Circumcision? - Beverly Hills,CA

My father was not circumcized but my two brothers and my husband were. My husband wanted his boys to look like him so I went with that. My father ended up having a lot of problems in his sixties and ended up getting circumcized then. It was so much MORE painful as an adult than anything my three boys went through. My dad's doctor told me that at least HALF of all uncircumcized men end up HAVING to be circumcized as adults for various reasons, so he highly recommended it for infants.

As for the remark about girls getting circumcized, it is BY FAR different than for boys. There is not ONE medical reason to circumcize a girl, there is NO debate. It makes their lives so much MORE at risk for infection and pain throughout their lives because of circumcision whereas it is the opposite for boys. The pain an infant feels is so much less than an adult because their little nerves have not developed as much as an adult's have. Girls are circumsized at ages from 6-12 and it often includes a clitorectomy. There is NO medical reason for that. Bad analogy.

Bottom line, if half of all uncircumcized men end up getting circumcized because they want to or need to, and women overwhelmingly prefer a circumsized helmut to an uncircumcized elephant trunk, why not save everyone a lot of trouble and just do it? JMHO.

A well reserched opinion --

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/circumcision/a...

Hi L.

In my midwife practice, only 5% of parents chose to circumcise.

S.
homebirthwaterbirth.com

This takes me back to a Jewish pediatrician's comments on Phil Donahue several years ago. He had 4 sons who were not circumcised, exclaiming that it was an unnecessary and dangerous surgery in western medicine. He spoke about infants bleeding into their diapers, unnoticed until it was too late. As a widespread practice, circumcision was insisted upon and made popular during the Bible-belt times, "to decrease sensitivity in oversexed males." There is no hygienic reason whatsoever. No comparison and ridicule happens in the shower room in high school. According to the kids of all ages, that is all a myth.

When I explain this in my childbirth prep classes, many parents say they still want their sons to look like their fathers. It is then that I relate that many cultures require young girls to undergo cliterectomies. That usually convinces everyone to leave their sons intact, and say no to circumsicion. Nature never grows extra parts, in flowers, animals or people.

Hi L.:
Times have changed,and many new mothers opted not to circumcise their sons.wether it was for religious reasons,or because research discovered the pain that was involved in the procedure. Half of the boys attending high school now,are not circumcised,and they don't get ridiculed or teased. If your son decides latter,that he'd prefer that.That would be his option.I wish you the best. J.

Hi L. -
My son is NOT circumsized and perfectly healthy. I see circumcision as a form of genital mutilation. Why do it if you don't have to?

Good luck with your new child. - L.

Both of my boys were circumcized. The reason we did it is because if it's not done they are more likely to get bladder infections and other such painful infections. My brother is a doctor so instead of the organizations, I talked to him. You should talk to your pediatrician if you have more questions. They are not going to remember the pain of the circ. at birth, but they will if they need to do it later on! Have fun with your little ones!

I decided not to do a circumcision on my son and I am really happy about it. It is a decision that each person must make for their own child. I always felt strongly about it, but my husband had a lame excuse that he "wanted my son to look like me down there". A lot of our friends chose not to circumcise as well. I look at it as cosmetic surgery (which is also how insurance companies look at it and why the don't cover it) and if my son feels like having this surgery when he is older, he should do so, but I don't feel like it's fair of me to make that decision for him. I also think it's cruel to cut off a part of my child's god-given body right after he was squeezed through a tiny birth canal. My twin brothers who are 29 were not circumcised and when they were about 10-14 they were so angry at my parents because they didn't look like any of their friends. Now they are so happy that they weren't and told me (when I was trying to decide about my son) that they will not circumcise their sons either (if/when they have sons). They also say that they have more sensitivity and pleasure than their friends - more information than you or I needed to know.

When we were at the hospital a few nurses came up to us and told us how happy they were with our decision. They said they see time and time again, parents who make the decision to circumcise without really putting a lot of thought into it. So it is good that you are doing all of the research. Good luck making the decision and with your soon be born son.

Do it for sanitary reasons, one day his wife will thank you!

We had our son circumcised when he was only 2 days old and he did not cry one time (we didn't even give him meds). Although my husband was not in the room at the time (I think he'd had his fair share of blood that week). My dr. told me that either way was fine and it's certainly more common today for boys not to be, but that there is a chance of UTI's and other issues that could even be passed on their partners later in life. In the end, your son should probably look like his dad. Congratulations on the little boy!

My family is Jewish so both our sons our circumcised. I have never been able to decide if I would have forgone it had we not been Jewish. I have heard arguments on both sides, and they both seem compelling. Recently a study came out saying that circumcised men have less a chance of contracting HIV, but I'm sure they'll have another study that opposes that and shows it not to be true.

