Need Advice on Pain Relief for Circumcision!

My son had the plastibell proceedure on his 8th day of life. the Dr (who is also a trained Mohel...Jewish ritual circumciser) gave my son two tiny Lidocane injections at the base of his penis just before the proceedure and a type of sugary stuff that my son sucked off my finger during his Bris. Right afterwards, he got tylenol and did so every four hours around the clock. There was no need for vaseline with the plastibell at all but you do need to clean the incision/plastibell area with water/peroxide (50/50) solution at diaper changes to keep it clean.

Moms...it frustrates me as I read some of your responses that say that B.'s son could decide later in life to be circumcised if he chooses. Though this is technically true, it is quite an ignorant and flip statement as circumcision as an infant is quick, and rapidly healing and as an adult is much more painful, SIGNIFICANT SURGERY and with much, much higher risk for complication and longer healing. I agree that circumcision is not a decision to take lightly. As a Jew, I chose to but after MUCH consideration. And honestly, the day of his bris was quite traumatic for me. However, if a mother has chosen to circumcise her son, has explored pros vs cons, and seeks SUPPORT from this site with her decision, she should get that; not ignorance and guilt-trips.

Good luck B.!

Ladies, the request was for advice of pain relief, not for opinions on whether to do it or not. Please stick to the subject at hand.
B., my son did not fuss at all after his circ. Are you nursing? You can nurse him for comfort right away if you are. My opinion is that you can give it after if he is fussy but I hate to see meds given if they are not needed.
I hope it goes well for you!

B.,
I'm a nurse and Tylenol will NOT thin the blood, so he should be ok with it. He's too young for Motrin yet though. As for someone else stating that the only thing that uncircumcized boys/males are at risk for is increased urinary tract infections... that's not all... they're also at increased risk of cancer (and that's not the only thing). Good luck with the procedure.

Ibuprofic can cause a lack of blood clotting, so don't use that. Stick with Tylenol.

Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization both say circumcision are against routine circumcision?
Most parents don't research this procedure before choosing it, I know I didn't. My husband insisted not doing it, so I went with it. I just a couple of months ago did some research.
I highly recommend all parents research it and make a decision then. As a parent of 4 boys who are intact (not my decision) I can honestly tell you that it is not more work and they are not harder to clean, there is no cleanliness issue. And my teens have said there are no locker room issues, because noone wants to be called gay for looking at their parts. (my boys also don't spend any time thinking about their dad's parts and being different, lol)

There are reasons to do it, though, that is why I suggest researching it, so you know the pros and cons both ways. I would have had it done, but my boys all say they are very glad we didn't.

My son is not circumcised, but I do know that Motrin can thin the blood and cause more bleeding. To be safe, ask your doctor if you should administer anything before just doing it. You wouldn't want to put him in any jeopardy.

when my son had it done i gave him tyelnol first before then afterwards mortin the doctor told me switch back and forth between them very four to six hours

My son never showed any signs of it bothering him. He also got his later and the only thing is he seemed to sleep a lot afterwards for the next couple of days. Also just make sure you keep the vasaline on it as much as possible that way it doesn't stick to the diaper. And change him often anytime he even feels a little wet that way it won't sting. But if you have enough vasaline on it, he shouldn't feel much. Trust me it hurts you worse then it hurts him.

My boys never had any problem with it either. The worse was when they secured their hands and feet. I will warn you that if you are in the room you will cry. I wouldn't be in the room with them. I don't think I could have handled it.

Before giving him anything ahead of time, check and make sure they aren't planning on giving him some there. They would have better stuff then over the counter and you don't want to over dose him. Might also request that they numb the area, if they will. I know they claim babies don't feel pain but as mothers we all know that to be untrue.

We gave tylenol the day of the circumcision and that was all. My sons was done when he was 9 months due to other medical issues. I think it is very important to put on the ointment afterwards to prevent sticking to the diaper. Good Luck

I am a nurse and at my facility we give babies the liquid baby Tylenol right after the procedure. I wouldn't medicate before hand, unless that is what your MD has recommended.

My son was about that same age maybe a little older when he had his done due to being 6 weeks premature. We gave him tylenol right before the procedure so that it would be in effect after the procedure was finished and that worked well because by the time he was done the medicine had kicked in and he took a well needed nap. Bring with a favorite blanket or something that he likes to be cuddled with. Also stock up on a few tubes of bacitracin(sp) so that he doesn't stick to his diaper. Good luck B..
J.

My son seemed to not even notice he was circumcised. At the time of the procedure, they usually give the babies sugar pacifiers (it's supposed to be very calming to them). They also usually give them a local injection to help with pain too. He really didn't seem to care about the procedure though. I hope it goes well for your son as well.

