Before I begin I’d like to say that for the moms out there who have already made the decision to have your baby boy circumcised and regret it — don’t beat yourself up. It’s not your fault, we look to our doctors with confidence and sometime they let us down. Educate yourself and next time you will make a better choice or help another mom make an informed decision. There are many links and resources below. HUGS
If my son is born healthy — not needing any surgery to preserve his life, then we will obviously opt against any unnecessary surgeries/procedures. When we see his ultrasound pictures we already know he is just PERFECT the way that God made him. We love him so much already. DH and I want to protect him for his entire life, but especially during the time when he cannot protect himself. The thought of him receiving vaccinations kills me. I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay in the room. DH will have to step in for that one.
With that said . . .
Would someone please tell me why I would send my newborn baby boy off — alone — to be strapped down, only days after his birth, to have one of — if not the most sensitive part of his body cut off!?
YES, I’m referring to circumcision. Routine infant circumcision (RIC) not circumcision based on religion.
DH and I decided against circumcision long before we actually had the information to support our decision; simply because the thought of my baby being strapped down and in pain because of a decision WE made did NOT sit well with us.
There are many arguments used to support the idea that boys should be circumcised, the one that I hear most often is . . .
“It’s easier to clean”
Really? In my opinion if that was truly a valid reason to remove parts of our children’s bodies ALL girls should have their labia and clitoral hood cut off as well! All those darn folds getting in the way, makes it harder to clean and bathe them! Right?
Of course we as parents don’t want that extra work, and as they grow and get older they will most likely NEVER learn to properly clean their own bodies. SO let’s just have those parts removed!
Oddly enough if we were to circumcise a female it would be referred to as mutilation.
MUTILATION, y’all! What a double standard.
I truly hate to be or sound judgmental. However, I truly believe that there are so many choices being made out of sheer ignorance and I’ll admit it, I get a little a LOT riled up.
If Ari decides that he wants to be circumcised he will make that decision for himself when he is older. Who am I to subject him to a purely cosmetic procedure out of habit? From what I understand insurance doesn’t even cover circumcision because its not needed.
Below you will find information we received to support the fact that circumcision is NOT needed. ENJOY!
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“You may be faced with the decision of whether to circumcise your son. Don’t let culture blind you to the facts regarding this painful surgery, which is not recommended by a single medical organization in the world. I have attached a full disclosure form which every parent should read before signing the consent form to have their son circumcised. About 32% of boys born in the USA today are circumcised, and by the time our boys are “locker room age,” boys who are cut will be in the minority.
In 1995 Australian researchers were measuring the penis size of one hundred fifty participants to better understand condom sizing. An unexpected outcome of the research was discovering the difference in size between circumcised and intact erect penises. They found that circumcised penises were an average eight millimeters shorter than their intact counterparts. Circumcision also meant a reduction in girth of the penis by an average of two millimeters behind the coronal ridge and four millimetersat the glans.
http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/10/penis-reduction-surgery-does-size-not-matter.html
This is an excellent, dispassionate video about the function of the foreskin:
Does circumcision prevent HIV?
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/info/HIVStatement.html
Male Circumcision Ineffective in HIV Battle According to New Future HIV Therapy Report
Explanation of the highly erogenous nature of the foreskin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGlqzQf5Qvs&mode=related&search=
Once done, a circumcision can never be undone. This link contains 35 pages of posts from parents who are regretful of their decision to circumcise their son:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=112410
In order to truly understand a circumcision, it is helpful to watch one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXVFFI76ff0&feature=player_embedded
If you’re not sure you can stomach the video, start with still photos of a typical circumcision procedure:
http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/
Paul Fleiss is a pediatrician who is outspoken against circumcision. This is an article he wrote:
http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/fleiss.html
Isn’t it hard to care for a baby with an intact penis?
http://www.pregnancy.org/article/caring-your-intact-babys-foreskin
If you choose to circumcise, some things you should know:
· Circumcision is painful, and therefore can cause issues with breastfeeding. You reduce this risk by not performing the surgery until the baby is 6 weeks old and breastfeeding is established. Also, breastmilk reduces pain so a well-established nursing relationship can help your baby cope with the surgical recovery. Pain may persist for up to 2-3 weeks. Urinating will be especially painful.
· Expect irritability and sleep problems.
· A thin yellow film over the circumcision site appearing the following day is normal.
· Some bleeding is common, but watch for excess bleeding, a fever, or a baby who is not urinating. Some complications from circumcision are common, and serious complications, while relatively rare, do happen. This is another reason to wait several weeks, so that you have gotten to know your baby and what is “normal” behavior for him.
· It is unconscionable to perform surgery on a person without any pain relief. Read this article to begin to research the options available for reducing your baby’s pain: http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=759
Resources for religious circumcision alternatives:
http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/
http://www.jewishcircumcision.org
Is circumcision required by Christianity?
http://www.alternamoms.com/xcirc.html
There are many other choices that must be researched. Please make sure you have the information necessary to make informed choices.”
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