If you should decide to do it, I would highly recommend you use a Mohel instead of doing it in the hospital. A Mohel is a Jewish Rabbi who is trained in the art of cirumcision. The one we used was also a surgeon (http://www.ebris.com/). If you're anywhere in California, he will come to you. The reason for a Mohel is they do it more humanely than what would happen in the hospital. It is true they strap the baby down in the hospital, and nobody can comfort the baby while it is being done. Not so with a Mohel.

Decide from your heart.
Take care,
B.

you asked for opinions from real moms, so here goes...i find it bizarre that we are able to choose to have this procedure done to another human  being. we are not asked if we would like to amputate any other part of an infants body, and if we were to, i wonder how long it would be before child protective services came knocking on our door. it is a trauma, no matter which way you look at it. and it has no medical necessity. i think it violates human rights, as well as being a sexual violation. oh, and nearly 100% of erectile dysfunction occurs in men who have been circumcised. go figure.

I have 2 boys, 4 1/2 yr and 9 mo. old. We did not circumcise them. I am very happy that we did not circumcise. I was not informed about circumcision as I should have been beforehand, but I had a husband that was against circumcision, even though he was circumcised. So I did my own research and found that it was not necessary, and right for our family.

I also found that it is a touchy subject with most people, especially my family/siblings:) They are for circumcision, due to needing to look like everyone else around them, and that it looks ugly or is not the 'norm'. But what is normal? It's whatever you make it. I believe the decision should be made by reasons of medical, religious, or your "gut" feeling, not because it is the 'norm' or for cosmetic reasons.

My husband was circumcised and he was mad that he was. He felt that it was unfair that he did not get to make that decision.

I believe that your body and brain remember everything good and bad that has happened to you. So, the babies may not remember the actual event, but their unconscious remembers. It may not hurt him in the long run, though, but it may. I also wonder that if it hurts so much as a 9 year old, or 70 year old, why it wouldn't hurt a baby that was just born? I understand that the recovery is usually better and faster with an infant, but the actual cutting is just the same, and maybe worse for the infant, if they are not properly numb or under anesthesia, as they would be for an older boy or man.

This is an important decision. Good for you for researching and asking questions. Good Luck in finding the right decision for you and your family.

What type of family portrait would you take where people would know if your boys matched their father? A pretty wacky one! :-) LOL

We didn't do it because we figured it was painful and if boys aren't supposed to have it, they wouldn't be born with it. To assume they feel no pain is like saying it wouldn't hurt an adult to get it done.

Hi L.

I'm going to be blunt here, but a circ'd one looks better. Excess skin is about as attractive as overly grown hair. We groom for a reason. Completely natural isn't always preferred;) I guess one reason why parents do it for their son is because of the pain later on. Yes, any boy would scream his head off, and it was hard when mine had his, but such is life. We both got over it.

I heard about the sensitivity issue. According to two men who have had circ later in life: baloney! Guys who are uncirc'd just want to defend their skin. They want to believe that they have it better at sex than men who had the baby job. It's an ego thing. The two men I'm talking about are ecstatic that they did it. They got over the pain as well. One of these men is in his 60s and he'd just recently got it. He volunteered this info when he saw our infant son because he was so pro-circumcision he had to bring it up and share his excitement. I was even more convinced when I met this man. It's good to hear from someone who have been on both sides of the coin. The other man is my cousin, and let's just say that he was not shy to share how awesome it is to be circ'd.

Having seen both I am all for circumcision. If there is skin hanging in youth, think of how it will look at old age. Yeah. Boys aren't the best at hygiene. One less battle. I did it so the future women in his life don't have to deal with it. Another battle. Another thing: my male OBGYN said circ is up to the person who has to clean it. If your doc can do an outstanding job at it, you'd do your son a huge favor.

Good luck.

I ditto what Heather A. said.

My hubby is from Europe, and they are not circumcised there.
My son is not. Personally, I did not want him to go through that procedure myself, either. We are very happy with our decision.

Our Pediatrician has 2 boys.. .and she did not circumcise them either. My friends who have boys, did not circumcise their sons either.

My Hubby has NEVER had any problems being this way, and never gotten any infections. You just have to show the child/man how to retract and clean themselves as they get older... teaching them about proper hygiene. Like you would for any girl, as well. Girls get UTI's and infections too...but we don't circumcise them, at least in our country.

