to circumcise or not?

[Miss_BB]

My uncle had it done in his 20's, his wife at the time was a nurse, she was removing his stitches and it looked like he'd been attacked with a broken glass!

At least as an adult the foreskin isnt attached to the glans. As a new born baby they have to basically rip the foreskin off before they can remove it...and they do it awake!

Bekkie you're lucky if you didnt have issues, but there are many women that would beg to differ!

 

[bekkie]

It is indeed a personal choice but shouldn't the person who owns the penis make that choice? I'm not trying to make you feel bad...but I do regret having our son cut.

I'm very sorry to read of your experience. I can imagine how traumatic that must have been. You aren't making me feel bad, I don't regret the decision we made and if we have another son he will be circumcised as well.

It's very common here... and I've never heard a horror story... perhaps because it IS so common here the doctors are more knowledgeable and skilled in the procedure. I was in the waiting room with 4 other mothers and they all had the same experience I did...

I've definitely seen it to be a cultural difference - here in North America it's uncommon to see an uncircumcised penis, and in the UK it's uncommon to see a circumcised one *shrug*

 

[blutea]

It is indeed a personal choice but shouldn't the person who owns the penis make that choice? I'm not trying to make you feel bad...but I do regret having our son cut.

I'm very sorry to read of your experience. I can imagine how traumatic that must have been. You aren't making me feel bad, I don't regret the decision we made and if we have another son he will be circumcised as well.

It's very common here... and I've never heard a horror story... perhaps because it IS so common here the doctors are more knowledgeable and skilled in the procedure. I was in the waiting room with 4 other mothers and they all had the same experience I did...

It is very common here too and the doctor that did it has performed many circs before. If I have anything to say about it, we will NOT be circ'ing our next son.

 

[bekkie]

Understandably so, after going through that.

I just wanted to post to say that it isn't always the case that way... Not going to debate whether someone should, or shouldn't, that isn't my place to say, nor is it anyone elses. Have a good night.

 

[blutea]

Understandably so, after going through that.

I just wanted to post to say that it isn't always the case that way... Not going to debate whether someone should, or shouldn't, that isn't my place to say, nor is it anyone elses. Have a good night.

I agree.

 

[Rmar]

DH is circumcised, his whole family is circumcised, my family is circumcised but any boys that we have will not be circumcised. Like most parenting decisions, we researched and decided that there just isn't any reason not to do it. Circumcision isn't a decision I think anyone should make based on whether other people are. There is so much more to it. After DH researched it, he realised that he actually hates not having a foreskin so much that he wants to try and "restore" it. It is a heck of a lot easier to take something away if it is not liked then give it back.

 

[XJessicaX]

I would unnecessarily put your baby under any form of operation. Some children do require circumcision for medical reasons but the majority do not. So no, I wouldnt ever get it done.

 

[someoldgirl]

It would not even enter my mind to circumcise our little man.

In my opinion if it is not medically necessary then it is for cosmetic purposes and those decisions should only be made by the individual, not their parents.

Yes, it's not the norm here, but I am thankful for that and intend to teach my son to clean his bits properly rather than chopping bits off.

Also back to an earlier point - I have NEVER found uncircumcised men to struggle to use condoms.

 

[Deutschette]

I personally believe that we, even as mothers, have no right to put our sons through pain and take part of their body away while they are helpless infants who cannot protect themselves or even decline the procedure. Baby boys are human beings who have to live with whatever decisions we make for them while they are unable to defend themselves, and I would never circumcise if I were to have a boy.

Circumcision is a decision which should be left up to them when they are older and able to think for themselves.

 

[Miss_BB]

Also back to an earlier point - I have NEVER found uncircumcised men to struggle to use condoms.

Agreed!! If anything its a little safer in my opinion, because the foreskin acts like a moving tube and stops tearing of said condom.

If the penis is properly erect the foreskin pulls back anyway......

Check this out - it shows in diagram form what happens to the foreskin during sex!

https://www.circumcision.org/foreskin.htm

 

[kadey]

personally i wouldn't get it done. never even thought of it to be honest. its just not common practise in england unless you have medical reasons or religious reasons.x

 

[Lizzeh]

How interesting that some ladies here think an uncircumcised penis is gross. Over here it isn't normally done unless there's a medical reason, or a religious one.
With good personal hygiene there's nothing wrong with a penis in it's natural state!
It scares me to think that people are so estranged from the natural state of the human body that surgery like this is considered necessary even on infants. A comparison comes to mind with all the girls in America having surgery on their labia because they think their foof looks weird and it's such a turn off for them. I personally think that's a dangerous trend, next thing you know parents are circumcising their baby daughters as well!

 

[mrscookie]

See to me, a circumsized willy is more weird looking than an un-circ one! But I guess thats just down to what im used to and where I live... (England- worcestershire)

I wouldn't be getting my sons done if I have a boy..

 

[Miss_BB]

I personally think that's a dangerous trend, next thing you know parents are circumcising their baby daughters as well!

You know I was thinking the exact same thing when I was reading that people were doing this to baby boys for hygiene reasons... girls next!

Women can be just as grotty down there and get the same build up of smegma underneath the clitoral hood if they don't wash properly - I dunno about anyone else, but I always make sure every nook and cranny is cleaned when I have a shower or bath.

I will most definitely be showing my child (boy or girl) exactly how to wash their bits and pieces. I have no issues if its a boy, its natural and its part of bringing them up.

 

[chuck]

The only thing gross about any penis circumcised or otherwise if if your man is a dirty b*****d who doesnt wash!

Same as any body part, some guys have minging feet because they wont wash them (they get wet in the shower/bath isnt that enough - how many time have we heard that one ladies?) but we wouldnt expect them to be chopped off! (Mind you saying that seeing my hubby picking his and cutting blister skin off after the 2 marathons he ran in a week did make me thing cutting them off would be more pleasant).

