not collect any white stuff underneath the foreskin like an intact penis does, THIS IS NOT A MEDICAL BENEFIT. It is really just one less area to wash in the shower.



* Decreased risk of STD's - this was a myth that we now know is not true.



* Decreased risk of penile cancer - it used to be thought that circumcised men had a much lower chance of cancer of the penis. We now know that this benefit is much smaller than previously thought. The AAP determined that this benefit is so tiny, it is not worth circumcising for this reason.



* Avoiding infections in the foreskin - it is true, occasionally intact foreskins get irritated. This is easily treated with warms soaks and washing. Rarely, the irritated foreskin becomes infected. This requires antibiotics to clear up, but is easily treatable. Even if this does happen once or twice in a person's life, it is not a reason to circumcise at birth.



* Avoiding the need to do it later on - very rarely, someone has a problem with recurrent infections in the foreskin that need antibiotic treatment. Some of these men then need to be circumcised in an operating room under general anesthesia. This is extremely rare, however, and is not a reason to circumcise everyone at birth.



* Avoiding bladder infections - it used to thought that circumcised boys and men had a much lower chance of bladder infections. The AAP now knows that this benefit is very small, and is only true for the first few years of life. After that, there is no difference in the number of bladder infections. Again, not a reason to circumcise.



THEREFORE, IF YOU DECIDE TO CIRCUMCISE YOUR CHILD, DO NOT DO SO BECAUSE YOU THINK THERE IS ANY MEDICAL BENEFIT.

2. Religious reasons - some people choose to circumcise for religious or cultural reasons. This is a personal decision.



3. Don't want to be teased - while this may have been true in the U.S. decades ago, the truth is that your uncircumcised kids will be in good company in the locker room when they are teenagers. Less and less people in the U.S. are now circumcising their boys.



4. Too much trouble to take care of - some people think that an intact penis is too much trouble to pull back and clean, especially during childhood. Well, the truth is, you are not even supposed to pull back the foreskin until it naturally comes back on its own between age 3 years and adolescence. So there really isn't anything to even take care of until then.



5. Want your boy to look like dad - the main difference that your child will notice between him and dad is the hair. He won't even notice any difference in the penis until he is old enough that you can then explain to him the difference.



So, what are the reasons TO circumcise? Here is the list:

Religious reasons - as discussed above.



That is all. There really is no good reason to circumcise other that personal preference and religious reasons.



Are there any reasons NOT to circumcise? Consider these:



1. Leave nature alone - whether you believe God created men with a foreskin, or nature simply evolved this way, there must be some reason men have foreskins. Why change something that God/nature has created?



2. Sensation and sexual pleasure - the foreskin is filled with nerves, and is therefore extremely sensitive to touch. This enhances sexual pleasure.



3. Protects the glans (head) of the penis - the glans is another highly sensitive area. The foreskin protects the glans from constant rubbing and chaffing against clothing that can desensitize it over the years. This preserves sexual pleasure.



4. Ethical issues - there are groups of people worldwide, including medical societies, that oppose routine circumcision because they feel it is unethical for a parent to decide to alter the penis of their child without the child's consent. Parents who are deciding whether or not to circumcise their son may wish to consider the impact this may have in the future if the child decides they wish they were not circumcised.



So, when making this decision, the first thing to ask yourself is this - "Do I have any good reason to circumcise my baby?" If your answer is for religious reasons, then follow your faith. If not, and you can't think of any other significant reason other than just "because", then consider the above information as you make your decision.

Cyndi - posted on 05/20/2010

i didn't have my little guy circumsized and have never had a problem! as far as pulling the skin back to clean it, it's not that big of a deal! i feel there is no need to have it done unless for a religious belief. plus, i couldn't bare putting my little guy in any unnecessary pain for the sake of vanity! i am due any day now in if i happen to have another little boy, i wouldn't have him circumsized either. God made it that way for a reason! good luck!

Niki - posted on 05/19/2010

the whole 'do it because its cleaner' thing has no medical basis, its a myth - actually much more likely to cause issues if you get a child circumsised because of risk of infection from the wound etc. I understand people wanting to get it done for religious beliefs - but otherwise why on earth would you want to put a peacful newborn baby through such an encreadbly traumatic experience?? just because its common in your society isnt good enough in my opinion - it needs to be based on something more than that. get your husband to think about his reasons really really carefully. I come from new zealand where circumsision is a really rare occurance

PETA - posted on 05/19/2010

I have a boy who is 6, since having it done, i have seperated from his father, and started a new relationship with another man, who is not. I have watched so many documentations on this subject. The benifits are not good, the tip of the penis is so sensitive, and during the proceedure they cut that off. My new partner has more sensation in that area than my ex. So i am pregnate now and if we have a boy there is no way i will be getting it done.
If your hubby wants him done that bad make him take your son in to do it.
Good luck

Cheryl - posted on 05/18/2010

While it is common in America, there isn't anything medically that says you absolutely need to. My husband isn't and our son isn't. At five, he's never had any problems. I didn't like TEACH him how to keep it clean but as he was potty trained and is starting to shower more by himself- he's mimicing what he's always seen done.