All the best,
Susan

our boys are circumcised we have a family history of problems with boys who aren't so it wasn't much of an option to not. i would have even if we didn't have the history i remember boys being picked on in school who were not and i would not want to put my kids through that.

i was unsure whether or not i wanted my son to have a circumsion or not. i thought it was not needed... so now my son will be 1 in the beginging of feb and he has not had 1 infection... you just have to make sure you clean them good... good luck

I know you have already been bombarded with responses but I couldn't help but add my 2 cents worth.

I personally feel the decision to circumcise your child should be viewed as a cultural decision not a medical one. The arguments for and against just aren't concrete enough to warrant basing your decision on.

In the US about %47 of kids are circumcised (that's the stat I read three years ago when I was trying to decide whether to circumcise my son) and decreasing. In contrast, in Australia (where I come from) 8% of kids are circumcised. That means 92% of Australian boys are uncircumcised, and I have not seen any research that suggests they suffer from any cleanliness related issues.

Having said that, there is a push in the third world to circumcise babies because it reduces the risk of catching HIV. This push is largely due to the fact that it is easier to encourage circumcision than it is to educate a culture en-mass about safe sex practices.

Whatever decision you make I'm sure it will be right for you and your family.

Hi L.. There is no medical necessity to circumcise your son...about 50% of parents opt for circumcision so that baby "looks like daddy". We opted to not cirumcise our 2 month old son. Granted, daddy is British and uncircumcised, however we would have still opted against because we don't believe in unnecessary medical procedures. My husband has never had any problems medically or with hygiene. Hope this helps!

L.,
Although it is basically a personal issue, there are a few other factors. Hygienically for young boys circumcision is the "easiest" way. I personally know SEVERAL boy (years and years in daycare field and a HUGE family) that were not, and ended up having problems, some were hygiene, some were embarrassment of being different then their friends. Basically, it's generally best to follow your heart, keeping in mind that questions will eventually come up about why his is different then dad's, friends' etc... if you were to choose not to circumcise.

We decided not to circumcise our little boy (now 4 months old), and our pediatrician said that it much more common for people to opt out now. The rest of the world is mostly uncircumcised, why mess with nature?

Hi L.,
Well, I don't think it's as common as it used to be. The reason is because they've found it's not more sanitary than those uncircumcised which means there are no medical reasons to do it. So, most insurance won't pay for it anymore. It's more or less preferance now. I say, if daddy or an older brother, (someone in the family he may see naked growing up), is circumcised, he may feel like he fits in a little more if he is too. Or, vise versa. Either way, it's your choice and it's all he'll know. If you decide to though, you may want to check with your insurance just so you know what to expect. Good luck.

People seem to have very strong opinions about this issue. I was up in the air about it before I had my first son. After he was born, he had a major surgery at 3 days old and many medical issues following that as well. Since this was almost 15 years ago, more people were having their boys circ'ed. Since my son had so much going on, I didn't choose to have him circ'ed. It just seemed un necessary at the time. Later, 3 1/2 years later when I had my second son, more info came out saying that the procedure was truly not necessary. That, coupled with our first son not being circ'ed made me decide NOT to have our 2nd or 3rd son done. We have had zero issues medically or otherwise. You will make the decision that is right for your family...

Hello, L.,

What a great mom you are to even consider this!

No to circumcision. See what Dr. Paul Fleishman, a famous pediatrician in the Silver Lake area has written and lectured about in this. Previously to his stand on this, he had performed hundreds of them. Quite an enlightened man!

My very best to you,

T.

We did it for our son. I don't have any regrets. My husband who had to watch the procedure was a tiny bit traumatized but he still thinks it was the right decision. But it's a personal thing. Go with your gut and not what anyone else tells you.

We didn't cir our son and he is 8, no problems, infections, or cleanliness issues.
I really didn't want to but my husband was INSISTENT that we do it, until he watched one being done in the hospital. He simply walked back into my room and declared nobody was going to do that to his son.
It was one shot to the groin and snip, no waiting for the numbing to take effect, no consideration, nothing. There was blood and screaming. It's not a fun experience.

Whatever you decide will probably be best for you.
Good Luck

Hi L.

I had my son circumcisied, and everthing went very well. It was done at my sons dr. office, by his dr and I was in the room with him. He olny cried when they gave me a shot to numb him and after that he was fine. My feeling is you don't want them to be different then there daddy for when they are showering. I am 6 1/2 months prego with my second son and I will be getting his done as well. Hope this has helped have agood day.

A.

My son is circumcised. My husband is and I thought it would make sense that he looked like daddy. Good luck in making the decision.

