to circumcise or not?

[smashley]

I know this is a sensitive subject, but I wanted to start a thread about it and see what you ladies think. Hopefully it will stay pleasant and friendly!! Sorry if TMI about my life. lol

My mom is adamant about circumcision. She tells me it's the only way to go for health reasons, cleanliness, etc.

OH is not circumcised. It's not common in the country where he is from. He is a very clean person down there, so I know it's possible for a guy to keep his junk clean. lol. Also, he has no health issues.

We've talked about whether to have our baby circumcised or not. OH is leaning toward not having it done, but says the final decision is up to me (grrrrr). I asked him did other guys in the locker room in high school ever say anything and he said no. He said guys don't really look at each other's stuff for fear of being called gay.

I've also talked to my mom and she says not circumcising is gross.

I can honestly say that I have been with an uncircumcised penis and a circumcised penis and either way is okay with me as long as the guy washes himself.

This is such a hard decision to make. What if we have him circumcised and he wonders why he is different from his father?

I just don't know what to do.

 

[lisaf]

Ugh, just found out I'm team blue... this is one of those decisions I would have been happy not to face! LOL!

The anti-circ stuff is pretty extreme... the attitude makes it harder for me to take those opinions seriously sometimes.

The one thing I have heard is that if it has to be done later in life... it is MUCH more traumatic. BUT its supposed to be pretty uncommon for it to be needed later and sometimes is recommended when its not needed.

I do worry that some girl will think its 'gross' and that would be damaging to my son's ego... but that is still a 'cosmetic' reason. In the US it seems like its almost a 50/50 rate now (lots more boys going uncut) so the doctor's knowledge and care of uncut penises should improve, and the societal/female opinion of uncut ones.

I just dont' know what to do... DH says cut.

 

[smashley]

I was dreading this decision when I found out I was having a boy, too.

 

[tabitha561]

Im def getting mine circumcised.If I find out its a boy! For me seeing a man with extra foreskin is kinda gross.

 

[Inge]

It depends on the family and you. If you are confident you can keep it all clean and healthy then you dont need to go down the circumcision route. OH is and we both think if this one is a boy we probably will have him circumcised as soon as possible. But if its a health or religious reason then you do what you have to do. My mum had to have my brother circumcised after birth even though she didnt really want to because the skin was too tight and it would be too much pain for him to leave it.

 

[smashley]

to me they look the same when hard. Or maybe i just haven't seen enough.

 

[MyFavSurprise]

If you decide not to circumcise there's nothing wrong with it, you and his father will just need to teach him how to clean himself so that when he's old enough to do it on his own he will continue. I am going to circumcise my son basically because his father is circumcised and it is what we have chosen. Circumcision goes way way back in history and while at first I had hang ups about it in the begining, we've decided it's what we want to do. I think it's just personal choice as the studies don't show much of a health difference between doing it and not.

I researched it before talking it over with my boyfriend and when I brought it up to him he didn't even pause, he is glad he is circumcised and wants his son to be too.

My two nephews are not circumcised and they have not had any troubles teaching them how to pull back and wash themselves, no UTI problems or anything like some try to say. I think it's really down to personal choice Good luck making yours!!

 

[mislaww]

Ugh... I don't envy your situation, Smashley! Your mother doesn't seem to be helping the situation!

I'm maybe team blue and wouldn't circ, especially because DH isn't. I don't care at all either way as a girl. Been with both and uh... there are more important attributes than foreskin!

I don't believe there are any real health benefits to it. I'm generally against elective surgeries and medical intervention. As for being like other boys, I think it's becoming more common in North America not to do it (because health advice has changed).

If you can foresee him converting to a different religion, though, you might want to save him the pain as an adult!

 

[smashley]

what religions are the ones that require circumcision? OH is from a Catholic background, and I'm from a Baptist background, although neither of us really follow those religions too closely.

 

[Sugababe82]

OH GOD DONT DO IT!!!!

Ima brit, and ive dated American guys before, and in the bar conversations usually drift onto the obvious!

Now, im told - by many an American male, that the reason this procedure is so common / popular in the states, is that it is one of hygiene.

My argument is this:

When your little baby boy, your son, is born, He is born PERFECT. HE doesnt come out with an instruction manual with a little dotted line across his little perfect winky saying 'cut here'
NO!
Because humans were designed perfect - and in some cases admittedly, flaws do come into play but in general, they need no TAMPERING with.

