Did you get your son circumcised?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's doctor told us that we absolutely had to get him surgery because his foreskin did not retract before age six. We got a second opinion and found out that the average age when the foreskin retracts is 10 years. Many doctors are seriously misinformed about uncircumcised boys. Now that he is 7, his foreskin retracts on his own. No unnecessary surgery.

A woman on another listserv told a scary warning story to a bunch of moms about how her son's foreskin wouldn't retract when he was 7, so he had to be circumcised then. It made me so angry on her behalf, but also on her child's behalf. Who doesn't do further research? She must not have even thought about a second opinion. Poor kid - it is completely normal for a foreskin to still not fully retract by that time. But on the other side, it's totally unbelievable that moms have to second guess doctors because they don't know what to do with an intact penis. Just terrible all around.

That's so sad. I'm sure it happens pretty frequently too. I don't understand why a parent wouldn't get a second opinion about any type of surgery for a child. And then to go around telling other parents to circumcise their sons in case this happens to them... unfathomable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most competent peds really that ignorant about how to treat an uncircd boy? Best reason on this thread for circing.

Really? If your physician didn't know how to care for a part of your body, would you alter it accordingly? How silly.

This doesn't just apply to the intact penis. A lot of doctors are misinformed on a lot of things. My doc told me I absolutely needed a hysterectomy- another doc told me I had many other options. Happens all of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's doctor told us that we absolutely had to get him surgery because his foreskin did not retract before age six. We got a second opinion and found out that the average age when the foreskin retracts is 10 years. Many doctors are seriously misinformed about uncircumcised boys. Now that he is 7, his foreskin retracts on his own. No unnecessary surgery.

A woman on another listserv told a scary warning story to a bunch of moms about how her son's foreskin wouldn't retract when he was 7, so he had to be circumcised then. It made me so angry on her behalf, but also on her child's behalf. Who doesn't do further research? She must not have even thought about a second opinion. Poor kid - it is completely normal for a foreskin to still not fully retract by that time. But on the other side, it's totally unbelievable that moms have to second guess doctors because they don't know what to do with an intact penis. Just terrible all around.

That's so sad. I'm sure it happens pretty frequently too. I don't understand why a parent wouldn't get a second opinion about any type of surgery for a child. And then to go around telling other parents to circumcise their sons in case this happens to them... unfathomable.

Exactly. That was the worst part. Everyone on the listserv had kept it really respectful (convo about circ'ing) whether pro or con, then that "warning." I have to say that my son is not that old yet, but I was just told that it would retract on its own when it's ready. If my doctor told me "well, yes, but it should be retracting by now," I might have believed her, but I would have still gone straight home and called my dad (a doctor) for his opinion, then looked online, and asked around, maybe got a second opinion. If you google "phimosis," you get tons of hits about how circumcision is being diagnosed for completely normal development. Nobody called her out on this on the listserv, because who wants to tell someone who just spent a few paragraphs writing about her son's traumatic surgery, that there's a good chance it was totally unnecessary? She didn't mention any other issues, no infection, etc. Just said the problem was the son's foreskin didn't retract on its own. Sad, and infuriating to not really be able to refute the false message she sent without making her feel terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's doctor told us that we absolutely had to get him surgery because his foreskin did not retract before age six. We got a second opinion and found out that the average age when the foreskin retracts is 10 years. Many doctors are seriously misinformed about uncircumcised boys. Now that he is 7, his foreskin retracts on his own. No unnecessary surgery.

A woman on another listserv told a scary warning story to a bunch of moms about how her son's foreskin wouldn't retract when he was 7, so he had to be circumcised then. It made me so angry on her behalf, but also on her child's behalf. Who doesn't do further research? She must not have even thought about a second opinion. Poor kid - it is completely normal for a foreskin to still not fully retract by that time. But on the other side, it's totally unbelievable that moms have to second guess doctors because they don't know what to do with an intact penis. Just terrible all around.

That's so sad. I'm sure it happens pretty frequently too. I don't understand why a parent wouldn't get a second opinion about any type of surgery for a child. And then to go around telling other parents to circumcise their sons in case this happens to them... unfathomable.

Exactly. That was the worst part. Everyone on the listserv had kept it really respectful (convo about circ'ing) whether pro or con, then that "warning." I have to say that my son is not that old yet, but I was just told that it would retract on its own when it's ready. If my doctor told me "well, yes, but it should be retracting by now," I might have believed her, but I would have still gone straight home and called my dad (a doctor) for his opinion, then looked online, and asked around, maybe got a second opinion. If you google "phimosis," you get tons of hits about how circumcision is being diagnosed for completely normal development. Nobody called her out on this on the listserv, because who wants to tell someone who just spent a few paragraphs writing about her son's traumatic surgery, that there's a good chance it was totally unnecessary? She didn't mention any other issues, no infection, etc. Just said the problem was the son's foreskin didn't retract on its own. Sad, and infuriating to not really be able to refute the false message she sent without making her feel terrible.

