Uncircumcised 8 Month Old

As everyone else has already said, with proper hygiene, circumcision is not necessary. But here's something I bet most folks don't know -- WHY circumcision became such a big fad. Answer? Back in the late 1800s there was this big obsession with preventing children from masturbating -- it was supposed to spiritually stain them and corrupt their moral fiber. And distract them for doing their long list of chores.

So some creative nits with nothing better to think about decided the best way to nip it in the bud was to mutilate the genitals of children -- boys and girls -- who wouldn't stop in response to mere beatings. Quite horrible and in some cases severe. Distressed at being "forced" to go to these extremes, they decided keeping boys (the more common offenders) from discovering this "terrible vice" was all important.

They then started writing books and going on the lecture tour. They helped popularize the notion that circumcized boys wouldn't be so prone to "explore" because they never had to clean the foreskin... and thus never accidentally discovered the pleasurable sensations that it had.

So it became fashionable, and morally correct, to have it removed.

Then in the 1940s, as American GIs were stationed in the hot humid battle zones of the Pacific (Guam, Hawaii, etc.), it was discovered that some GIs had problems with keeping themselves clean enough "down there" and were getting fungus issues. It was also thought that they would more easily pick up diseases from the local girls if they had foreskins because-- okay well let's not get that detailed.

I would note that these same GIs were getting fungus in a lot of other places as well and no one thought amputation was the right suggestion (toes for example). But the puritanical attitude about the body didn't make rubbing cream into the toes seem quite so naughty...

Anyway, my point is this is not a medical necessity. It is a cultural convention. One that historically has much to do with anti-sex and anti-sensuality attitudes.

Interestingly, many uncircumcized adult men report much greater pleasure sensitivity.

Sorry if this was a little too "racy" for some. But I think it's important that we know where our inherited attitudes are really coming from on this issue. So that parents with boys can make an intelligent and rational decision -- whatever that may turn out to be.

I think we all should realize however that uncircumcized is the natural state of things -- and is the norm in most cultures on Earth -- and it works quite well.

We decided before our son was born to have him circumcised i researched and was ok with the procedure. His Dr. performs the procedure in his office so we went in when he was 8 days old. Dr. started the procedure (just put the ring on) and my sons penis started bleeding really bad because his main artery in his penis is too close to his urethra. We were told the procedure would have to be preformed by a urologist which could not be done until our son turned 12 months old. During those 12 months I researched over and over and came to the conclusion that there was no reason at all to have him cirumcised. The Dr. brought it up at his 12 month apt. and i told him his father still wants it done but i don't feel that it needs to be done. Dr. assured me there was no medical reason and if we did end up agreeing to have the procedure done to just let him know. My sons father has only brought the subject up once and i said if he wanted to have our son circumcised he was going to take him and take care of his diapers until he healed....there has been no mention of the subject since. I feel at this point (14 months) it would be a hard procedure for my son to go through, if he ever decides later in life that he wants it done i will gladly pay for the procedure because i made the choice for him.

I seen mentioned that only about 50% of boys are circumcised now which sounds right to me, maybe even less. Of all the people (family/friends) i know that have had boys in the last 6 or so years 6 of the boys have been circ'ed 7 of them haven't. I know this is because most insurance company's do not cover it because it is not medically necessary and in most cases Dr's charge $150+ to do it.

I personally would not do it at 8 months old but it is a personal choice. Just know there is no reason it has to be done and if he decides later in life that he would rather be circumcised then he can always have it done.

I personally would not circumcise him at all. To have a child circumcised because he can't keep it clean is just like pulling out all his teeth because he won't brush. It is a matter of follow through.

Uncircumcised men experience greater sexual pleasure as adults. The skin over the penis actually protects it as well. For example when I had my first son I circumcised him, not knowing any better. Well when he was about 18 months old he had severe diahrea. The diahrea filled his diaper several times per hour. This let to him getting an infection because the tip of his penis was exposed to the diahrea. If he had been uncircumcised he would have been better protected from the elements of his diaper.

The body was designed to sustain itself the way it is, unaltered. I think circumcision is a choice the child should be given the oportunity to make on his own when he is older. It interferes with the body's natural functions.

Google Circumcision. Do the research before making a decision to alter your son. If you do decide to do it then be there for him and watch it being done.

Something else to think about is that in most cases they do not give your baby any pain relief from this procedure where they are essentially cutting off skin.

There have also been cases where the doctors have accidentally cut off the top of the penis during the proceedure, and other occasions where something went wrong and the child had to have surgery. A couple of instances where a baby died because of the anesthesia from surgery to stop bleeding or repair damage done.

There really is no medical need for a circumcision. Also, if you are worried about him being differnt...More and more parents are deciding not to circumcise.