I read about the traditional Jewish circumcision ceremony (which happens when the child is 8 days old) and some people actually give the child a little wine. I'm sure it's not any more than a teaspoon or so... probably no more alcohol than is in children's Tylenol I would guess (and probably safer without the added drugs). I'm not trying to say to get your baby drunk, but it is something I've heard is done.

I'm sure the tylenol would help, just check to make sure that he can have it before. My son was circumcised before we left the hospital and was given tylenol after. I do give my kids tylenol before having shots. It is a good idea, just check to be on the safe side.

My son was 8 1/2-9 months old when he was circumsized and they told me before they did it, that they were going to give him some tylenol . Once we got home, I altered tylenol & motrin every 3 hours, thats what they told me. I hope I was able to help.

Susie

Don't freak out when you see him after the circ. It truly looks worse than it is. I'm the lucky mommy of 3 boys- each have had this done- and it will bother you more than it does him. Tylenol will be a good thing to do, be sure to ask the doc the correct doseage. I think the worst part for him will be being away from you and being held down. At least that was what was the worst for my guys. He'll probably need some quality cuddle-time afterwards and will most likely sleep a lot. And suddenly, 7 days later, after keeping it treated the way the doc advises, its all healed and you wouldn't be able to tell. Best of luck.

Have u Thought of not having him circumcised. I didn't have my son done for that same reason. Why put them threw that when it really doesn't need to be done. The only medical thing is that a circumcised boy is 10% less likely to get a urinary tract infection. His father is circumcised and has no problems with him not.

If you go threw with it good luck with the pain I would defanatly give him tylenol before and after , it helped when my son got his shots, and give it every 4 hours for as long as your son needs it.

When our son had his circumcision done, he was 4 weeks old. The doctor advised to use Tylenol or regular Motrin - 2 hours prior to the actual procedure, and every 4 hours afterward. (Follow the directions for dosage based on baby's weight). I was scared that my little guy would be in a lot of pain, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Plus, in the after care of the genital area, use lots of petroleum jelly to keep the area moist to avoid pain. They heal very quickly, which also helps! I hope this helps! It did for my boy. He's now 21 months old.

I know you cannot give Motrin (or any Ibuprofen) to a baby that young. Ask the doctor, or give him Tylenol if it makes you feel better. My son was fine, but he was a day and a half old when he had this done. The good thing at this age is that they don't remember it, but WE do! :)

We didn't give anything before the procedure but we gave Tylenol after it was done and both boys did fine. We didn't do more than one dose and after that wore off there weren't any problems.

Our son was circumsized before he left the hospital, and I know they injected a local anesthetic before the procedure was done. He did not require any pain management afterwards - he nursed quite frequently from the start, and that seemed to help him through the first couple of days.

Good luck!

I've had circumcisions done in two different states, and in both cases, the most pain he felt was the anesthetic they gave him before the procedure. Neither of them seemed particularly bothered--not fussy, or cranky, or anything--following the circumcision, and I wouldn't have hesitated to give them Tylenol had they seemed fussy afterwards. Are they not using a local anesthetic?

When my son was circumcised we did not give him any meds beforehand, but had Tylenol in the diaper bag for afterward "just in case." They numb him up for the procedure, so there really shouldn't be pain during. (Although he will probably scream from being held down and not knowing what is going on.) I can't remember if we ever used the Tylenol afterwards, but if we did it was just once. All in all, he was more sleepy than anything else afterward. The best aftercare I found was just to nurse, swaddle, and comfort him (and of course apply the vaseline etc. that they will inform you of.) Good luck!

My son was circumcised in the hospital when he was a day old. The doctor gave him some Tylenol before the procedure, and that was it. He did just fine. Just make sure you use a lot of ointment or vasoline (whichever they tell you to use, I can't remember for sure), to make sure there's not sticking to the diaper and of course keep it really clean, and you shouldn't have any problems, your son will be fine.

B.,
I did not read all of the responses you got so far, so maybe you already heard this, but unless your doctor said otherwise, babies are not supposed to get Motrin/IBuprofin until they are 6 months old. Tylenol would be a better bet.
Good luck!
J.

I had my son circumcised when he was still in the hospital from birth and they assured me that he wouldn't really feel it and he'd be fine. I had no chance to give him anything and wouldn't anyway at 2 days old. He really did seem fine afterwards. I hate to medicate if I don't need to. If your doc says not to and you trust him, then listen to him. Otherwise, call the nurse at the doctor's office and ask if Tylenol may be used before the appt. I understand that this is a scary event for you, but your little one will be fine! Make sure that you have regular Vaseline at home and small gauze patches. The doc will explain how to care for him afterwards - the healing is QUICK!