I've never understood the hygiene argument for cutting off a body part..err wash it?

Meh maybe it's a UK thing it's not common here so routine circumcision seems weird.

I havent got my boy done and never considered it, my hubby has to get his done when he was a small boy for a medical reason so I'll be on the look out to see if the boyo needs it at any point. Yes hubby said it was sore but not traumatic so if it becomes necessary then he's get trimmed I guess.

 

[storm4mozza]

My OH isnt circumsized, neither is my family to my knowledge, so my Little man wont be having that done, x

 

[Miss_BB]

I can definitely see a trend difference between the UK and US - here in the UK its rare to find a circumcised man - and if he is, its not normally because of aesthetics - but for medical or religious reasons.

Seriously - when a baby boy pops out of his mummy's tummy there is nothing comes with him to say "use this to snip my foreskin off please" - nature is a wonderful thing and its really scary that people are more afraid of it, than of cosmetic style surgery...

There appears to be 3 ways of doing it to an infant - and all three ways I would NEVER want to inflict on my child!:

For infant circumcision, devices such as the Gomco clamp, Plastibell, and Mogen clamp are commonly used,[67] together with a restraining device.[68]

With all these devices the same basic procedure is followed. First, the amount of foreskin to be removed is estimated. The foreskin is then opened via the preputial orifice to reveal the glans underneath and ensure it is normal. The inner lining of the foreskin (preputial epithelium) is then bluntly separated from its attachment to the glans. The device is then placed (this sometimes requires a dorsal slit) and remains there until blood flow has stopped. Finally, the foreskin is amputated.[66] Sometimes, the frenulum band may need to be broken or crushed and cut from the corona near the urethra to ensure that the glans can be freely and completely exposed.[69]


* With the Plastibell, once the glans is freed the Plastibell is placed over the glans, and the foreskin is placed over the Plastibell. A ligature is then tied firmly around the foreskin and tightened into a groove in the Plastibell to achieve hemostasis. Foreskin distal to the ligature is excised and the handle is snapped off the Plastibell device. The Plastibell falls from the penis after the wound has healed, typically in four to six days.[70]

* With a Gomco clamp, a section of skin is dorsally crushed with a hemostat and then slit with scissors. The foreskin is drawn over the bell shaped portion of the clamp and inserted through a hole in the base of the clamp. The clamp is tightened, "crushing the foreskin between the bell and the base plate." The crushed blood vessels provide hemostasis. The flared bottom of the bell fits tightly against the hole of the base plate, so the foreskin may be cut away with a scalpel from above the base plate.[71]

* With a Mogen clamp, the foreskin is pulled dorsally with a straight hemostat, and lifted. The Mogen clamp is then slid between the glans and hemostat, following the angle of the corona to "avoid removing excess skin ventrally and to obtain a superior cosmetic result" to Gomco or Plastibell circumcisions. The clamp is locked, and a scalpel is used to cut the skin from the flat (upper) side of the clamp.

 

[AmethystDream]

My only trouble is.. I don't have the equipment, so how can I take a firm stance on it? And my DH doesn't feel that he had a botched circumcision... so I don't think I could convince him its better to leave it uncut.

You can take a firm stance on it because you grew the equipment in question

As has been said, it isn't a usual thing in the UK at all. Even to the point where, until reading this thread, it hadn't even crossed my mind.

 

[Armywife]

As has been said lots of times, it's not common to circ in the UK so it's not something which i would consider to be a decision i'd need to make - i just wouldn't consider it.

I really hate the idea of performing unecessary operations on babies. Poppy had operations when she was newborn and we had no choice in that, it was heartbreaking to go through and i just couldn't imagine voluntarily inflicting unecessary pain on my child just because it was 'the norm' or because some girl in the future may not like the look of an uncircumcised penis.

As for cleanliness, my husband isn't circumcised and he is the cleanest person you could imagine, my ex was circumcised and seemed to believe this meant he had a self cleaning penis so in my limited experience i'd have to say it's the habits you teach your child which determine their personal hygene - not a little extra skin.

 

[KandyKinz]

They also say circumcision destroys the bonding process between mother and baby. The baby gets hurt and thinks mum let it happen!

Sorry... this thread was mentioned in the Baby Club section and this really struck me... My little guy was circumcised when he was 2 weeks old. And I can say that it did not affect our bonding what-so-ever. He didn't even cry during the procedure. After it was done I went in and took him and nursed him, and he fell asleep. My little guy is perfectly fine and definitely still loves me lol.

It's all well and good if it isn't something you want to do for your own child, but this isn't some barbaric procedure performed in the back of a van... it's a medical procedure, performed by a doctor, They gave a local anesthetic to numb the area, and the nurse talked to him and rubbed his head the entire time so that he was comforted.

My OH knows a few men who have had the procedure done later on in life (one at 12, one at 18, and one in his 30s) and it was definitely no walk in the park.

Do understand that your situation is uncommon. More often than not the baby is in pain.

Like I explained before my son did have the painkiller (both the injected and topical) and it didn't make a difference. He was still in extreme pain. So much so that he would gasp for air and turn purple.

The only difference between a man getting a circ and a baby getting a circ is that a man has the words to complain about it and stronger pain meds to deal with that pain....

And although I've only been present for a few circs (12 to be exact) not one baby got through it without screaming and that was with the use of local anesthetics. And the babies all seemed basically fine when they were being held down by the nurses being prepped.... It wasn't until the doctor started tearing away the adhesions that attach the foreskin from the glans (which isn't suppose to be seperated for several more years) and making the incision that the babies started screaming.... which makes me inclined to think that perhaps it does hurt....