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Boys & circumcision
I was wondering how many of us that are having boys are planning on circumcising them and why you made your decision? My DH is circumcised, so we had planned on having our son circumcised as well, as we feel its important for our son to look the same as his Dad. Also in my community, most people are circumcised.
I accidently came across a web site today that is against circumcision, which got me into looking further into it, and there are definately two sides to the coin about which is better. Now I'm scared whether or not I'm making the right decision.
I accidently came across a web site today that is against circumcision, which got me into looking further into it, and there are definately two sides to the coin about which is better. Now I'm scared whether or not I'm making the right decision.
I was single and very young when I had my son. They took him in the hospital to get it done and the machine was broken, then I took him to the doctor's office and they couldn't do it there either. I figured that it just wasn't meant to be. I never did anything to "pull it back" at diaper changes, I was told that I could injure him if I did. I just made sure it was clean.
He's almost 13 now and has never had an infection. My current husband went over the hygeine issue with him a few years ago. Before that I always told him to make sure he washed well. He knows he has the option to have it done if he ever wants to. I've given him the option since he was old enough to understand. He hasn't asked to have it done.
If we had a boy now, my husband would want it done. 1. He's Jewish and 2. He's circumcised and feels it's the right thing to do. Aestetically and religiously. I would probably go along with it because it's not that big of an issue to me, although I'm glad I don't have to deal with it, as I'm not completely for it. We're having a girl, so it's not an issue for us anyway.
He's almost 13 now and has never had an infection. My current husband went over the hygeine issue with him a few years ago. Before that I always told him to make sure he washed well. He knows he has the option to have it done if he ever wants to. I've given him the option since he was old enough to understand. He hasn't asked to have it done.
If we had a boy now, my husband would want it done. 1. He's Jewish and 2. He's circumcised and feels it's the right thing to do. Aestetically and religiously. I would probably go along with it because it's not that big of an issue to me, although I'm glad I don't have to deal with it, as I'm not completely for it. We're having a girl, so it's not an issue for us anyway.
It seems as though the vast majority of us (close to 90%) have decided to go with what their partner has/doesn't have so to speak. This is a touchy subject as so many of us are adamant in our beliefs. Honestly my decision isn't really based on looks, (I've been with an uncircumcised man and was with him for several years) hygiene, (though if I knew more about uncircumcised or DH did, I would feel more comfortable with it) religion, (I'm not religious) lowers risk of STD's, (I've never even heard of that being a reason and honestly it sounds like a load of bull) I wanted this done because I strongly believe that its important for my son to be "just like Daddy" so to speak.
I have looked at the different sides of this, and that is why I posted this question, because after reading the different sides it left me wondering if I was making the right decision so wanted to see what others point of view on the subject was.
I have looked at the different sides of this, and that is why I posted this question, because after reading the different sides it left me wondering if I was making the right decision so wanted to see what others point of view on the subject was.
I wanted to have my 3 wk old son circumsized as my other son is as well..however it never got done.. oh well I suppose... his dad is Asian and isn't circumsized but he too wanted him cirumsized.. his Dr doesn't do them..now, I think he's too old to have it done...
My fiancee is uncircumsized and he has told me from a male's point of view- There is nothing wrong with being uncircumsized. His mother was a good mom, who took the time to clean him throughly as an infant. When he was old enough to do so, he has washed and taken care of his penis as any man should. There really isn't a medical reason, except to not have to bother with cleaning your baby throughly. We have never had any problems sex wise with it and he has never had any medical problems with his uncut member. I hope you go over all the REAl facts and come to your own choice. Don't let society choice for you! Good luck!
Not happening at my house either!!! I believe it is not needed- either "medically" or "religiouslly"............. I dont know how ppl are talking about infections?.. That is VERY dirty..... No men/boys that I know of had EVER had any infections or problems.. I solely believe that it has to do with a mans/boys own hygiene. In terms of stds i believe that is a mans choice to sleep and that is (unfortunatly) one of the many consequences, same as an unwanted pregnancy and so forth.. Plain and simple. Only if Science can prove one of these (religious) or (medical) reason then maybe ill give it a thought. To me cutting off the foreskin is like chopping of a childs pinky. I would never do it, same as i wouldnt want anyone making decisions on whether i need this procedure done or that. MY opinion, thats all.
At the end of the day it is your choice, You gota be happy with it. It is alot cleaner and things. :) Good luck, He will be fine. Its a choice you have made and you are happy, that's all that matters. and he will be happy too :)
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Cassandrajane-I agree, had my DH still been intact then I would leave him intact too. Since neither of us have any experience with cleaning etc. it's the best choice for my son to have him circumcised so he wont have problems later because we don't know what to do.
connorethansmom-Good idea, still not sure if I would be up for it, though in the end I would probably feel better to know he wasn't in pain.
connorethansmom-Good idea, still not sure if I would be up for it, though in the end I would probably feel better to know he wasn't in pain.
