So I've been thinking about "it" again. "It" being the only downside I can see to having a boy - whether or not to have him circumcised.
Honestly I don't know what to do.
On the one side I want him to look like his father, grandfather, etc. I don't want him to be self conscious about being "different". But then again - not all boys are having it done these days.
On the other hand I don't want to hurt my baby boy! I'm working really hard to learn how to avoid painkillers during childbirth so he won't be effected by them it seems crazy to have them given directly to him shortly afterbirth so someone can whack off the end of his penis. And I would never have it done without painkillers. I don't care that he won't remember it.
I've read both the AAFP (American Association of Family Physicians) and AAP (American Association of Pediatricians) articles on circumcision and they are neutral at best. Basically they say that it is a cosmetic surgery and while there is research out there that it may protect again STD's I'm going to go on the "not haveing promiscuous sex" road to protecting against STD's. (Seriously people - that's your argument!) And yes, he will have to learn to clean it, but a girl's got to take care of her va-jay-jay.
There is also a risk of complications related to surgery. Reaction to medication, botched surgery, etc. I know someone whose two year old has had to have additional procedures because of an error in during his circumcision. YIKES!
So I don't know what we are going to do, but I am going to spend a lot of time looking into this and deciding what is going to be best for all of us. Thank goodness I have a few more months to look into this.
2 comments:
First of all, when they do it they won't give him a general anesthesia, it will be a local (kind of like when you get a filling). With JP they gave us a cream to put on the penis about 20-minutes before the actual procedure so he wouldn't feel the pain from the injection. Mr. Tonks and I insisted on being present and gave him a sugar binky. He only cried once and that was when I unwrapped him from the blanket because he didn't like the cool air. He never cried during the actual procedure and I don't remember him being terribly fussy or seeming like he was in pain afterwards.
Second, I'm going to assume that circumcision errors are rare. I'll tell you the same thing I tell Mr. Tonks when we talk about the Big V (his friend had lots of complications from a botched procedure): don't use that particular child's pediatrician. Discuss concerns/wishes/expectations with the baby's doctor to get a good feel for whether or not you guys are on the same page with this issue. (P.S.- we just switched pediatricians and I really, really like the new practice if you're still looking for someone).
Third, you don't have to do it before he leaves the hospital. There's no reason the pediatrician can't do it in-office at the one-week or one-month check up. By one month you'll know your baby's personality and will be better able to assess how the circumcision affects him.
Finally, yes, he will have to take care of keeping his penis clean eventually but, I can assure you, it will be your issue and your job for the next 5-6 years. From what I understand keeping an uncircumcised penis clean is imperative to prevent cysts, UTI's, etc. which can be very painful.
You and M absolutely have to decide what's best for your little guy (I'd let M have a bit more say in it because, well, he's a guy!) and you will. You're already great parents and your baby isn't even born yet! I just thought I'd throw my two cents in because I've been in your shoes and had no one with a baby boy to go to for input. :)
THANKS!
You know this is not even something I thought about until it came up in class.
I still don't know what we will do, but I really appreciate the info.
In the end we will probably wait until he is at least 10 days old to do it.
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