LEAVE HIS THANG ALONE!!!!

Your son will be born perfect - all you need to worry about is loving and looking after him!!

IF circumcision is 'that' important to him, when he is of an age to decide for himself whether he wants to cut a teeny piece of skin of his own penis, then let him be the judge of that.

I would urge you to refrain.

Obviously you need to decide yourself, but like i said before, babies are born perfect. They require no cosmetic alterations.

 

[smashley]

OH GOD DONT DO IT!!!!

Ima brit, and ive dated American guys before, and in the bar conversations usually drift onto the obvious!

Now, im told - by many an American male, that the reason this procedure is so common / popular in the states, is that it is one of hygiene.

My argument is this:

When your little baby boy, your son, is born, He is born PERFECT. HE doesnt come out with an instruction manual with a little dotted line across his little perfect winky saying 'cut here'
NO!
Because humans were designed perfect - and in some cases admittedly, flaws do come into play but in general, they need no TAMPERING with.

LEAVE HIS THANG ALONE!!!!

Your son will be born perfect - all you need to worry about is loving and looking after him!!

IF circumcision is 'that' important to him, when he is of an age to decide for himself whether he wants to cut a teeny piece of skin of his own penis, then let him be the judge of that.

I would urge you to refrain.

Obviously you need to decide yourself, but like i said before, babies are born perfect. They require no cosmetic alterations.

That's pretty much how I feel. I would rather just leave nature alone. I just want to make sure what I do is for the best. Is circumcision common where you live?

 

[bellablue]

i am having a girl so don't need to think about it

but a non circ penis doesn't mean it is less healthy! or will be less healthy

 

[lisaf]

When your little baby boy, your son, is born, He is born PERFECT. HE doesnt come out with an instruction manual with a little dotted line across his little perfect winky saying 'cut here'
.

Just to play devils advocate a bit here, the appendix doesn't come with a dotted line either but it often has to be removed when there is a problem! (I know an inflammed organ is a totally different thing than a healthy foreskin... just saying the dotted line analogy doesn't exactly hold true!)


We do many things for cosmetic reasons... pierce ears etc...


The only pro-circ argument I can really come up with is that many guys I know who are uncut have had trouble finding condoms that fit well.... of course as more guys grow up uncut, they will have to come up with foreskin-friendlier condoms. But it IS something I have heard from several guys who weren't cut.

 

[Sherileigh]

We didn't, where I live it's become a lot less common to circ little boys. Hardly any DR's are doing it anymore. So LO would have been the odd man out if he had been. We thought if we can explain the difference between mommy and LO's bits, than I'm sure we can figure out a way to explain the difference between LO and daddy (OH is circ'd). I'm not against it for others, but was definitely not for it for my LO.
Personally I don't think it has anything to do with your mom, no offense. My mom was similar in her beliefs as she's old school, but it was a decision for me and OH.
Good luck hun!

 

[smashley]

Yeah, maybe if condoms were more comfortable for uncircumcised guys I wouldn't even be in this situation. lol

 

[mislaww]

The only pro-circ argument I can really come up with is that many guys I know who are uncut have had trouble finding condoms that fit well.... of course as more guys grow up uncut, they will have to come up with foreskin-friendlier condoms. But it IS something I have heard from several guys who weren't cut.

Fascinating! I made DH wait so damned long before putting out we never had to worry about that one....

 

[mislaww]

Yeah, maybe if condoms were more comfortable for uncircumcised guys I wouldn't even be in this situation. lol

 

[bellablue]

The only pro-circ argument I can really come up with is that many guys I know who are uncut have had trouble finding condoms that fit well.... of course as more guys grow up uncut, they will have to come up with foreskin-friendlier condoms. But it IS something I have heard from several guys who weren't cut.

Fascinating! I made DH wait so damned long before putting out we never had to worry about that one....

LOL I DID TO! HEHE!

 

[lisaf]

Yeah, maybe if condoms were more comfortable for uncircumcised guys I wouldn't even be in this situation. lol

 

[moomoo]

Lisaf - for some reason my phone won't let me quote you!

The appendix is also not routinely taken off newborn babies as the foreskin is?

Also when using a condom the foreskin should be fully retracted before putting it on so I don't get how it makes a difference?

Don't want to stir anything, just wanted to point them out