How Do You Feel About Circumcision?

No, I do not recommend it. There is no medically necessary reason for doing it. It is a tradition without substance.

We chose not to do it because it's not medically necessary and I found a lot more reasons not to do it than to do it. Interestingly I just read this article about it the other day:

http://ecochildsplay.com/2010/10/01/will-the-aap-refuse-t...

My husband was circumcised and I think my MIL thought we were nuts not to do it, but I really saw no reason to subject my son to pain even if some people claim he won't remember it.

There are many men out there who still suffer negative effects of circumcision. There was a health reason for doing it in the past, but doing it now just BECAUSE is not sound. Daily baths and much less painful and much less traumatic. I personally don't see the difference between male and female circumcision.

This question was just asked a day or two ago. If you want to see how people feel about it, there are 48 answers!
Also, I find it funny that someone has told you to ignore the nay-sayers...isn't that what you are asking? How everyone feels about it? Then, you are going to get some "yes's" and some "no's". That's just the way it is.
I did a big long answer to the last question, so I am going to "try" and make this short.
It is not medically necessary. I don't recommend it. TMI ALERT! I have NEVER been with a man that is circumsized, they have all been intact. My husband is intact and I have no problem giving him oral sex. It doesn't look "wierd or gross". It doesn't smell funky. I enjoy it! (so does he). Please don't take that into consideration AT ALL.
Your son doesn't need to look like his father. There are probably going to be a lot of things that your son gets from you and I highly doubt you are going to do plastic surgery so he looks like his father, how ridiculous would that sound, right?
I have two son's (ages 8 and 5). I did not circumsize either one. It is soooo simple to teach a child how to bath (honey, did you pull your skin back?). We teach our daughter's how to properly wash their vaginas, what's the difference with teaching our son's how to properly wash their penises? Geez, it's just a fact of life.
I know nothing about preemies.
I just wouldn't wack, cut, surgically remove (whatever you choose to call it) a piece of my son's body off if there is NO REASON TO DO IT!
L.
ADDED: Got this off of Men's Health.

In the United States 25 years ago, the vast majority of men were circumcised, but today a minority of infants are circumcised. Circumcision rates have been falling in the United States since the 1970s. In the 1980s, over 80% of newborn male infants were circumcised. By 2007, when the most recent data from the American Academcy of Pediatrics was released, less than 40% of newborn male infants were circumcised, meaning that of boys born today in the United States, more are uncircumcised and circumcised.

Circumcision rates vary widely by region in the United States. In the midwest and southeast, circumcision rates remain as high as 65%, while in the western united states, circumcision rates are generally well below 25%.

How do I feel about circumcision...I feel it's unnecessary.
We did not have my son circumcised 1. because his father is not and 2. because it is just not necessary. I personally had heard too many horror stories about how wrong the proceedure went that I choose not to put my little one through it.
I'm sure you'll make the best choice for your son. It really is a personal decision.

You will get a lot of people attacking you on this site for this, so please do not buy into all that. First off, male circumcision is not even close to female genital mutilation. Whether or not to have it done is a very personal choice for your family. They use pain killers and they do not tie your child down. When my sons had it done they were brought back in 30 minutes sleeping and never had any issues with it. We choose to have it done because it is cleaner, and yes, we wanted them to look like dad. And also, I have to realize that one day my boys will want to have sex. I lived in the UK for while, and I have seen a few uncut penises. They just seem less clean and often have a smell. I do not think i could ever bring myself to preform oral on an uncut man. That may be my own bias, but my boys will encounter woman who feel the same way I do in their adult lives I am sure.]
But I would never say someone is good or bad for doing or not doing it, in the end it is your choice, and if you choose not to cut he may choose to later. Although, I know one boy who decided to have it done at age 12, and it was not nearly as easy on him as it had been on my 2 day old.

We had our son circumcised. I left it up to my husband as well. I was for it, he was hesitant. All of the boys in my family are, so I believed that's how it is suppose to be. In my mind, I wanted to avoid the "teasing in the locker room" and such too. My husband was more afraid of them screwing it up. Men and their "equipment" at any age is a sensitive subject, so I think we can't win no matter what we say or do. In the end it all worked out just fine. It's a total preference... so ultimately it's up to you. Get a piece of paper and write down reasons to do it and reasons not to do it. Don't feel pressured to do either one... You're the mama! Good Luck!!!

