Just had a boy - do I circumsize?

 Both of my boys are uncircumcised, but my husband and I still have disagreements about the matter. As a mother, and a woman who grew up in a family of girls, I still get nervous sometimes about properly taking care of it or hurting them. The fact of the matter is, is there is simply not enough preparation and education about it out there. You are quoted statistics about how it's not necessary, but you are not usually instructed about the proper care and just what to expect. 

 It's not all about how "hygienic"  a country you live in. Problems can happen where ever you live and however clean you are, circumcised or not. It really is a matter of choice - what you think would be best for your child and family. Circumcision is not butchering and not circumcising is not disgusting. 

 And as far as other guys or girls having a problem with how it looks, they shouldn't be looking then. In sexual activity I don't think there is much of a difference in looks anyway. But if a girl won't be with someone not circumcise for anything but religious reasons, well, then in my opinion they don't need to be with that person. You need to find someone who is going to love you for who you are and nothing else. 

Well I have 5 boys and with boy no 1 I was heavily pressured by my mil mainly, but I also had stupid people telling me ''to do the right thing for his girlfriends sake' and more stupid me for listening. I really regret  it now.

When my second son was born I thought  I would just have to get it done because my first boy was done. Luckily I had somebody to convince me that it didnt matter.

So I have my oldest boy circed and 4 younger ones uncirced. I dont think it really matters that much about them being different, You just have to explain what a foreskin is and why they have one and their dad and brother don't. But I think all new parents of a boy need to consider carefully and not just do it because it will look a certain way or because what other people will think.

I think to have it done "just so the baby looks like there dad" is a disgusting excuse. Does it really matter if father and son have different penises?? Boys are born with a foreskin, why fix whats not broken? If there is a medical condition or foreskin problems run in the family then yes i agree to do it. If there is no medical problem why would you want to put this newborn baby in so much pain? I FOUND THIS  Even with the plastibell method, the glans and the foreskin of the penis have to be forcibly separated (ie torn from each other) for the bell to be inserted beneath the forskin - and given how many nerve endings are in the foreskin I can only imagine that would be incredibly painful without anaesthetic.

If the baby had an infection i think treat it before circimsicing. Or does that mean if a female gets thrush her flaps should be cut cut?? Sorry but this gets me really upset. If parents reallyw ant to get it done i think they should wait until the child is old enough for pain releif.

I am so glad the trend is changing. If it is not medically necessary then it shouldn't be done. I agree with that in all operations especially for children.

 I have two boys, and this was a very interesting discussion with me and my wife. I grew up in NZ and the UK, where to the best of my knowledge, most do not circumcise unless for medical or religous reasons. In America, most just have it done, as it's pretty much a tradition: everybody else has it done, everybody else has always had it done, so I will too. Many claim cleanliness as a reason over here, but come on! It's the West, people. These days we are hygenic, and if your son knows how to clean himself, there should be no reason to do it.

As a non-circumcised man, I wanted my sons to look like me. It'll be easier to describe body parts if it all looks the same. And I hold that for the other side too- go with whatever the father is. 

For me, I pretty much was told I was a bad father and hurting my child by not having this done. This came from the church, medical practitioners, family and friends. There was a lot of peer pressure and negativity surrounding my unborn son's penis.

Neither of my two sons got circumcised, and we never really had a problem. The only slight problem was with the younger one got a little ooze once, when his foreskin started retracting, but hadn't gone all the way. This was uncomfortable during diaper changes for a few days, and really pained us as parents. But we kept them clean, and taught them how to clean themselves, and they're fine.

Either way you decide to go, I applaud you for being good enough parents to research this and find out the best path to take for your children and your family. Stand strong, and don't take crap from anybody.

Peace,

-firebrand

It's wrong, damned wrong, severely, completely and utterly senseless, useless and cruel. If there is a medical reason (usually infection, which can be avoided anyway) then by all means. However, no, just no.

I did just because my husband is, and he wanted all three of our boys to "look" like him.  He thought that it would be easier to explain how the body works if they were all the same.

I agree with GillLP, you are made to feel guilty. My nephew isn't circumize and his mother gave me such a hard time about our boys. Altough when he turned 5 she decided to have him cirumsized for hygine. I feel bad that he had to go through it now than when he was a baby.

I'm also from Perth (like Rachel), and I found the antenatal classes were heavily biased against circumcision. There was no balance at all. So for those of us for whom it was a religious decision, we were left with a choice of guilt, whichever way we chose to go.

IMHO please wait until your child is old enough to make the dicission himself.

They outlawed female circumcission for a reason. They should do the same for males it is mutilation with out consent. Do you really want your son to be changing at the pool or something and realise he is the only boy who looks different.

THE PENIS CAN BE TOTALY CUT OFF IN THIS PROCEDURE

I struggled with this for a while.  I did a lot of research and what I came up with is. 

Pro's:

May provide protection against STD's --no definitive proof --; Will reduce the odds of penile cancer;  one more to come later.

Con's

It will hurt - no doubt but I went through it and don't remember anything from when I was an infant still it will hurt but so does getting a little girl's ears pierced; It is surgery there is risk, a risk that can be avoided.