L.,

Both of my boys were circumsized at my husband's insistence. It was gross and the healing was gross. I really wish I would have just said no both times. If I were to have another child, it would be a fight because I just don't see any reason to put an infant through it. My second child had the incision open and he bled so much we ended up in the emergency room. It all ended up being fine but I just really don't see the point in the whole thing. As far as how common is it, half the folks I know had their boys circumsized, half didn't. It is really personal preference. 20-30 years ago I think it was uncommon to be uncircumsized but now I think it is pretty "normal."

T.

Circumcision rates on the whole are declining. We didn't circ our son and have had no problems whatsoever.
Circumcision carries certain risks, but the supposed benefits seem to be proved then disproved again by study after study.
If you're unsure, search for circumcision on youtube.
My personal opinion is that God wouldn't put parts on our body he didn't want us to have!

Hi L. - I would vote no to the circumcision, due to my own experience with it. I have a 2 year old boy, and he was circumcised. I wasn't too into the idea, but I let my husband decide. He wanted it to be done, so it was done. However!...There was a lot of extra skin left on, so he now looks as though he is uncircumcised. Our pediatrician referred us to a pediatric oncologist so that we could have it re-done, which we are NOT doing! I wouldn't dream of putting my son through that right now, as he would definitely be in a lot of pain. It actually seems pretty traumatic to me. So, I would say that it's not worth it and that I don't think being uncircumcised is a big deal these days.
Good Luck, and congrats on your upcoming baby boy :)

Hi L.,
You will probably be just as torn after reading all these responses. There are people that have strong opinions either way. Yes, it is a big decision, but don't feel bad or stress about whatever you decide. Yes, there can be complications with or w/o circumcision, but you will make the best decision for your child and deal with anything that may come up later on. I was very torn about this issue, too. I decided against circumcision and when I start second guessing myself, I just remember what is most important...that he is a happy, healthy little boy.

Hey L., our little guy had it done the second day in the hospital & it was a piece of cake. I would recommend that you meet with the doctor who'll perform it and make sure several pain management options are used. In our case they gave our son some infant Tylenol, emla cream and a sugar water pacifier during the procedure. (even if you don't want your son to use a pacifier it won't matter for those few seconds)
The after care was simple (applying neosporin) and honestly he cried more from a regular diaper change than he did from the circumcision. On a side note, I have 2 cousins who had to have circumcisions later in life (ages 7 and 13) due to recurring UTIs. It was obviously much more painful for them at that point. Good luck!

L., I don't have a son, I have a daughter. But my husband and I watched a very interesting documentary about this subject about four months or so ago. I wish I remember the name of it. After watching the doc, we were talking, and if we had a son we probably wouldn't do it after seeing this show. In fact, my husband was mortified after watching it (he is circumsized). The pain, with no meds, is apparently hard to even comprehend-- the scale of it. And for what benefit?? The cleanliness issue is really not true. The absolute ONLY thing that would leave a teeny doubt in my mind would be the teasing that could occur from other boys. I think it's fantastic that you are thinking about this, as I know a lot of people just consider it a matter of course. Best of luck in your decision!!

Hi L.,
We didn't do it and honestly my toddler has so many friends who aren't either!
It is becoming very common not to and I think that's great! Can you imagine how painful that would be!!!

Many husbands insist on it because they don't want their kids teased and they remember the brutal locker room. However, with not circumcising being the trend, this reason isn't what it used to be. My husband is also an M.D. and says he sees horrible infections of uncircumcised weaners and that there is reason enough. He's horrified that my sister is not planning on circumsising her son soon to be born and they have been bantering back and forth for months. There are very good reasons not to (botched circumcision, decreased sexsual pleasure). I think your safe to choose either way if you have strong convictions or prefrances on the matter.

L. we had both my twin boys circumsized. I guess its now a personal decision, but we did it so that they would not get any infections later in life. My husband has an aunt whos husband HAD to have it done because he kept giving her a yeast infection when they had sex. The worst part about the procedure was they strap the babies down so they cant move. Both my boys hated that part...the actual procedure they didnt seem to mind much. My husband watched the whole thing and has no regrets. I of course sat and didnt watch and cried because my babies were crying and I couldnt do anything about it. But...they were only about 2 weeks old so I was still weepy from having them.

Hi L.,

I have two boys both left intact. I saw a Donahue show back in the 80's showing an actual circumcision and when I watched that poor baby, I knew I could never do it.

Now you should also know that my dad was not circumcised, born in the 40's, my brother was not, born in 69, and my oldest son 22 and younger is 16, never have any complained.

My brother has two boys, also left intact. I don't beleive God makes mistakes and he put it there for a reason, unless it is your religious belief that would be different, though back in the 90's when my kids were little I actually had a Jewish friend that did not circumcise.

Good luck with the new baby!!!