Circumcision is not medically necessary but most boys born in the US are circumcised because either it is a custom/tradition for some or for the vast majority of them it is something you just do because 'others are doing it'.
We didn't wish to put our newborn through all that pain/suffering so we decided not to get it done. It is also not a 'now or never' procedure. If needed, it can be done in the future as well. It is a vey personal preference and my only advise to you is that don't just do it because others are doing it.

i watched a couple videos of it being done on youtube.com and i didnt want it done. my fiance is, and naturally wanted his son to look the same way. so i agreed to have it done, but wanted him there when they did it because it was kind of emotional. well, my fiance couldnt be there and in between being doped up from the pain meds they did it anyways because we'd given the go-ahead prior. our doctor didnt take enough skin when they did it the 1st time and want to do it again when he's 6 months old. i flat-out refused, i wont put him through that again. that of course is my preference, your's maybe different and totally your decision. just know it is an elective procedure and some insurance wont cover it because it's not mandatory.

note to G.- many people say they do it for cleanly purposes. well, thats exactly why alot of cultures do genital manipulation on females. and our country looks at female genital manipulation as a crime against humanity. fact- females get urinary tract infections 10 times more often than males do. it doesnt make sense to me personally. and i wish i hadnt agreed to having my son's done at all!

Wow. I am SO impressed with all the responses you have received. I wish I had been that fortunate when I asked the same question about 1.5 to 2 years ago. I was pregnant with my second child and fairly certain it was a baby boy (my first was a little girl and the thought about her being a little boy never even crossed my mind).

We opted NOT to circ. I did a ton of research online. Some of the materials are really extreme, and a bit over the top, but I was able to find some balanced views and information. I did not realize what an integral part of the anatomy it was and exactly how much it was related to sexuality and those types of intimate experiences. Daddy is circed (which is common for our age group) but we did not feel that was a good enough reason to do it. The final thing that did it for me was watching a circ on Utube (it is amazing what is available there...). I could not bear to inflict that kind of pain on my infant child.

If, when our son gets older, he wants it removed, we will support that decision, but I really want it to be within his control and his choice when he is ready.

I wish you luck with your decision. Either way, it is very personal for both you, the Father and the baby.

~C.

We didn't circ. our son. My husband is circ'd, but he said, for some reason, he was a little older, maybe 2? It became infected, and he still remembers it. So he was dead set against it. It's not recommended by the AAP, and there is no medical need. I don't believe in it, and feel that, if God wanted boys to be born without foreskins, he would have created them that way ;) Babies do feel pain, and it is a part of their body that you're removing. I recommend you do some research first, either way. When I was researching it myself, I came across photos of what they actually do, and that settled it for me. I've also heard nurses who perform circs tell me that, if parents really knew how it was done, and how much the baby cried, they wouldn't do it. If you do decide to do it, please go with your son, so that you can comfort him as much as you can, and nurse him right away, which helps them deal with pain. Good luck.

P.S. Saw someone's post below about having to get a circ fixed. I know SEVERAL (at least 4) people who have had this, or a similar issue with their son, where they have to later fix something about the circ.

I am all for it as is my husband. We have a son and had him circumsized. It didn't bleed that much and healed very quickly. It's a personal preference and also in some cases, a religious one. Do what YOU think is right :)

my two boys are NOT circumsized. my husband felt very strongly that he did not want it done. i really had no opinion on the matter so i let him decide. i'm not sure if they can circ a preemie, they might be too small, you might have to have a follow-up visit to have it done, i don't remember. it is becoming more popular to not circ, but it is a personal choice. my sister-in-law is a NICU nurse and has told us all sorts of stories of a circ gone wrong, but you will find those stories about everything. good luck with your decision.

I am against it. Who are humans to alter God's creation of a baby boy? My husband and sons are not circumcised, and there's never been any problem.

Don't know what would be considered the correct time for a preemie, so be sure to ask your pediatrician. My grandson was circumcised with no complications, though my feelings at the time were "OUCH!!!"

There are very compelling arguments on both sides of this issue, medical, social, and psychological. Though I lean slightly in favor, there's no single answer that is going to be the right one in every case. I hope you'll find the decision that works best for your son and your family.