What sold me was a forum I stumbled across of older men who had been uncircumsized but for one reason or another had to have it done.  These were guys in their 20's 30's 40's and 50's who all said contrary to what people (women and uncut men) would have you believe is that the sex was actually better after the circ than before.  Better sensation yep from guys that had, had it both ways.  Being that I have always been totally satisfied with my sex life and sensations I decided to have my son done.

There are reasons good/bad to do it and not to do it.  In the end it is a judgement call.  Again as a "cut" guy I am completely satisfied with my body, and am glad my parents cared enough to make a choice.  The fact that you are asking this question or reading these forums shows that whatever choice you make will be the right choice, because you care.  Good luck Parents.               

YES YES YES ...Alot of people are against it these days so just decide by yourself, and I dont care but you try to tell a little boy to clean it properly and they will ..yeah right even when there older they can clean it all they want but when its hot and they get sweaty down there its not good ..smelly  ...(my partner before was not done) not good..

my son was done he was born on 24.10.04 he was small and sick so we held of to have it done as this is what we wanted to do and his dad was done my brother and my own father also was done so we wanted the same for him even though my hubbys cousins son didnt come out of it to well they ended up cuting a small part of the head of his penis off wasnt good its ok now though and even knowing this it didnt change my mind...I live in NSW and went to sydney to see about having it done a 5 hour drive from home to be told that they dont do it anymore unless it was our religion or medically or I payed $1500 or more to have it done I was devistated so when we got home I went looking on the internet about it and found a website www.circumcision.com.au a doctor terry russell from around the brisbane area QLD so I rang and they got me in within 3 weeks of ringing it was on the 6.6.06 so my son was a bit older than I had like him to be but the girls at the surgery and doctor russell were lovely I recommend him to anyone needing to have this procedure done they do it with a plastic bell they call it so that way there is no stitching they gave him a shot of something to calm him down took him away I never heard a cry come out of the room 10 to 20 mins later they brought him out and he was fine and in a matter of 3 weeks it was perfect  the bell falls off on its own ,he had a little discomfort when trying to wee as it got better only a couple of times he would cry when weeing but it wasnt  to bad, I followed his instructions and everything went fine and he hasnt looked back ...so if I have another son I know where I will be heading too hopfully I wont have to wait as long to get it done, if I have a boy next I will be booking in asap ...It cost me about $600 to have it done but got alot back through medicare not that it mattered as I wanted it done anyway...and it was a lot better than $1500 odd dollars ... if anyone wants any details about this doctor  please let me know I will be happy to help out I told him if I had another boy I will be back.....no worries...

I have 3 boys and they are all done ,my husband was done at an older age due to medical reasons as he had alot of problems peeing and was alot more traumatic for him  and his parents as it had to be done with surgery.

When our 1st son was born we went to a local GP and he said here in our Nth Queensland  tropical climate it is best he explained to us that in the war the Australian men did not suffer as many infections  as other soldiers from other countries due to the lack of showering and personal hygene as most were circumcised .

When we had our youngest son done (now 6 )it was harder to find a DR that would do it (especially in Mackay anyway)so my advice is that if you wish to have your son circumcised and know you are having a boy to find a GP that will do the circumcision before your son is due as the procedure has to be done within the 1st 10 days of birth.

hi guys

i have 2 boys and they havn't been done,i didn't want them to go thru un necessary pain.it was never an option when they were born.if they want to get it done when they are older then we will look at it then but for now i am happy with my decision

they don't like to do them anymore so it must be fine to be uncircumcised.

I have two boys ages 6 and 2 and neither of them are circumcised as i just don't think that now days it's necessary. There is so much more awareness now about how to look after the foreskin and i have found that by making my son aware ( the 6 year old) of why he needs to clean it and by making it a part of his bath routine it just isn't an issue for him. He doesn't see it as either a chore or an embarresment as we just don't make a big deal of it, it's just another part of his body that he needs to keep clean. There is constantly news items either in the paper or on the news discussing the for's and against's but there has never been any real evidence that it needs to be done and until there is i just don't see how anyone can justify putting their beautiful newborn baby through such horrible pain. UNLESS as others have said that they have had it done for medical reasons as that is obviously necessary. Just my 2 cents!!

Amanda. 

We decided not to circumcise my boy after realising that it can't be done unless you pay big dollars to have it done as a "cosmetic procedure".  And learning of some of the horrific things that can go wrong - and they do go wrong!

Unfortunately when he was 18 months old it became apparant that his foreskin was tightly fused to the head of his penis, and we had to have him circumcised.

After seeing the pain he went through as an older boy having the procedure, I still would not circumcise a new born next time around.  What Jayden went through was unfortunate, but if a man learns to take care of his foreskin (I mean come on men, who of you dont?) its a regular part of a mans body.  Why remove it?

After all the trauma of being born, why the hell would you then go and slice a part of their little baby bodies off?  It should be illegal.

Louise

Have you seen the medical science saying unsnipped men have a higher chance of contacting HIV? If that's the only straw on the camel's back I think it weighs enough to break it and would cause you to lean towards having it done. Take my word for it- he won't remember a thing. And years later when he asks why, you can tell him it was for his own good.

My kids are both adults.So I'm not a young MUM.Hope that's OK.I think this procedure should be done.A lot of germs can get caught under the skin if not cleansed properly .I personally think it's looks better.I've asked my kids about this ( son-daughter ) and they agree.

regards Bianka