L. A

Hi L. B,

I have two boys and our decision was to circumcisize the boys because we wanted them to look like their dad and my husband did not want to have this long conversation about why they look different and how to keep themselves clean when it was easier for him to do it this way.

I hope in some kind of way this helps. My boys came back to me a little upset but not screaming their heads off and after I pick them up they calmed right down and we never thought about it again and I do not think they did either. T.

I have one son who was not circumcized and one that was. I would suggust you talk to your doctor and ask him/her after your son is born. My first son, the doctor said it was not necessary. You might check to see if he will need it at a later date, when he gets older.

I think the decision is completely up to you.

J.

We didn't do it for either of our sons. Spouse agreed it would be his job to explain why daddy was different. There haven't been any infections and there's been no problem. (Boys are 3 and 5 now.)

So many are avoiding it these days that the "locker room" argument doesn't seem to be a big deal, and we couldn't stand the thought of strapping them onto the 5-point table and letting someone cut them.

Good luck with your decision. :)

Hi L.!
When I was preggers with my baby boy, I did a lot of research on the circumcision arguments as well. My husband is European, so he really didn't want us to circumcize if there wasn't an overwhelming reason to. After reading and talking to lots of friends, I couldn't come up with compelling enough an argument for it, therefore, I opted to not circumcize. That said- it really is a personal choice, and either way, your baby boy will still be beautiful. So, do what feels right to YOU.

L.,

I wish we could have given our son a circumcision. It was highly advised not too at the time of birth b/c when he was born it was a bit to the side and so he'd end up having trouble even peeing.

So we didn't and since he turned 1 1/2 yrs old, we had to teach him that he needs to stretch the skin so it won't get stuck to the head and also to keep it clean without white stuff accumulation if not it becomes an infection.

When he forgets and we don't stay on top of him to do it, the skin tightens and you have to force the skin to stretch once again, which causes little cuts on the sides of the walls causing burning and hurting to the little one.

Sad but true life of being a boy. I never knew this so we didn't stretch for a long time until we ended up having to force stretch it and our son learned the sad way to be clean and stretch the skin regularly.

good luck.

CB

My husband had a circumcision in his mid 20s. I asked him what he would want for his son (currently we have one girl) and he said that he much preferred being circumcised.

Most circumcised hubbies insist that their sons get circumcised, too. I think men are the better judges here. They know the pros and cons better than any of us moms could ever. And, no, there wouldn't be a family portrait where we see all the boys' 'junk', but the boys I know that learned to pee in the toilet by watching Dad are very curious about how Dad's looks compared to theirs. It's usually the much larger size that captures their attention at first. They may not like that theirs looks different, and by then, what could you really do?

If you do decide to go with circumscision, I would make sure that your OB or whomever is going to do it is comfortable with the idea. My OB did a great job on my son. The circumcision was done perfectly. However, my friend's OB gave her the impression that they weren't supportive of circumcisions and only cut a little bit off. Weird, I know. My friend noticed a significant difference when she babysat my son and had to change his diaper.

My other friend is from Canada, and circumcisions aren't as popular over there. Her brothers have had yeast infections.

My mom is a doctor and I know she recommends it for sanitary reasons. As a mom, the research I have done says that in middle class in my area 80% of parents still do it.

We circumcised both of our boys. Daddy is because of his religion. Our Ped came to the hospital and took him in to another room. It was done within 5 minutes, and baby didn't even cry. We used ointment for a week then it was all better. We had no problems.

This was a better option than having a Jewish Bris. Our insurance did cover it if done by a Ped rather than a "Moile", a Jewish Doctor to do the ceremony at home.

We still had the Bris Ceremony, just not the circ. part. It was more of a blessing over our baby and a family gathering.

M.

Wow. I'd have to do some serious research to answer that. As common as it used to be? When? There are a lot of men in retirement homes in North America who were born at home and are NOT circumcised. Actually, my in-laws were shocked that I even considered it. None of their peers or male siblings were. I think (unscientific observation here) that circumcision grew in popularity during the 60s, 70s and then started to decline again. Of course, this applies only to the gentile population.

You want reactions from real moms? Okay, of the ten men in my family, half are circumcised. And my son is different from his dad and he's never noticed!

Best wishes,

M.

I knew right away that I want my son to be circumcised. It's for health issue, nothing about religious. it is much easier to clean and keep it clean w/ circumcision. And I believe it prevent urinary tract infection or at least reduce the risk of getting one for him. Check w/ health website, like webmd.com for some health benefit of circumcision. I don't know much about the "cons" of circumcision, I only goes by what would benefit his health.
Good luck w/ everything,

My husband was the one to make the decision, but it was me who took our boys to do it. I think it is best if the mom goes so you can get the instructions directly from the doctor. If you do decide to go through with it, make sure you get it done early in life.