Hopefully, she is reading here, so you got your chance to make her feel terrible anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ped didn't have much to say about bf, other than he preferred it. For help with bf, I would talk to a consultant or gyn. Why would you need bfing advice from your ped?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most competent peds really that ignorant about how to treat an uncircd boy? Best reason on this thread for circing.

Yes, they are.

Most peds are also very ignorant about BFing. So does this mean we should all FF?

My point exactly. So why would you need foreskin advice from a ped?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ped didn't have much to say about bf, other than he preferred it. For help with bf, I would talk to a consultant or gyn. Why would you need bfing advice from your ped?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most competent peds really that ignorant about how to treat an uncircd boy? Best reason on this thread for circing.

Yes, they are.

Most peds are also very ignorant about BFing. So does this mean we should all FF?

Gyns don't know any more about BFing than peds do. Neither type of doctor gets much if any training or info in medical school about BFing (or about foreskins for that matter).

People attribute way more knowledge and training to peds (and doctors in general) than they actually have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ped didn't have much to say about bf, other than he preferred it. For help with bf, I would talk to a consultant or gyn. Why would you need bfing advice from your ped?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most competent peds really that ignorant about how to treat an uncircd boy? Best reason on this thread for circing.

Yes, they are.

Most peds are also very ignorant about BFing. So does this mean we should all FF?

Gyns don't know any more about BFing than peds do. Neither type of doctor gets much if any training or info in medical school about BFing (or about foreskins for that matter).

People attribute way more knowledge and training to peds (and doctors in general) than they actually have.

Yes, gynecologists are surgeons specializing in the female reproductive system, which is not breastfeeding. Pediatricians are doctors specializing in the care of children, so they are the ones we should reasonably expect to know about the biologically normal way of feeding of said children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ped didn't have much to say about bf, other than he preferred it. For help with bf, I would talk to a consultant or gyn. Why would you need bfing advice from your ped?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most competent peds really that ignorant about how to treat an uncircd boy? Best reason on this thread for circing.

Yes, they are.

Most peds are also very ignorant about BFing. So does this mean we should all FF?

My point exactly. So why would you need foreskin advice from a ped?

Because it actually falls into their realm of care? Because I should be able to trust my sons care provider to not prematurely retract him and make him bleed during a routine Ped well visit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Hopefully, she is reading here, so you got your chance to make her feel terrible anyway.

I'd rather that the other people on the listserv were reading, because then I could have dispelled the myth she passed on. But it's not likely - different city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, I have. I was expressing my personal opinion. Nothing scientific. There's more odor involved, which is not a turn on for me. I don't like the looks of a flaccid uncirc'ed penis. And I feel no difference in vaginal sex. Lubrication's never been a problem for me, so I can't comment on that. I'm not saying this to influence whether someone circs their son or not. Just that I personally diagree with the post I responded to earlier.

Gotta disagree with you. If you had an odor issue, that's just specific to that one guy, perhaps he was normally stinky or he didn't have good hygiene. The uncut men I've been with have never had any odor issues, and I do think it's more pleasurable for oral because the skin is so much more smooth and sensitive. Circ'ed men have so much less sensation on their penis that it takes FOREVER.

Okay, and now this thread is officially skeezy. I'm sorry. Let's shut it down.

This is soooooo true.

I count this as a bonus

It's not a bonus when it takes 45 minutes or more. Talk about painful.

[Anonymous]

I do think that's an issue for your specific guy and not absence/presence of foreskin. My husband is circumcised and it never takes 45 minutes. In fact, I don't think it ever took 45 minutes for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When DS was born, we chose not to circ. Fast forward 3 years. DS had developed adhesions that prevented the foreskin from retracting. When he urinated it sprayed all over the place. While it was annoying to us, it was very upsetting for him. He has always been rather fastidious. The ped. urologist at Johns Hopkins finally recommended that he be circ'd. We ended up having him circumcised at 4 years, a month before DD was born. He had to undergo general anesthesia for the process which took about 1.5 hours. If I had to do it over again I would have had the procedure done when he was born.

Sorry, but I would have gotten a second, or third opinion. Adhesion isn't a good reason to circumcise as they usually take care of themselves. You can also use a Q-tip to apply a bit of vaseline near that adhesion so that it doesn't become larger. If it is really bad the doctor can prescribe a testosterone cream to hurry along the separation.

FYI girls can have adhesion's too. At 3 DD had a really bad and it ripped apart. It was bloody and painful but it was never suggested her labia removed. We followed the Q-tip regiment and by the age of 4 or 5 she stopped having adhesions all together.