This decision is yours to make for your baby, however, keep this in mind he can alway have it done later. Yes it is painful, but to assume that it hurts your baby less than if he were an older kid is absurd IMO. If you do circumcise him, you can't take it back. Good luck with whatever you decide is best for you!

http://www.babyboy.info/birth_care.html
Hi A.,
I may have already sent this, I apologize if I have. I just wanted to commed you for asking for information about circumcision. It is so good to get information for many sources giving several sides of an issue in order to make an informed decision. As you have already read, circumcision is an unnecessary & painful procedure. There are many web sites if you google it that will help you. I'm sending you alink to one that is excellent & will link you to others. It is of benefit to you & your baby to question everything that is done routinely or is invasive, etc as you may discover there is no satisfactory rationale or you may find you actually agree, nevertheless educationg yourself will allow you to make a truly informed decision. This decision is a permanent one that will affect your son. You might think about having a procedure done on an infant that removed a body part with the thought of preventing some possible but unlikely problem in the future the same as removing breast tissue from an infant girl to prevent future breast cancer. Years ago they routinely remove tonsills thinking they useless- now it is known that the tonsills are important for immunity. Our bodies come equipped with everything we need and we need everything we are equipped with. Anyway, I know this is long. Good for you for checking t his issue out before you act. Tis will help you when your son comes to you and asks the reason for your decision. Keep up your good work. You're obviously a caring, loving mama. Best wishes to you & Connor.
Warmly,
H.

http://www.babyboy.info/birth_care.html

A little about me:
Devoted grandmother of 6 including 4 granddaughters & 2 intact grandsons. RN, doula, midwife's assistant, childbirth educator, infant massage instructor, breastfeeding advocate

No, you do not NEED to have him circumcised. My son is natural and is 2 1/2 years old. (BTW- I hate it being referred to as “Un-Circumcised”… as if it is Un-Natural. Why isn’t it “Cosmetically Altered and Natural?!) My ped (and the 3 other doctors I asked) said that it was a personal decision with no medical advantage or disadvantage. He did say “I typically recommend for the child to look the same as his father, because boys will look at their father to understand what they should look like. However, this is not mandatory. Just as the father would have to explain why they have hair down there but their child doesn’t, they could also explain the difference between their other part(s)”.

The few words of advice I can give as the mother of a natural boy: be sure that you or his father teach him hw to clean it as he gets older. NEVER apply soap to the head or inside the foreskin of the penis. It can irritate it and cause swelling, rash, and/or a UTI. Learn to casually ignore the moms that say STUPID things like. “Wow! So why didn’t you choose to have him circumsied. Did you use the Bradley Method?” (Incase you don’t know, Bradley is a birthing method similar to Lamaze, but talks about listening to your body and letting ALL things follow the natural process.) They are ignorant and don’t know how rude they really are. As an FYI you can go to the following site for more information: http://www.eskimo.com/~gburlin/mgm/facts.html It has a lot of statistics “Why circumcision is not always the best choice.”

Hope it helps, and if you have other questions about your natural boy you can send me a message anytime. ~J.

I know from working at the hospital, Medi-cal does not cover circumcisions. You would have to pay for this out of your own pocket. I myself have seen and heard this procedure being performed and have chosen not to do it to my boys. I have three, ages 16, 6, and 5. So far, I've taught them how to clean themselves and have no problems.

totally a personal choice i think. There's been studies showing it's healthier but i think if it's cleaned regularly it won't matter much. Totally up to you.

We have 2 boys -6.5 yrs & 2 yrs- & both are circumcised. Only done so they look like Daddy. We thought it might seem odd to them down the road to not look like daddy or each other. Just keep in mind, it's not a pretty proceudre. I went w/our older son & shouldn't have. I had no intention of going w/#2 & was gonna just sne dhim w/the dr. but my husband wanted to go (even tho I told him not to) & he wished he hadn't! But I think that's a guy thing.....you know men & their dingalings! Both times, the room they used was small so it was kinda tight for my hubby & the dr. to be in there. It's a pretty quick procedure & I've been assured, it's relatively painless & a pretty quick recovery. But since you're son is already 8 months, knows Mommy & Daddy & may already get worried to be w/strangers, you may need to go w/him. It's a personal decision so just do some investigating of the procedure itself, the dr. performing it & maybe even the size of the room so you can be in there w/him or not. Good luck!