During a summer vacation long ago, my brother had his done when he was 7 in a third world country on our grandparent's coffee table (real sanitary, right?) My grandfather did the procedure with about 3 nurses holding him down. I still remember him screaming and it was so painful for him to go to the bathroom. Our parents were here, so he didn't have mom's comforting to soothe him through the operation or healing process. Maybe that's why he's the way he is today?

you know its not as common as it usd to be because drs dont see it as medically needed. my twin nephews are not circumsized like their daddy. however they have had a lot of infections due to not being cleaned properly durring diaper changs and in the bath and now they are havinf to get done at the age of 2 per drs orders because of this and the price to have it done really jumps because its then considered cosmetic. boys who are circumsized are less likely to get these infections. i say talk to your husband about it. if he is uncircumsized id leave your some as is but if he is circumsized i would have your son done. but thats me i would want my son to look like daddy so he doesnt feel different before hes able to understand. but its your choice on what you feel is right to do good luck!

We didn't do it. And 15mo old and no problems.

And....I think those who get infections are probably careless with their hygiene. My hubby isn't circ and no problems.

My dr said about 50% of boys born today are and 50% aren't.

Since it isn't TOTALLY medically necessary (according to AAP), I couldn't justify it myself. It reminded me of genital mutilation that is practiced in some 3rd world countrys.

I couldn't bare to put my baby thru that pain!!!!!

I didn't put much thought into it because my husband straight out said our son was going to have a circumcision. Him and his brothers all are. And he said that it's better to do it when they are babies. Apparently, my husband knew someone who didn't have it done until they were 9. Ouch!

Hi Mums, this is my first post.

My husband is British and Jewish, and all the boys in his family were circumcised so he was quite eager for our little baby boy to be circumcised too.

After much deliberation, we decided we would circumcise our son here in Los Angeles. Where does one find a licensed circumcision practitioner IN Los Angeles? We wanted to find a specialist in the field, so after considerable research and consultation with doctors and friends we decided we would enlist the services of a Jewish Mohel (Practitioner of Ritual Circumcision). Who else performs circumcisions on a daily basis??

We were advised to contact the excellent Jewish Mohel of Los Angeles, Rabbi Kreiman (http://expertmohel.com/). After several telephone conversations and a meeting at our home, we were in no doubt that this was the guy we want to circumcise our son. This Rabbi has performed thousands of circumcisions over a period of 25 years. His expertise as a Mohel amazed us, and we were delighted with his compassionate approach to such a sensitive procedure.

The Rabbi guided us through the whole circumcision process beforehand and showed us how to care for our baby afterward to ensure that our son recovers well. You can read some of his Bris Milah care guidance on his website here:
http://expertmohel.com/the-ceremony/aftercare-instructions/

and a bit about Bris Milah circumcision: http://expertmohel.com/about-bris-milah/

Looking back, we are really happy we circumcised our son and would recommend it to other parents considering to do so.

wow! you have a lot of responses. I could find no medical reason to perform this procedure. It seemed to be a "tradition" that has carried on for generations. When my son was born (13 years ago), I said I didn't want to do it. My husband wanted to - no logical reason other than that's what you're supposed to do. I said I wasn't going to have any part of it. If he wanted to schedule it and do it, he was on his own. And, of course, he didn't do it. it's been 13 years, and my son has never had ANY issues whatsoever. Good luck to you.

My son is 2 1/2 years old and uncircumcised. I am very happy that I didn't circumcise him. We haven't had any problems with it and you don't really have to do anything special to care for it. A funny benefit is that when you change his diapers there is no "fountain of pee!"

Personally I did not circumsize my son. I felt thatit was a barbaric practice and cruel. think about it? What is the point of circumsion? As far as cleanliness, really that should not be an issue. My son has never had an infection and the doctor said there is nothing I need to do tokeep the child clean. Some people want the son to look like the father. Well I don'teven know if my son has seen his father's private parts. He has seen mine as he tends to follow me around a lot more and into the bathroom ect. My parts are totally different he doesn't seem worried at all. Personally it has not effected him in any way, no other boys have commented on it. If your hesitant I would really consider the purpose behind circumsion.

Hi L.,

You alredy got a lot of responses and as you can see its about 50-50 and at the end you will have to decide.
My two cents (as my DH and I decided not to do it).
I don't belive baby's are born with extra parts. Historiclly, this was done based on geographic regions where you came from. eg. in Europe where climite is colder this was not common, in the Middle East where climete is hot and dry this was common for the hygene reasons. To make people do this and avoid major infections, it was mandated through religion. In Africa, they circumcized girls for various reasons. I am sure if majority of Dr. in the US were from parts of Africa where this is practiced, this practice would have been brought to US as well. You wouldn't do this to your doughter.
There is a reason why people did things the way they did so long ago in their own coutries.
Do what's best for your boy....and girl.

