to circumcise or to not circumcise?

Question

I find out what i am having next month at five months along. we'er hoping for a boy, we've already got a beautiful daughter.
but i have a question, one my husband doesn't seem to interested in thinking about or answering,

so!

to circumcise or to not circumcise? this for me is a difficult question. I want my son to feel like he is "the same" as his daddy, so when potty training comes up he doesn't feel like something is wrong with him.

but! it isn't an entirely nessesary process, and some insurances are not even covering the procedure. my mother is completely against it, while my inlaws strongly feel like it is important.
i stand in the middle seemingly left to make the decision on my own... Or i could just have another girl! LOL

any thoughts or adivce?

Answer 1

You seem concerned for your son's future, and torn between family members. What I can tell you is, you need to find out for yourself what circumcision all entails, and whether it is right for your son.
Circumcision is a MEDICALLY UNNECESSARY procedure. (the AAP even says so). It holds no benefits, and so is purely cosmetic. It is comparable to getting your newborn son a nose-job, so he looks "just like daddy". It just doesn't make much sense to put a newborn through surgery, run the risk of infection, or adverse effects from anesthetics, or worse, having him go through the severe pain with NO anesthetics (and yes, some docs do that), and the pain for days afterward, all while taking away a vital part of your son's penis.
My fiance is circumcised, but our son's will not be. His brother wasn't, and they grew up thinking nothing about it. Now that my fiance knows what was taken from him, he is upset that it was done so without any consent from him. But he is happy his brother got to keep his, at least. (his parents were informed by a wonderful doctor on how unnecessary it really was).
I would say, do some research. Find out how a circumcision is really done. And ask yourself, would you approve of this being done to your daughter? No? Then why your son? Only newborn boy's in America are born with a "defect" that requires surgery at only a day old or less. It doesnt make much sense that God would make it a part of our son's if it didn't have a purpose, does it?

Answer 2

Leave him intact. There is no medical reason to circumcise. A few bull reasons for the argument for... -it's cleaner Not really, you have to take care of the wound after. If he's left intact you wash it like you would a finger. You don’t pull the foreskin back, it’s fused there and will remain so until 4-5 sometimes up to puberty. -it looks nicer what grown parent looks at their child after babyhood to say "you have a nice looking penis"? Penises don't look nice, they're utilitarian. If when he’s older and has a partner that doesn’t like it, then that person isn’t right for them -he'll be made fun of in the change room The rate of circumcision is dropping, so by cutting your son is actually going to make him the odd one out. Plus most boys are too embarrassed to go buck naked in the change room anyways. The fear of being small or having a spontaneous erection is more embarrassing than a foreskin -he'll be less likely to get STDs safe sex protects against STD, not being cut -I want him to look like Daddy, because Daddy is Unless daddy gets a regular Brazilian or baby come out with full pubes they won't look the same. By the time they look the same they'll be able to communicate their differences It’s your son's penis, not yours. Let him choose when he can decide for himself.

Answer 3

Ok.. all I can give is my opinion based on my life. I'm not circumcised and I'm glad I'm not. I do recall as a child that if I didn't wash regularly it did get a bit raw from I assume the uric acid but it didn't take long for me to figure out how to prevent that little problem. I never had any feelings of being different or odd and no one ever said a word to me about my member being different. I'm glad my folks decided not to and that my Mom was very specific about proper hygeine. It isn't difficult at all. Our son was "trimmed" but not totally circumcised so that may be an option for you, depending on your physcian. By the way, I'm 53 years old, so I was born back in the "Dark Ages" and if I handled it, I'm sure your son will be able to as well.

Answer 4

Circumsision rates have gone down since the 80's in Canada and America by a significant 70% so if fitting in is what ur worried about then ur better off leaving him perfectly intact

Answer 5

I am 37 weeks with a boy and we have decided no to have him circumcised. You can teach a boy to properly clean himself not matter if he is circumcised or not. Why would I want to put my newborn through unnecessary pain, just because of what some people think. My OBGYN told me that the baby's mood could be disrupted for 24 hours or more after the procedure (where he might not nurse or sleep).

**Most people say that they don't feel anything afterwards, but I know better than that. My friend had her son circumcised, and you would had never known, until he peed. It apparently burned badly and hurt, now why would I want to let that happen to my son**

My husband and my mother are with me on this, but my in-laws think we are being silly. But I am going to do what I feel is right and that is not to circumcise my son.
My husband is circumcised, and sees no reason to have his son circumcised, just because he is. A little boy can not compare himself to his father, because there is a major difference between them and nothing can change that.

Answer 6

Well, we all have lots of opinions! Ultimately it is your choice, it is not an absolutely vital health requirement - so there is no wrong answer.

Personally, my view is to have a baby boy circumcised. It makes cleanliness easy from the start; it prevents foreskin problems like balanitis and phimosis and various studies are now showing it helps to prevent UTIs, various STDs and even HIV/AIDs, not to mention cancer and also cancer of the cervix in women. That's a lot of stuff going for it!

In North America it remains popular with about 60 of all newborn males getting done at birth and when not done at birth a further 10% of uncircumcised boys and men get circumcised some time later. There are regional differences in this and in some areas it is more like 80%(check with other moms and mom-to-be as to what they are doing.
Clearly, religious and cultural norms should have some effect as well as your own personal preferences.

However, to repeat my first statement, at the end of the day, it is your personal choice. Your husband isn't interested so go with what you feel is best for your son and for you as his Mom. If you choose circumcision, here is one supporter in your camp!

Answer 7

If your baby's daddy is not circumcised I wouldn't do it to the baby either. If you don't be sure to clean it properly though.
Yes circumcising does help prevent diseases such as cervical cancer, if the penis is not cleaned properly. If the man you are bedding down with does not clean his penis properly such as pulling the skin back and cleaning around the head, it can cause cervical cancer. But if you teach your child, when the time comes that is, to clean his penis thoroughly then this shouldn't be a problem. Unless your religion calls for circumcising.
Other than that like I said before if his father isn't then I wouldn't circumcise the baby.

Answer 8

This is a hard question because I let my husband decide and he chose to circumsize but I beleive alot more people are not having it done now. I would talked to your doctor about the benefits with eihter way and make the best descion. Maybe ask the hospital too to see what percentage of boys baby's they circumsize. No matter what your descion is it willbe the riht one.

Answer 9

I don't understand why people are so stuck on this. Girls have to clean their parts, guys can too. Boys who are left intact need no special care during infancy unlike infant boys who need to have gauze and vaseline. In fact, you don't need to do anything except wash the exterior until the boy is 3-4 when it retracts on its own. If a boy is taught to clean himself then he isn't any more likely to get an infection. Girls get yeast infections and UTIs pretty commonly and we don't circumcise them. My fiance is circumcised but he insisted that our son not be. He feels cheated because he had a piece of his body taken away without his permission.

Answer 10

My kids still have everything they came with, and so will any future children. In response to the people who are worried about cleanliness and disease: why not just teach your sons good hygiene and safe sex practices? You should teach those things anyway!

Fewer baby boys are being circumcised, so if the "locker room phenomenon" is a concern, know that only half of your son's future classmates will be cut.