Biblically, Paul and Peter both wrote about Gentiles not needing to fulfill the Jewish laws. Also, traditional Jews will have a special ceremony at 7 or 8 days (forget which) to do it. At the hospital, they inject all babies with Vitamin K to help clot and then they'll do it after one or two days.

One other thought- before kids I worked in a hospital in the pathology lab. We would get anything removed from surgery, from tonsils, cancer growths, hysterectomys, etc.... including foreskins. Occassionally there were some of older, elderly men from nursing homes because they were getting infections.

Felicia Neikolle - posted on 05/18/2010

My son (age 9) was circumcised in the traditional Jewish ceremony. I am of Jewish heritage and feel it important to maintain this law. I am also a Christian and feel that this act is part of that as well. I am due on my first son's birthday with another little boy ... he too will be circumcised as his brother was.

Here's the best answer I can give you, if you are a Christian and are torn on whether or not it is "right" to do this act for (not to) your son then you should pray and ask God to reveal to you His will for your son.

By all rights Abraham would have been arrested for attempted murder in modern times, but he was obedient to God and was willing to do what the Lord asked and became the Father of Many Nations due to this.

There are many "laws" that are spoken of within the Bible ... it is our job as a Christian to follow what the Lord would have us to do ... but only you and God will know what that is.

Good luck! I hope I have been helpful.

Amy - posted on 05/18/2010

We had it done with our son, the biggest thing that made us decide was the sanitary reasons. Also, if they need it done later in life for any reason it's way more painful.

Our son had it done in the hospital, and I went with him, the nurse gave him a sugger watter solution to dip the nuck into while we did it to help distract him and honestly it didn't seem to bother him that much at all.

I heard if you don't have it done, later in life sex feels better.

Alyssa - posted on 05/18/2010

Try not to listen to what everyone else says because ultimately it is your decision. My parents do not want me to get my son-to-be done but I feel that socially its beneficial. The risk of infection is low when they are older if they are taught to take proper care of the area and clean it...but if an infection does occur it is extremely painful to have it done later on in life. That is my reasoning...there is reasoning for both sides of the argument but I think you should go with your gut feeling about it !!

Stefanie - posted on 05/18/2010

My son is due the end of August, and he is being circumcised. I didnt care either way.. but my boyfriend wants him to be, he also feels that because he is that our son should be as well. I personally only didnt want to because it scares me and hurts me thinking about something like that happening to my baby.. but as long as its done by a dr i know i have nothing to worry about.. just a mommy thing i guess, wanting your child not to hurt :(

Erin - posted on 05/17/2010

I'm currently expecting (due June 1st!!) to a little surprise. For us the decision was easy not to have a circumcision. My boyfriend was never circumcised and has said that as a kid he did have yeast infections: although he admited he wasn't a very clean kid at this point in his life. I think this can easily be avoided with proper education and treating the problem if it does occur. I also know that the tip of the penis is the most sensitive part, so cutting it off really does hinder some of the sexual pleasure for the male, ...might not be something we want to think about regarding our children, but is it really fair for us to deny them? I even heard a phone in debat over the radio about circumcision and a man admited he had the operation done as an adult to apease his religious girlfriend, but only regretted it afterwards. I'm also a bit paranoid about newborn trauma and how it impacts us for the rest of our lives (regardless of if we remember it or not) so I wouldn't want my child taken away to have their genitals snipped at: but ... I'm a bit paranoid about this and don't even want my child taken away to get washed by strangers... so, to each their own lol.

Good luck with your decision. As in most cases, I believe knowledge is power.

Jane - posted on 05/17/2010

there are two sides to the coin. why don't you guys get info from your doctor about it and go from there. personally, i feel that if your child is taught proper hygiene, it should be fine. my father wasn't circumcised and he and my mother haven't had any health issues b/c of it. the men in my husband's family are not circumcised and no health issues for the women in their family or myself. my brothers were and not one of the five of them ever ended up in therapy b/c my father wasn't and they were.