A.,

We made the decision to circumsize my son. We had it done at 2 weeks. I think since you've waited so long I wouldn't even do it now. There is a major difference between an 8 month old and a newborn. I don't know if they'd have to put your little one under at that age to have it done. I had a friend who had her son circumcized a second time at 1 year because they did it wrong the first time and didn't take enough skin. I don't think I would have done that. I think at that age it could be traumatic. They also had to do it in the hospital and put him under to have it done. The reason we chose to do it is because it's cleaner and a family tradition. I think if you're going to do it you should do it really really young - otherwise not at all. Good luck with your decision.

L.

Well, I think you have to feel confident about your decision. I have 2 boys ages 11 and 3. When our first was born we did not really think about it. But our pediatrician told us before we make a decision to research it. It is only a choice of religion or social reasons to have it done. I had decided no, but my husband thought he wanted him to be the same as him. So, I said ok, but would not go...I got a call about an hour after my husband took him to the Dr. My husband saw them put my son in what looked like a cookie cutter sponge and strap him down. My husband was in tears and thank goodness my Dr. saw that my husband was upset and asked him if he still wanted to go through with it. My husband said no and brought my son home. So both of my boys are not circumcised and my older son had not had any problem with being different from Dad. We are the only country that does it for social reasons. But it has to be something you are comfortable with.

Dear A.:

My son is 19 years old and he is not circumcised. He is actually grateful that I did not have him circumcised. I did a lot of research on it when he was born and came to the conclusion that it is a painful and unnecessary procedure. It is one of those things that can be done anytime in his life if he chooses but it can never be undone. Just make sure and teach him how to clean it properly and he will be fine without it. My son has never had any problems.

I struggled with this decision as well. The only reason I considered circumcision was because I was afraid he'd be different from most other American boys, which might make him self-conscious in the locker-room, with girls, etc. But then I did some research and found that it is not so uncommon anymore. For me, there were two other points in favor of not circumcising: my husband in not, and I thought a little boy might be more comfortable if he looked like daddy in that respect (I don't know if that makes sense or not). But ultimately, I'm a wuss and I couldn't stand the thought of my new baby going through that procedure for no good reason (my research uncovered no significant medical reason for circumcision). I just went with my instincts.

Hi A.,
My son is also 8 months old and not circumcised. My husband and I thought about it a lot and decided not to have it done, because it really is unneccessary. These days, we don't have to worry about the same unsanitary issues as we did when people didn't make sure to keep themselves clean. Teaching your son to keep himself clean is important whether he's circumcised or not. Now, circumcision is tradition or preference. Do what you feel is right, and that will be the best decision.

My son is almost 4yrs. And we opted to Not get him circumsised. Honestly it hasn't been a big deal at all. The Doc. told us not to pull back the skin tell he get's older. So basically he just takes a bath and does everything just as if he was circumsized. Hope this helps you. I really think it's just a personal decision.

Hi A.,

I am in the same situation. Before our son was born, my husband and I decided to have our son circumsized. However, when our son was born, he had a couple of medical conditions which required him to be in the NICU for a few days. We felt so bad for him at the time, that we decided not to do it. My OBGYN also informed me that circumcision does not really have any medical benefits. Anyways, since them I've really been wondering if we should have just gone ahead and had it done but I recently heard that only a little over 50% of baby boys are being circumcised these days, so at least my son will hopefully not feel alienated when he gets older.

when my son was born my husband and i decided to not have a circumcision because daddy did not. He is now 10 years old and it never was a concern or worry. They only thing is you will need to teach him to clean properly. Just add it to the list of everything else you need to keep up with like cleaning their rooms, brushing their teeth, use soap when they take a shower etc......

I had the same problem deciding about my boys. I was convinced during my whole pregnancy with my first born that he would be circumcised, but due to insurance problems and the fact that he didnt have a steady pediatrician until he was 2 months old, it never happened because he missed the window, and now he is 18 months old and it is considered major surgery and costs aboout 7-10 thousand dollars! so with our newborn son, we just decided not to do it and actually im fine with it. my husband researched it and found out that about half of newborn boys today arent, so that takes care of my concern that they will be "weird" and it turns out that i have been completely oblivious to the fact that my husband isnt either!!! he hid it so well because i had thought it was such a big deal for so long, especially while we were dating. we have been together for 4 years now and he was able to keep it from me no problem, so now i dont even think its a big deal anymore! good luck to you in your decision!

I know a couple moms that decided not to get their boys circumcised and they are just fine. I don't think that you need to have it done. I wouldn't worry about it either. Now days its more like a cosmetic surgery than anything. As long as he's healthy i don't think you have to worry about anything. =)

Dear A.,

Maybe you could just bypass the circumcision, ask your husband's advice. The baby will have more pleasure during intercourse if he is not circumcised. Well, that is what I hear anyway. It has always been the thing to do in my family, and my grandson insisted upon having his son circumcised, so there you have two opinions from the same family. He just needs to be carefully taught to keep the skin pulled back as he cleans. My husband is not circumcised and he has never had a problem.