Hi, My name is L.. I have given both my boys tylenol after they were circumcised. The nurse at the hosptial told me to do that. So think if thats what you want to do go ahead and do it.

Hi,
My one year old son just had surgery for his hypospadias (basically he peed to the side and the hole was in the wrong place) and they needed to wait to do a circumcision until the procedure (needed the extra skin). With our procedure they knocked him out and gave him pain medication. Afterwards we gave him tylenol for a day and that was about it. You will be surprised how fast those little ones bounce back and how resistant they are to pain. Good luck!!

My son had the plastibel style procedure as well. With this type you don't need the gauze and ointment because the plastic "bell" covers him so the diaper will not stick. My son was most upset being away from us and being held down. He stopped crying fairly quickly after the procedure. I don't recall giving him anything afterwards. He had his usual nap afterwards and I didn't notice him being in any pain. You can ask the doctor how to keep the plastibel clean and what type of pain meds you can use but he'll most likely be just fine. It is very hard on you to hear him crying and not be able to go to him though...so be prepared for that.

We also only did one dose of tylenol after my son had it done before he went to bed that nite and he was just fine after that. It didnt seem to bother him at all. It looks painful, but he never fussed about it. Im sure your son will be just fine.

I didn't give my son anything for his circumcision, but they did it the day after his was born and didn't tell me to give him anything.
I did however, give my son some baby tylenol after his 2 week shots to help with that pain. I know people who have given their little babies tylenol BEFORE the shots too.

Both my sons were circumcised and they were given nothing for pain relief. Neither appeared to be as bothered by it as I was. Just make sure to put the ointment/gel on until it heals so there's no sticking to the diaper and your son should be just fine.

When my 2 sons got circumcised, when they were a day old, the nurses gave them tylenol before the procedure.

My son was cercumcised in the hospital and when they brought him back to my room he didn't seem bothered by it at all. He just peed on my doctor after he was done. All I did was put a little vasaline on the circ site when I changed his diaper until it looked like the area was healed. So really I don't think tylenol is really needed but it won't hurt.

Wow- I am surprised they did not do this right away. We gave our son the recommended dose (ask your Dr.) of tylenol right afterwards and did a couple doses. Be sure to keep plenty of vasaline on the area so his pee pee does not stick to the diaper. That is more painful than the actual pee pee. My son healed fast but we did applications at every diaper change!
Best of luck to you.
Tam

Absolutely. I gave my son Tylenol about an hour before and then about 4 hours after.

Don't give Motrin prior to the procedure as that can increase bleeding. I'd just wait & see how he does afterwards, & give him Tylenol if needed.

Our doctor also used the Plastibell, but also numbed the baby before the procedure. We gave our son Tylenol as needed (when he was fussy for no known reason) until the Plastibell came off. It probably wouldn't hurt if you would give your son Tylenol prior to the procedure, but be sure to let the doctor know.

They gave stuff to my sons when they were circumsized. But call and ask if you should give him motrin or tylenol, and how long before the circumcision you should give it to them. Also make sure they tell you and demonstrate how to care for it. I have to get my 4 year old circ done again cuz they did not tell me that I should push it back at every change of diapers. The second one went great had a different doc and was a male so he knew how to take care of it. Hope this helps

I'm not sure on pain relief, but I just have to ask...
You do know that it's no longer medically necessary?
We left it be (he can take it off if he wants to but he can't put it back on) and later read it's supposed to be better sexually (basically built in lube with the extra skin. I can find this website if you are interested. It was VERY informative!) and we had much better luck getting pee in the potty (the skin help point it down and in) than our friends who did choose circ.

Letting your son soak in a warm bath with Activated/Medical grade Charcoal Powder should help speed the healing process. See www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com for more information on the healing benefits of charcoal powder.

Hi B.,
You should probably talk with the surgeon or your pediatrician about effective pain management for him. My son was circumsized in the hospital and quite honestly I don't remember what they told me!!
I think that motrin/ibuprofen does have a aspirin quality where it can increase bleeding but I am not positive on that. Also, by talking to the doctor you can get appropriate dosing for him.
Good Luck!!
M.

I wouldn't give him ANYTHING without the doctor's approval and knowledge. What if it interferes with a medication or anesthesia that the doctor uses? Also, some pain medications are blood thinners and not advised before surgery. I would talk to the doctor some more if you are concerned. Good luck with the procedure. (I have two circumcised boys; they were newborns at the time of their procedures, but they recovered quickly and had no complications.)