I had my son circumsized when he was about 2 days old. I went in the room with them, sat next to him, looked at him to make sure he was ok. I'm glad I was there, the thought of him hurting and me not knowing would have been hard to deal with. BUT, he didn't cry, he didn't seem bothered at all actually. He never cried at diaper changes. The doctors did a really great job and I'm glad I did it. We are expecting another little boy in December and will do the same thing. AND I will be in the room. I think it helped the doctor take his time and do it right with mama standing there watching his every move.
Tbh, if you wanna get it done, and your happy with it being done religious or not, then thats down to you, everyone will support you either way :). Some people are against it, some people are for it, and some people have no choice, But its a way of life. :) And they wouldnt do it if it hurt them :) I know its better for them to actually have it done, it's also cleaner as well. But its up to you. :) I would do it if I was religious, and if I have a son and he decided he would like to have it done when he is older, then I will stand by him 100%. As I am not religious and my boyfriend is still intact, Then it is a choice he is going to have to make when he is older. :). If you're happy then thats all that matters with it really :).
But get it done sooner rather than later if you are going to get it done. Good Luck. :)
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But get it done sooner rather than later if you are going to get it done. Good Luck. :)
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Thanks for putting my mind at ease :) I think thats the worst part is the thought of hurting him.
I am Jewish, so clearly I did not struggle with this decision AT ALL.. My son is circumcised, and I was present (at his bris) when the circumcision was performed. He cried for literally 30 seconds, and was FINE.. Your child will NOT suffer ANY trauma if you so decide to circumsize. Your child will NOT remember. With that said, it is a very personal decision, and you and your husband should weigh your pro's and con's and make an informed decision. I will say that there are other options aside from having it done at the hospital. There are moil's that will do it in your home as a non-religious event if you so decide. Best of luck, and I am attaching a hyperlink for you to explore.
www(dot)emoil(dot)com Take out the (dot's) and just put a period. =)
www(dot)emoil(dot)com Take out the (dot's) and just put a period. =)
My son was circumsized and we had it done the day after he was born we were not allowed to come into the room, when we got him back he was perfectly fine, didnt whine or cry was normal. how some people say who would do that to a child is looking at it this way it hurts them for maybe a second than the pain is gone, if they have to do it later on in life it will be horriable for them. Its every parents choice to do it or not. I have my son go threw it because I know about infections that little boys can get down there I've see nit with my nephew. It was not that the foreskin was getting pulled back or not or that he was not clean it was because you have to take great care of it cause if anything gets in there it can cause an infection, but many insurance companys do not cover this anymore you have to pay out of pocket, I know its about 500 dollars, but I will save up the money for my next child to have it done.
And to becca: Girls dont have it done because we dont have foreskin over our vaginas now if we did I do belive there would be a procedure out there to remove the foreskin,
And to becca: Girls dont have it done because we dont have foreskin over our vaginas now if we did I do belive there would be a procedure out there to remove the foreskin,
I'm all for circumcision after see more than a few awful and painful infections in un-circumcised men. I'm an RN with a very strong stomach, but the images are burned in my mind and I still gag . . . eh, gagging now :o
Thanks for your comments, they are really helpful. I guess I did open up a can of worms with this question, I was just curious about others opinions and why they made the decisions they did. I know there is not any right or wrong answer to this question. We made our decision long before he was even concieved that we would circumcise him, but now its getting down to the crunch point and I would like to make sure I'm making the right decision for me. Although even if I suddenly changed my mind, I'm sure it would end up causing a fight between DH and I as he firmly believes that we should circumcise as well. I've heard both sides of the coin as well with friends and family. I have a friend who's son had to have his circumcision redone at an older age, but on the other side of the coin its very important to take care of it properly if its not done. (I had a boyfriend who didn't take care of his properly and it was icky lol) I won't be able to handle going into the room either if it is an option. But I do know I would rather have it done at an age where he wont remember it, than to have something go wrong later on and he has to have it done.
Circumcision is based on each individuals opinion, thoughts and feelings. I honestly have all 5 of my boys circumcised, but not just because hubby is. Even if my husband was not circumcised I would have my boys done, because of my own opinions of the procedure. It's not something that is medically required(most times). I think it relies heavily on each family and individual. If my husband did not want one of our son's circumcised, I would still press the issue to have it done. Most people would consider leaving the baby boy intact and allow him to make his own decision once he was old enough to make that call. A lot of women base their opinions of circumcision as doing something to their son, where he cannot make that choice on his own. But it does go both ways. And I feel that having it done at a young/newborn age, where the child most likely and 99.9% of the time does not remember, compared to weeks of agony and needing possible pain medication if it were done as an adult.
Circumcision is opinion based, and we all know very well with this topic, that everyone here has their own opinion about it, and they are entitled to it, there is no WRONG or RIGHT opinion on this subject. Some say it's cleaner, some say it doesn't really make a difference, and that's okay.