Remember, a lot of traditions come about b/c of the need at the time, Jews were nomadic people living in a desert, not a lot of opportunity to take baths so that's where this comes from and over time it became a tradition out of respect for the culture. Just as did not mixing dairy and meat, no refrigeration. Things have changed and these things are not necessities anymore but they are important acts of respect.

we are expecting a boy this time around and i believe babies are born in a state of absolute perfection, i haven't pierced the ears of either of our daughters and i won't circumcise our son. why cause them pain, regardless of how short it is or whether or not they remember it? as far as father and son not being "like" one another, i don't know too many fathers and sons who sit around comparing this particular issue. i think he hospitals defer to the moms on this. get some more medical facts and go from there, but as a mom, i don't think your gut is ever wrong. and i don't think god made us so that we need to be changed.

Michelle - posted on 05/17/2010

This was a debate that I too had some issues with my decision when I was pregnant with my 6 yr old . My father was never circumsized since he was not born in a hospital and it caused him a great deal of issues as an adult . The fact he had so many issues and had to actually have it done as an adult made me decide to have it done on if I had a boy again.
I would do research as stated by others about the pros and cons . I would check out different sites so you get different views and opinions . Websites that are for it will state negative things against not doing it , as will websites that are against it stating negative things against doing so .
Make sure to include your husband in the decison also. It is something you really want to decide together before you are faced with signing a paper .
Good luck

Erica - posted on 05/17/2010

Don't let anyone scare you in to circumcision but telling you it's not as "clean" if you don't do it. It's not difficult to care for either (even though many people are lead to believe it is). Yes there can be unforeseen difficulties later on in life but they are rare. You and baby's dad have to make the decision that's best for your family. Just remember that once it's gone, your son can never get it back. Good luck!

Alicia - posted on 05/17/2010

I am a Christian and I completely agree with the fact that the new testament clearly states that circumsicion is not necessary. It was a tradition started in the old testament in the bible as a way for the Jewish nation to separate themselves from the gentiles. When Jesus came and died on the cross for us he removed those laws and traditions. Read 1 Corinthians 7:18-24. There are many other passages as well. Honestly, I wonder how it became so popular to do this procedure when it was originally only practiced in a certain culture. Anyways, my son is 5 years old and is uncircumsized. He has never had any type of infection, never had any issues what so ever, and does not feel any different about himself than any other child his age. If he chooses different when he is older, we will allow him to have a surgery. But he may not want to have a surgery. You can always choose to get it done later in life, but you can never go back on having that part of your body removed. Why would we be born with it if God didn't want us to have it? It is clearly stated that there is no need to remove it, so why do it? The doctors try to say that it is unsanitary, but I have never found or heard from anyone that that's true. And, when they are older and involved with a woman, it is supposed to me much more pleasureable if they still have that part of their body. I would try and speak to your husband about these things, because honestly you can always have a later in life procedure. In my opinion, I view this in the same way as a lot of people would view the procedure of a clitoridectomy. It seems cruel and un-needed. I also thought I would mention the fact that my husband was also circumsized as a baby. He has a terrible scar because the doctors messed up. Really look into both sides and do not feel pressured because of what the "average" person does. A lot of odd things become very mainstream, but that does NOT mean we have to participate. Hope this helps you.

Lauren - posted on 05/17/2010

I am having it done because one of my exes didn't have it done and he said it was a pain because he would always get yeast infections and such no matter how clean he was, he would just get sweaty from working in the yard and what not. I just want to get it done, so it is one less thing he has to worry about taking care of and one less thing we have to worry about when he is a baby to take care of and make sure it is all healthy and not infected. I think it is really your decision, but this is a website that discusses all the pros and cons it helped me make my decision....well besides the fact that my husband is circumcised and I agree with Nicole that he will get confused if they look different.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/surg...

Nicole - posted on 05/17/2010

I am having it done to my boy when he is born because the men in my family are that way. Its perfectly fine to not be circumcised but the cleaning process has to be alot more detailed or else they can get infections and such from dirt going under the skin. Typically, its best to have the boys penis mimic whatever the father has going down there because why would he have something different than daddy. That could be very confusing for a young boy especially when there is more attention on the area when daddy teaches him to stand up to pee and stuff.

Jaci - posted on 05/17/2010

Not to sound like I wouldnt want to teach my son one more thing in life, but as far as circumcision, I'm going to have it done to my son, because its far more sanitary and you wont have to teach him how to pull back the skin, etc to keep it cleaned properly.
It will be easier later for him too if you get it done when he first gets here. It will be far more painful if you dont do it now and change your mind later and decide to do it as well.