My mother works in a surgery center and every week has several men come in to get it done. The main reason is recurring infections and pain. Just something to put in your brain when contemplating. She said they are usually in pain after the procedure. My son didn't seem to be bothered at all. I was scared, but, it didn't bother him for me to put the vaseline on and change his diaper.

wow, some people have strong feelings on this subject. Its a very personal choice and i don't see anything wrong with either choice.
We did have our son circumcised and he was a micro-preemie (born at 27 weeks gestation). They didn't do the circ right away - they waited until much closer to when his due-date would have been. But it is possible. And he did wonderful and healed great and i'm sure even now doesn't remember a second of it.
We had our OB do the procedure because the NICU nurses said she had a reputation of doing great circs.
My good friend did have a complication with her son's and it just had to be "fixed" at 11 months of age. He needed general anesthetic and is a bit sore but is already doing ok. But i've heard that complications like that are rare.
Good luck on your choice. And congrats on your little boy :)

I'm for it. It was good enough for my husband and it's fine for my son. They did it the day after he was born in the hospital and he healed up within a few days.

I left this one up to my husband b/c the day will come when he will need to do the explaining about how things work. The doctor was clear on the fact that it is common practice, but not necessary. We had our son circumscised and it needed to be done a second time before we left the hospital, but he doesn't remember any of it!

If hubby and I had a boy we would have done it. Why because that's what is the "norm" in our families. But we had two girls and didn't have to worry about it. On the other hand, hubby's sister's kid who will be 14 this month had it done and then had it done again to correct or attempt to correct the stub. The Dr's took to much off. This is the horror story that can happen and did. If your unsure then I wouldn't do it.

I don't know about preemie but I like the fact of a child getting circumcised. They say whatever the father is, the son should be... I "personally" think it looks better as well.

My son had no problem with it. I'm sure he cried during the procedure, he was only 2 days old. But there were no complications. Just some vaseline, and it didn't seem to bother him again. If I have any other sons, they will be circumcised too.

I can answer the preemie question for you - My grandson was 6 weeks premature, and the hospital where he was in NICU wouldn't do it on him. If you want it done, ask your doctor about it, as it may be different there. My daughter had to take him back to her OB to have it done when he got out of NICU. For her the choice involved this: Her hubby is NOT, and he is diabetic and tends to get yeast infections there and has a hard time clearing them up, so he really wanted the baby to be circ'd. No prob once it was done, he was a little cranky for about 24 hours after, but then was fine. For the record, my 2 sons are also.

Dear G., My last son was 5 1/2 weeks early. My doctor waited a few weeks befor circumcising him. It is much easier to keep clean. Baby cries but I'm sure he will not remember it. The worst is when it is done to an older child or a man. Grandma Mary (mom of 5)

I had it done for my son when he was born without question. He was seemingly unbothered by it really. It was easy to care for, and no problems. My soon was 5 weeks early and in the NICU, and they did it for him. I guess it would depend on how young of a preemie. Ask your Dr. I would hate to not get it done and have my son question me at an older age when he is bothered by the extra skin, or uneasiness from female partners, etc. Was an easy decision although I was concerned for my itty bitty baby.

Our experience was fine. My husband was circumcised. We did so for my son too. He was a few weeks early, not a 'preemie' but he was 5 lbs 15 oz born at 36 weeks. Dr (pediatrician) came in when he was just a day old and took care of it at the hospital. I was glad to do it then, as the nurses (with their trained eyes) could keep an eye on it in case it got infected or if something wrong happened with it all. No problem whatsoever. Talk to the pediatriican you have picked and ask their opinions on it.

My son is circumcised. We chose to do that because his father is, and it does reduce the risk of urinary tract infections in baby boys.
That's not to say it's an easy procedure. They do provide pain relief, but it still hurts when the numbing meds wear off. Unfortunately, my son was circumcised in the hospital on the first morning my husband went home to shower and get fresh clothes. I had a c-section incision, massive amounts of breastmilk leaking all over, and a bad case of postpartum depression. They brought him back to me after it was done and he was crying horribly. I couldn't get him calm, I couldn't get out of bed(he was in my arms), and I ended up with him in my arms, crying just as hard as him. Thankfully, a nurse heard us and came in to the rescue.

Hi G.:

To answer your question - "Do you recommend it?" No, I don't. My perception of circumcision is that it is trauma to the physical body and the individual's emotions. Any experience we have is recorded within our cells, memories, organs and so on, which could potentially mean that the trauma can live on for a long time. If it is was a pleasurable experience, babies would smile or laugh in joy when it happens, instead they cry out in extreme pain.

I wish you all the best with your decision.

N.
Founder/Organic Mommy and Baby Healthcare Solutions
http://www.WholeCreations.com