I think personally that a lot of research on circumcision and asking questions to your doctor would be helpful for you. I had a good friend who did not circumcise her boys, due to religion. I have had many discussions with her about her thoughts and opinions about it, but really could not see her point, nor could she see mine. Which makes it hard to ask others about the procedure. Your more likely to get a 50/50 answer on this topic, but if you approach it with an open mind, it makes things a lot easier. What if it is cleaner? What if it does limit the chances he could contract an STD? BUT What if it's done wrong? These are all questions no one can answer for you, we can guide you on how to find the information your looking for, but we really cannot 100% say that it is or it isn't necessary.
Good luck! And don't allow people to PUSH their opinions on you, and don't do something your not comfortable with, just because the other person wants the procedure done. In the end, you will make the right call, and your baby won't love you any less if he is circumcised or not.
Circumcision is opinion based, and we all know very well with this topic, that everyone here has their own opinion about it, and they are entitled to it, there is no WRONG or RIGHT opinion on this subject. Some say it's cleaner, some say it doesn't really make a difference, and that's okay.
I think personally that a lot of research on circumcision and asking questions to your doctor would be helpful for you. I had a good friend who did not circumcise her boys, due to religion. I have had many discussions with her about her thoughts and opinions about it, but really could not see her point, nor could she see mine. Which makes it hard to ask others about the procedure. Your more likely to get a 50/50 answer on this topic, but if you approach it with an open mind, it makes things a lot easier. What if it is cleaner? What if it does limit the chances he could contract an STD? BUT What if it's done wrong? These are all questions no one can answer for you, we can guide you on how to find the information your looking for, but we really cannot 100% say that it is or it isn't necessary.
Good luck! And don't allow people to PUSH their opinions on you, and don't do something your not comfortable with, just because the other person wants the procedure done. In the end, you will make the right call, and your baby won't love you any less if he is circumcised or not.
I'm not against circumcison, I wont do it, because if my son (If I am having one) will decide when he is older if he wants to be or not... If I was religious yeah he would have it done, but its a choice he needs to make when he is older :) I know it is cleaner to have it done... :)
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A baby boys foreskin should NEVER be pulled back to clean it, it should be left alone! Cleaning the outside is sufficient until the foreskin breaks away and begins to retract of it's own accord. Most problems with intact infant penis are caused by parents forcibly retracting the skin.
Most boys foreskins begin to retract on there own by puberty at which point they are old enough to take care of cleanliness by themselves.
In Europe circumcision is pretty much unheard of unless it is done for religious reasons and I can assure you there is not a great wave of penis related problems with boys and men all over Europe, only in America is it common for baby boys to be routinely circumcised for reasons other than religious beliefs.
The foreskin is there for a purpose; to protect the glans of the penis, yes there are rare occasions when circumcision is required because of a medical complication but I can't understand why someone would remove a body part that has a function just in case something might happen in the future.
Most boys foreskins begin to retract on there own by puberty at which point they are old enough to take care of cleanliness by themselves.
In Europe circumcision is pretty much unheard of unless it is done for religious reasons and I can assure you there is not a great wave of penis related problems with boys and men all over Europe, only in America is it common for baby boys to be routinely circumcised for reasons other than religious beliefs.
The foreskin is there for a purpose; to protect the glans of the penis, yes there are rare occasions when circumcision is required because of a medical complication but I can't understand why someone would remove a body part that has a function just in case something might happen in the future.
Im not even to this point yet but i think it should be up to the husband! my husbands family doesnt believe in doing it so i know if i have a son someday in the future i will not be putting my baby through that pain!
If I have a boy, (dont know what im having yet) I will get him circumcized but i will have DH go in with him because i wouldnt be able to watch, but!!! it scares me a little because i have a friend whose boy was circumcised and the skin was cut off too short, this lead to him havind to be in the icu for 2 weeks and hes had 3 surgerys to try to fix it, and they still dont know if he will have any problems in the future, no mind you this was 13 years ago but still, it scares me to know there are risks....
Also where I live (Reno, NV) if you choose to get your son circumcised it is done in the hospital after you give birth, usually within 24 hours of the baby being born. I'm not sure if your allowed to go back there and watch or not since I never had the choice with my first son, but I sure wouldn't want to go back there any ways to view it.
I have a pretty large family that consists of mostly boys. My mother is one out of 13 and her uncle had 20 children. Everyone who decided not to circumcise their son had to do so years later. My brother had to at 8, which is more painful, 2 newphews at age 6, cousins children, etc. At this day in age, EVERYONE now circumcises their newborn baby boy. Yes, it is painful in the beginning, but they will not remember. I have three boys, 17, 12, and 8. It is sanitary, and less doctors visits for infections. If you keep the skin, you would constantly have to pull it back after each diaper change to clean it. And whose to say after potty training that your son will clean up well. Just follow your docs instructions on how to help it heal and he will be ok. Newborns spend most of their time sleeping the first month. Circumcision heals within a couple of weeks. I chose not to be there when it was done. I am glad I wasn't.
I never did my boys I found it to be totally unnessesary because I have no religious obligation to do it... I couldn't bare to put them in that pain.... I know many people say it's not painful but I think it is and it looks very sore while healing.... God gave men fore skin for a reason didn't he?
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