Questions & Answers

Lol @ Caren. Getting his shots vs getting extra skin cut off are ENTIRELY different. His foreskin isnt going to kill him. Vs chicken pox or some actual virus. Please think before you type. I said unnecessary pain. Not pain as in something that could save his life as a shot. Theres nothing wrong with foreskin.

I didn't want to circumcise if I had a boy as I wouldn't for my girl. (There are equivalent procedures of removing only the hood around the clitoris.) But, my husband really wanted it as they would look alike. Outside of the US, it's hardly done. And, when you're outside the US, that's one of the first questions that they ask - is it true most American men are circumcised? Yes, the health reasons are there, but they are not that difficult. They have shown remarkable instances in Africa of HIV contraction with a foreskin over circumcised. Mostly because slight tearing during sex. But, condoms are also preventative. Basically, this is your decision. Inform yourself and decide together.

My friend didn't circumcise her son and she very much regrets it. He gets teased at school now. I also worked in a nursing home and have seen many nasty infections or the skin gets stuck back and it is really painful.

I never said i didn't want their opinion on circumcision. But someone telling me to not even think about it cause im not a male isnt an opinion, its just stupid.

From a health standpoint being circumcised its better for the reasons others have stated- cleanliness basically. If DH has a circ, he will probably struggle to teach your boys how to properly take care of their penis'. As a mom while they are too little you have to be willing to work the foreskin for cleaning purposes and so that as they grow it is easier to pull back for them when they are able to take care of their own body. Not to mention that if dad looks different it may raise questions or start the "I want to be like daddy".

Another argument is they can decide for themselves if they want the procedure when they are older- but most men are too afraid to get it done later so they live with it.

It hurts them to have it done, and it does kill nerve endings... but I bet your hubby is pretty dang sensitive- could you imagine it being more so?? talk about sensory overload.

I am Pro-circumcision.

Also, I think I was the one who handled the procedure badly. lol I bawled like a baby the entire time while he just sucked his binky dipped in sugar water and slept.

It seems everyone is pro circumcision. Or has a bias opinion. And to the person telling me NOT to worry about circumcision to my sons because i dont have a penis, youre an idiot.

I dont see a reason to cause harm to my kids. I think ill let them decide otherwise when they are older. Ive been with uncircumcised men and theres no real difference. But thanks anyway.

Actually, a lot of people are surprised to find out how unnecessary shots and things they give/do to newborns are. Circumcision is the same - unnecessary, but commonly done. That doesn't mean it's horrible if you skip it, or just one of the crowd if you go ahead with it. The gook they put in babies' eyes for instance, is mainly used as a protection from STD's the mom could have. That seems pretty unnecessary to me. My hubby and I are trying to do all the research we can and do as little as we can to disrupt the natural process. No shots, no eye gunk. But yes to circumcision because of our beliefs (it's not mandatory, but if it was good for them, it must be good for us), plus we'd like our son to be like his dad, not feel different.

I understand your apprehension, but try not to worry about it too much. Whichever way you decide will turn out ok. It is relatively rare for a baby to either get an infection from the circumcision or get recurring infections from NOT being circumcised - although both happen occasionally, of course.

The AAP is even on the fence about it, leaning slightly in favor of circumcision. Here is a quote from their website:

"After a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics found the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn circumcision"

So, yes, you and your hubby need to come to a decision, but don't let anyone judge you or make you feel bad for whatever decision you make! My husband and I have decided to have it done to our newborn son when he arrives in a few weeks.

I had my son circumcised when he was a week old. After the two shots of novacaine into his pee pee, he slept the entire procedure. Our biggest reason was because since so many other boys and men have it done, his dad included, we didn't want him to feel different down there. It's the same reason why my SO that I'm with now decided that if we are having a boy (which now we know we're not) that we would have it done on him too. It's also more painful to have it done as an adult should you choose to allow him to decide to get it done when he's older.