Forum Index
»
Infants, Toddlers, & Preschoolers
Worried about son's circumcision
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| If you are having reservations, then wait. You can always do it at a later time but you can't undo it once it's done. |
Anonymous
Oh wow, that makes me feel a bit better, the needle seems to be worse the operation itself |
Anonymous
true don't just rely on your boyfriend, just follow the science and make a decision. What are the benefits of circumcision? A decreased risk of urinary tract infections. A reduced risk of some sexually transmitted diseases in men. Protection against penile cancer and a reduced risk of cervical cancer in female sex partners. Prevention of balanitis (inflammation of the glans) and balanoposthitis (inflammation of the glans and foreskin). Prevention of phimosis (the inability to retract the foreskin) and paraphimosis (the inability to return the foreskin to its original location). Circumcision also makes it easier to keep the end of the penis clean. http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/circumcision http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20141202/cdc-endorses-circumcision-for-health-reasons http://www.pepfar.gov/press/releases/2013/210128.htm https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/newborn-male-circumcision.aspx |
Anonymous
But every guy I know is circumcised, including family members, in my community its what everybody does to their baby boys. |
Anonymous
| My son was circumcised in the hospital at 3 days old and he slept through the entire procedure. |
Anonymous
|
I’m glad you have opened up this line of communication. As mothers we have natural instincts to protect our children from pain and harm. Clearly, you are already trying to protect him before he’s even born. I have a few points I’d like to make.
First, you are right to be concerned. Not too long ago a national news story was published stating that infants feel pain just as intensely as adults do. For a long time adults wanted to believe children felt less, but that’s not true. They are born with a complete and functioning nervous system. So to give you a perspective of the pain management for an adult, when an adult is circumcised, they are put under anesthesia and given a full dose of pain medication. That is because this procedure calls for that much pain management. What newborn infants tend to get is a numbing cream and a sugar pacifier. They don’t even get Tylenol to manage the pain afterwards. So yes, this procedure is very painful for babies. These are the reasons many of them pass out for hours later and refuse to eat. No, I’m not trying to sound dramatic, but I’m trying to tell you what most doctors do not. Second, because the process is cosmetic it’s not needed. In fact the risks associated with it are more damaging than the prospective benefits. Again, it sounds extreme, but your child has a greater chance of dying due to blood loss than he does on the car ride home. Over 100 babies die each year from circumcision. And that’s just the number that’s recorded accurately. Many more are listed under a different cause of death. But for a less alarming example, just in the news yesterday I saw where a medical student accidently cut off the whole penis. So there are some very real risks, and this is just for a cosmetic procedure. Finally I have a few statistics, and I’ll let you look for some of your own research. 80% of the men in the world are intact. Around, if not more, than 50% of boys in the US are intact. It is not the norm anymore. And the big stat!!! 70% of boys have one or both parent regret circumcising their son. If you are interested in looking into the info I have here look up a few pages: Intact America, Dr. Momma & Saving Our Sons. They have resources that can help you understand why so many find it unethical to circumcise boys without their consent, and they have resources to explain the 17+ functions of the foreskin. I really hope you do research this. Your son deserves his whole body. |
Anonymous
There's a lot of things if we cut them off preventatively, it would reduce the risk of serious medical issues. But we don't. Because they are body parts with an intended use. Just like the foreskin. |
Anonymous
|
^^sorry, I thought he wasn't born yet, either way, my words are the same.
However, if you want to look at some good medical sources, take a look at the European guidelines. They don't circumcise their babies and they don't have any of these "problems" that americans tend to have with whole body parts. |
Anonymous
|
Why in gods name wouldn't they use a numbing agent? I've never heard of such a thing until now. There are hospitals that will numb the area with a local anesthesia or cream and I highly recommend you find one of those places.
We had our son's done in the hospital three days after he was born. They used a local anesthesia and a sugar pacifier. Of course it's not a pleasant thing, and you have to make the decision for yourself if you think it's worth it, like every decision you make for your child. A PP listed the medical benefits, which were all important to us. And then there's the aesthetic benefits. Perhaps some women like skin over the penis, but I personally haven't met them. Again, just my experience. The idea that it can be done later is nice to have in your back pocket, but recovery time is exponentially longer and more difficult the older they get. And of course they would have a vivid memory of the event. |
Anonymous
| I have always held the mantra: not my penis, not me decision. All three of my boys cans decide to lop it off when they are older if they choose to do so. "Not remembering" doesn't change anything for me- in fact it makes it worse, IMO. |
Anonymous
| OP, our son was circumcised. He seemed fine after the procedure and during healing. I was a little alarmed by how it looked! But I just kept putting vaseline on and sure enough, he healed up just fine. So don't let the red/rawness get to you too much. It will heal! |
Anonymous
My husband is grateful he is. Look, I can give anecdotal evidence too! |
Anonymous
And my husband wishes he had his whole penis after he learned what was done to him, without his permission. |
Anonymous
+1,000,000 |
Anonymous
Actually, when removing something someone DOESN'T NEED can prevent serious health issues down the road, it's something that we do. We remove wisdom teeth in the teenage years, why? Because they present no real value and could prevent nerve and mouth damage later. In this case we're talking about cancer, STDs and nerve damage. How is this any different? |