What does your hubby think? Most men want their son to look like them. My son had this done the day after he was born. He was given one dose Tylenol and slept almost the whole day. Do a search here at Mamasource because I have seen this topic before about problems and keeping the area clean.

i didn't circumcise my son..i don't believe in cutting ...and i actually prefer uncut. I think circumcising for the looks aspect isn't a good enough reason..i think feeling over rides looks..and well well all know they get desensitized when it's cut.

hi, L..

My hubby and I debated this very topic my entire pregnancy! He did a LOT of research and started several discussions on the message boards he frequents. We decided to have our son circumsized. There is a deal of care that goes along with the procedure, so be prepared for that. My little boy's skin started to "reattach" and had to be pulled back down/away from the tip once a day for about 10 days or so(ooch). But, he's 8 mos. old now and is perfectly healed and I couldn't be happier with our decision. My hubby read a lot of statistics on how common circumsizions are and surprisingly, it's about 50-50 in the U.S. to do or not to do them. It's less common in the European countries.

Good luck on your decision and congrats!

L. M

We discussed it (after my sister calling railing against it, which was pretty annoying when I was 8 months pregnant) and decided we wanted our son to look like daddy when he showered, so we did it.

Our boy was born at 4:37pm and had it done the next morning around 9am, went home with us that evening at 7pm. Followed the doc's instructions for cleaning/care and had no issues. I'm glad we had it done when he was so little - we know that it hurt but its something that is long over.

Good luck w/your choice!! There isn't any right or wrong - only what is best for YOUR family! :)

Not as common as it used to be. I had my twins done but if I did it again I may not. Expecting a grandson in March and not expecting him to have one. They just need to be taught how to take care of themselves

Wow the circumcision question brings in a lot of responses. I had the same question 7 years ago with my son. I pretty much survayed my family and friends and it turned out to be 50/50. Even amoungst my husband and his brother. One is and the other one isn't. When I asked my mom-in-law why, she really couldn't answer. It was just the thing that was more common at the time. Mind you one in 1969 and the other 1971. After much research we decided to let daddy choose since it is a man thing. We opted not to and have had no problems. As for your son looking different I don't think that is the case anymore. I believe it when the Dr. says in a locker room it's probably 50/50 now a days. Good Luck with what ever you choose.

Hi L.,

My thoughts..... Well, I am Danish (northern Europe) and circumcision is very rarely done, as far as I know it is only done for religious reasons. So naturally neither my husband, nor my son is circumcised.
I have read all the medical litterature for and against too, -and to me it just seems cruel. If he opts to have it done when he is old enough to decide for himself, it´s fine.

What really gets me is that we get outraged when circumcision is done to girls in far-away countries, but it is supported by some if it is done by a doctor here.......

Best of luck to your son :-)

I'm 43, I had my first child at 27 and my second at age 29 both boys I couldn't find it in my heart to hurt him like that our second my husband insisted and the scream i heard in the waiting room made me cry. they both do well with their situation,I just had to teach my son without the circumcision at an early age (3 Years of age)how to pull back the skin and keep clean, he is 16 now and has never had a problem

Both of my boys had it done. I was with them both and it was fine. I actually had a Jewish OB who performed the procedure very calm & gentle. When I was in nursing school one of the patients who was in his 70's had to have it done due to problems and let me tell you better at birth then at 70. Good luck,.

Well,

Breast implaints and tummy tucks aren't medically necessary either but I bet more than 50% of all your responders have done one or the other or both and I hear that is very painful for weeks. Because they were concerned about the way THEY LOOK.
My husband got circumcised when he joined the military. For him, sex was good before but it's great now. Needles to say that our son is circumcised. Go with your heart.

We have a 5 month old little boy. We chose to have him circumcised. My husband is not. He felt it was better for our son to be. I let my husband decide that because he is a male and has a better handle on that issue as far as his school days in the locker room, gym etc. It also is much easier to keep that area clean. It sent a shiver down my spine though when I had to change him before he healed! He's fine now :)

Mom of a HAPPY boy!
ContentMommy.com

Ahhhh....the ever asking question these days, should I or should I not circumsize. It was a question both my husband and I pondered and did some research on. We were surprised with the sex of our two children and ended up having girls so never had to make the decision. My nephew, however, is not circumcized. Circumcision is more of an appearance thing (or regligious) and is not connected to diseases like many of the articles you might read. The U.S along with Canada and the Middle East are most prevalent for "routine" circumcisions. And it is only about 1/2 of the boys in the U.S. that get circumsized. From everything I've read and even seen pictures is that it is quite painful for the child with or without numbing. And if you ask Dr.s about letting your child make their own decision as an adult you will find that it is major surgery and quite painful. Ultimately it is your decision so do a lot of research! Good luck.

