Would you/did you circumsize your son?

Question

Why or why not? What factors (will) play(ed) into your decision to or not to? Are you happy with your decision? Why or why not?

For those of you whose sons are old enough, have you talked to him about your decison to circumcise or not? What did he say? If he is still a baby, what do you plan on telling him?

Answer 1

i chose not to,it seems an outdated idea from the 1950's and 60's is starting to resurface.
it isn't necessary.It isn't any cleaner,surely boys have been taught to clean properly.
the chances of problems are rare,the odd child needs to be done later in life but not many,same chance as getting tortion of the testes etc
For religious reasons,it is still done and that's ok,a personal descision that is easy to explain to the child.
The only thing I did not like in my time as maternity nurse was jusdgemental nurses who make mothers feel bad for making such a personal descision.I saw one mother reduced to tears over it. Not on.Not their baby not their choice.

Answer 2

Yes I did and I am pleased with my decision. I had my son circumcised when he was born. I know that some religions do agree to it, however, it is good to do early rather than later or not at all. He is not prone to infections, rashes, etc as easily when the extra skin is removed.

My son is twelve and we have talked about it. It wasn't intentional or anything he just saw me changing my nephews diaper and noticed it looking a little different. I told him that he had not been circumcised and and how's and why's for it. His words said okay but I did see his knees buckled a little (just the thought of being cut down there made him want to go watch cartoons again). Over all he was okay with it especially since he was so young and don't remember it. He didn't really have a say so about it any way (know what I mean)

There are also some hospitals here in Houston that won't do it even if you want it done. I recommend that you check that out if you do want this procedure done, and try another hospital. That was the reason my nephew wasn't circumcised.

I recommend that this procedure is done because I have seen the outcome of it not being done.

Is there a particular reason that you are concerned about doing it and if so why? Also, is it a big concern to you to have a conversation with him later. The way you worded the question seems like there might be some underlining issues for you having the procedure done. Possibly religion, or a botched procedure.

Hope this helps you out some.

Answer 3

Blah, everyone keeps talking about hygiene, like they circumsized their boys because they didn't plan on giving them a bath for months at a time.

I studied circumsision in Anthropology, where I made my decision: circumcision is just a part of the culture. But the thing is, it's painful for the kid. Seriously... I mean, if your son was born with foreskin, doesn't it make the foreskin natural? Like god intended for human males to have foreskin. Or even from an evolutionary persepective, there has to be some reason why humans evolved foreskins because for survival. Circumsision came about to control masturbation.

Also, the foreskin is highly sensitive-- so when you're circumsizing your kid, you're chopping off 8 inches of highly sensitive skin. I mean seriously, why would you rob your kid of feeling pleasure? I know it sounds weird, but cutting off your kids foreskin is akin to someone chopping off your clitoris. Why put your baby through that?

I just wanted to add that above, someone gave a really gross account of an old man in a care facility-- I think it says more about the kind of facility they were running, than anything else.

Answer 4

DON'T DO IT!!!

There are several myths that people who are in favor of circumcision will tell you:

1. It's more hygienic.
WRONG! Providing you teach your child to clean beneath his foreskin, there won't be any problems. Circumcision is only more hygienic if you and your child have no notions of personal hygiene.

2. It's more socially acceptable.
WRONG! Actually, a rising number of infant boys in America are NOT being circumsized, because parents are realizing that it is unnecessary and robs the child of sexual sensation later in life. Your child may be in the minority in the locker room, but he won't be the only one, by any means.

3. It doesn't hurt the child.
WRONG! Babies can feel pain, and even if they don't remember it consciously, they will remember it subconsciously.



The fact is, there are PLENTY of reasons NOT to circumsize your baby. The most important one, however, is that it is HIS body. You have NO right to make that decision for him. A circumcision can always be performed later in life if he makes that decision on his own, but it certainly can't be unperformed. Restorations are only partially helpful. It's HIS body, let HIM make the choice when he's old enough!