So there you are, all I know. C. N.

My husband and I are expecting and we don't know if we are having a boy or a girl. We have talked about whether or not to circumcise a son if that is what we have, and my husband is pretty adamant that he should be circumcised. He doesn’t like the fact that it would interfere with sexual pleasure later on in life, but he was in the military and knew multiple guys that had to be circumcised at that point in life because they were in conditions were they couldn’t get clean enough and got multiple infections. I even had a friend whose grandfather had to have inpatient surgery to be circumcised at the age of 92 because of all the infections he had gotten. It is supposed to be a much worse surgery if done later in life so my husband doesn’t want to put our son through that. This is just one opinion and I think you have to do what is right for you and your family, I just thought I’d let you have one more opinion to think about.

Most insurances no longer cover this because they find it "medically unnecessary". You just have to make sure to keep it clean, and teach him to keep it clean. My mom works at a school, and every year there are a few boys who have to get it done because of infection. In my opinion it's best to get it done under normal circumstances. But your son was premie, don't feel bad. These days more and more males aren't getting it done.

I adopted my son when he was 6 1/2 and he was uncircumsized. If I had my choice he would have been circumsized as a baby. Get it done now. When my son was 9 he had to be circumsized because he just wouldnt keep it clean and with the heat he kept getting infections. So the 3rd infection he had blood in his urine and he had to get circumsized at 9 years old. Talk about heart breaking and painful. Call around. Try to find a doctor who will do it as outpatient and pay for it yourself if need be. Obviously you would prefer the circumcision, and the younger, the easier it is.
N.

Hi A.! I know that some people say that there is nothing medically wrong with not getting boys circumcised. That might be a fact, but just like everything...there is a chance of complications. A couple that are very good friends of ours decided not to get their son circumcised after researching it & for the fact that daddy wasn't circumcised & religious reasons, etc. Dad never had any issues with not being circumcised, however...their son did have several issues...he would get dirt in it or didn't get it clean enough as he got older, etc...or would just get infections (not sure if it was dirt related or not) Well, he ended up having to get circumcised at the age of 8 yrs. old because it swelled up huge with infections & was very painful. This happened more than once throughout his growth. He would pull on the extra skin at an early age, etc. Now, my friend did try to keep it clean and tried to teach him to keep it clean himself...but, it's very hard to make sure you get it completely clean with all of the extra skin, etc.

I agree that this is a personal choice...but, just like everything...you should definitely weigh the pros & cons. Is this going to affect his future relations with his wife, is there a chance that he will need to get it done later in life due to complications, etc. and is it worth putting him through that later? Or, is that a chance you'll take because there is a chance that he will be just fine.

I hope that you choose what is right for your family & son!

Take care!

No, there are no compelling reasons why your son needs to be circumcised.

The *possible* risk of infection at some point in the future is not a reason to alter his genitals. Seriously, you might end up with an ingrown toenail someday...should you cut off your toe to prevent it? No, of course not. That would be silly. In my opinion, it's no different than female genital mutilation.

Consider that the vast majority of the men outside of the US are intact, and the current rates here in the US are about 50/50.

Any boy who tries to make fun of another boy for being intact is going to have to admit that he was checking out another dude's package. :)

Also, and this is looking waaaay far into his future: sexually, there are so many benefits for both the man and woman. Just trust me, since I'm sure you don't want to thing about that just yet. :)

Oh, and any quy who says it's "no big deal, the baby doesn't feel anything" is full of it. Ask that same guy if he's willing to undergo a vasectomy with no anesthesia...same difference.

Leave your son intact and allow him to make that body modification if he chooses, but give him that choice when he is old enough to make it. :)

I had the same issues with my now 2 year old son, he was premature and so I did not circumcise him. The doctors said I had to wait until after his first birthday, and usually Medi-Cal won't cover a circumcision not done at birth, but because of the circumstances of his birth my doctor was able to push it through. I am very glad I circumcised him, my sister has had a lot of issues with her son who was not circumcised, he gets UTI infections all the time. I had the surgery done at aiser and they will take medi-Cal if you get it set up trough their business office.

Well in my opinion I think it's smarter to do the circumcision if the father is also circumcised. I had my oldest circumsised after I said I wasn't, but when he was born we found out he had downs and I decided it would be better for him in the long run. My youngest is circumcised also now because of the fact that his brother and father are circumcised.

I have two boys ages 6 and 2. Niether of them are circumsized and we have never had any problems. It isn't a medically neccesary procedure, and a lot of people are choosing to not do it. If your own cultural or religious beliefs don't tell you too, I would leave things as they are.