Hi L. B

Circumcision is more common than is used to be. I have a 5 year that had to get circumcised when he was 2 due to an infection. We didn't do the cicumcision when he was an infant. My opinion is to do the circumcision to prevent any infections later on. It was a scary experience for us.

3 Boys, all Circumcised, other that a little worry when it is first done about not hurting them during diaper changes I have had no issues with it. I think it is a totally personal decision, but I am glad we did it, it is what works for our family.

If your husband is, I would. I had both my sons circumcized and I do not regret it. It is a totally personal decision, all be it a hard one. Goodluck.

I was initially against circumcision, but went for it with my little boy (now 5 months) because I wanted him to look like Dad. The procedure was done in an office when DS was 10 days old, and I wanted to be there for support. IT WAS AWFUL!! He screamed and cried and was restrained and looked so sad. Everything healed properly and is fine now, and he will not remember, but I am forever traumatized. I don't know that I would do it again if I had the choice. If people started to question the prevalence of circumcision, maybe its incidence would go down and the uncircumcised will be just as accepted as the circumcised. I wonder, if we grew up in a country where female circumcision was the norm, would we just decide to go for it with our daughters just because it is the accepted practice? There is a lot to think about, and in the end it is a personal decision. I feel for you though, because I thought a lot about this and it is a hard decision to make. Good luck and enjoy your new baby, whatever happens.

I had my 3 sons circumcised the day after they were born. There were no problems. I followed the care instructions the doctor gave me and everything was fine.

Hi L.,

We did not circumcise our son, mainly so he would look like his father. He is now a grown man and did mention that he has to be a bit more careful to clean himself than if we were circumcised. I do think it's a toss up on what to do. Best wishes to you and your growing family.

I do not believe in altering nature, or inflicting painful and unnecesary procedures. Med schools no longer support/teach the idea, but old(er) docs will advise it because that is what they learned. And we humans tend to stick what we have learned, regarless of challenging data to the contrary. Good luck. AB

I have two boys. I always felt that the boys should look like their father. Mine are both circumcised.

The last thing you probably need is one more opinion, but here it is anyway. :-)
I had a stepson who was not circumcised. He had a lot of infections and issues, even though we kept him very clean. I have 4 sons, all of whom I had circumcised. I watched the procedure with three of them. My doctor used a ring so it was easy to keep clean and healed well. None of them have ever had an issue. I know it's a preference, but none remember the procedure and none of them ever had an issue with it.
Good luck!

Hi L.,

I have 3 boys and none of them are circumcised, never have any problem one is 23 yrs 19 and a 4, I have the same pediatricians for the 3 of them and I love him, He told me that there is no need of circumcise a baby unless the Dr. tells you that you have to do it but if is your decision don’t do it, and don't feel bad.

We had our son circumcised, more for health reasons than anything else. My sons Pediatrician did the procedure and our son did great. It was rather quick. You may also want to talk to your Pediatrician about it too. Good luck.

Hello L.,

you will most likely get both kinds of reactions from mothers themselves since some people are for circumcision and other people are not. My husband and I ourselves will not circumcise our boys. We consider it an unnecessary procedure that you should only do if you have to do it religious reasons; other than that, like I said, it is unnecessary. Also, if you don't circumcise your child you will not have to worry about taking care of the circumcision afterwards. That's just my personal and practical opinion. Congratulations.

I have a friend who adopted a little boy and everything wasn't final until his son was 4 years old. They had him circumcised at that time so that he would be just like his dad and his older brother.

FWIW, we are expecting b/g twins in March/April and our son will be circumcised...just like his daddy.

I just had a baby boy in November 2007 so this was an issue for us as well. My husband has an older son who is now 10 and because his mother is English she opted for him not to be circumcised. She claimed it was cruel and inhumane. After all the "issues" my step son has gone through my husband thought it would be best to have the little one circumcised. The way my doctor did it, the skin was removed completely the morning after he was born (he was born at 9 at night) so technically the baby was still in "shock" from being born in the first place. To be honest I am glad we did it. If it causes less hassle for him in the future, then I am all for it.

Ultimately it is completely your decision. You'll probably find that people who are circ'd will lean toward that and people that aren't will lean that way. Good luck :)