Also, just think about it from a logical perspective. For an intact male, the foreskin covers the head of the penis almost all the time. For an circumsized male, the penis head is exposed and is rubbing against fabric all the time. It is only natural that the penis heads of circumsized males are less sensitive. The foreskin serves a very important purpose, please don't remove it. He will lose sexual sensation in the head of his penis, and also (obviously) in the foreskin itself. Sex later in life will also be more pleasurable for his partners as well, since he won't have to "bang" so hard to get his rocks off.

Do a bit of searching around the internet. You will find many testimonials from adult men who got circumsized later in life and regret it horribly. Sex without a foreskin is like sight without color. Leave your baby the natural, normal way. If a foreskin wasn't supposed to be there, he would have been born without it.

Answer 5

Not a chance! My boys are perfect, just the way they were born.

No medical organization in the world recomends infant circumcision.
http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/

It is a painful, traumatic thing for a sweet little babe to go through.
http://www.circumcisionquotes.com/methods.html

And the risks are wayyyy too high!
http://www.circumcisionquotes.com/complications.html

Besides, most people are not doing it now anyway.
http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/bollinger2003/
http://www.courtchallenge.com/refs/yr99p-e.html

I read this article when expecting my first and thought it was great!
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/circumcision/against-circumcision.html

My husband is circumcised, but our sons are not. They are 5.5 and 2 right now and we will explain to them what circumcision is and how when Daddy was born doctors thought it was better, but when they were born, they knew it was not, so we did not do it to them.

We are very happy with our decision. So are our sons, at least they are enjoying their foreskins for now :) And if when they are grown, they want to be circumcised, they can be, not a problem! The same is not true if the boy is circumcised at birth, he is then stuck with what he has left :(

Take care!

Answer 6

Yes, I had my son circumcized; I'm Jewish, but I would have done so even if I were not. I believe that it's simply more hygienic. He's 26 now - he's very happy that I had him circumcized as an infant, as he thinks uncircumcized guys look rather peculiar (most American males are circumcized, so this is understandable).

As to "what to tell him" - I don't see any need to tell your son anything, or to agonize over it if you choose to have him circumcized; he won't remember it, and he won't recall being any other way, so there's very little to explain. I'm not a believer that the child is "emotionally scarred for life" or any similar nonsense, by something he can't remember, any more than he'd be "scarred" by the passage through the birth canal or cutting the umblilical cord. If you were circumcizing a four-year-old, then yes, I'd expect some trauma emotionally, but an infant doesn't have much means to distinguish where pain even comes from at such an early age.

Lastly - I've never seen a bris (circumcision ritual for the Jewish faith) where the baby cried for more than a minute or so; within no time at all, they're generally much more interested in what's going on around them, or just sleeping. I've seen mom and dad turn a little green... but that's another matter ;-)

Answer 7

My 16-month-previous son became circumcised, and if I had to do all of it once more desirable, i'd not. We were advised that the recent procedures they have reason no soreness. shall we listen him crying and screaming down the hallway. also, adhesions began to kind practically in the recent day, regardless of my spouse and that i following medical doctors' orders to pull the exterior lower back from the right of his penis and employing Vaseline at each and every diaper replace. Now, evidently that he must have a save on with-up technique even as he receives older to once again circumcise him. I comprehend the wellbeing and hygiene ingredient of circumcision, yet i'm very uncertain i ought to ever do it again. i believe it is way a lot less stressful on all individuals only to augment good cleanliness practices.

Answer 8

I chose not to snip the tip so to speak.I did much research and talk at length with my family Dr.What I found was this.It is purely cosmetic. And if kept clean there is no greater risk for infections than one that has been circumcised. I tought both my boys how to clean their own when they were old enough to understand. Neither have had any problems. Hope this helps some.

Answer 9

I have two sons and I didn't do it. My feeling was that if they weren't suppose to have it they wouldn't have been born with it.

I did research it on the Internet beforehand and saw some stills of what they did and it was horrible.

Also it can create problems, my cousins kid had to go in later because part of the foreskin was growing back and was pulling on his penis and the doctor just took a q-tip and pushed it back and the kid was traumatized.

Answer 10

I circumsized my son because of the risk of hygene problems and for the fact that of the people I know that are not they wish they were because of embarrassment with females that come from cultures that its the norm. I am happy with my decision, he looks like all the other little boys and wont have to be different.