Saw my first freshly circed penis

[barefootpoetry]

My nephew was born a few weeks ago, and SIL had him circed. I figured she would, she's a pretty mainstream type parent, but I didn't bother trying to talk to her about it because all my efforts in the past to help her, like with BFing and other things, were ignored. But when I saw that poor baby's penis during a diaper change, I wish I had offered her some advice. It was so red and raw and....awful-looking. And to top it all off she was complaining about how she had to clean it all the time and change the bandages (before it healed). I wanted to scream, "you could have just left it alone and not had to do ANYTHING!"

DH and both our sons are intact, so I've gotten used to seeing intact penises. It was such a shock to me to see a circed one, especially one so newly done. I had to look away because I actually felt choked up. Funny how so many people say that a circed penis "looks better." That will NEVER look better to me, especially now that I've become accustomed to how a NORMAL penis looks. He healed very well, apparently, but it still looked so wrong.

[PuppyFluffer]

I remember hearing a European woman say how truly wrong a circumcised penis looked on a child. She explained that coming from an intact culture, the only time you saw the glans of the penis was during sexual arousal. To see a child in what she was accustomed to seeing during sexual arousal was just totally wrong to her. It made perfect sense to think of it that way.

I often wonder if it's part of why Europeans (in general) are so much more comfortable with nudity than we are - because the sexual parts are covered.

I am so sorry for your nephew.

[latinalonestar]

sick, huh? Hard to believe we allow this to happen to our babies... Such a violation of rights.

[latinalonestar]

Well the moment has arrived...

whoops

[katbomumof3]

I know what you mean, i was at a christmas concert at our church for my kiddos a couple of weeks ago, and saw another mother there changing her 4th babes dipe. He was only a week old, and i was shocked, mostly b/c I didn't expect that she would. I walked away with tears in my eyes, it makes me sooo sad.
Poor babies.
ANd i agree, I think a circed penis on a child looks totally wrong, it bothers me every time i see it.

[Nicole B]

This happened to me in a public restroom waiting my turn to change my son...
I was making small talk with the mom and could not help but notice when she was changing him
He was 5m old and STILL the head was so red compared to the shaft and it literally looked as if the glans was a "button" pinning the whole thing tight against him

That will NEVER look better to me, especially now that I've become accustomed to how a NORMAL penis looks. He healed very well, apparently, but it still looked so wrong.

My thoughts exactly!!!

My son's penis looks so perfect and that circ baby's looked so...butchered
I never thought about it before since my dh IS cut but seeing it on an infant I can't help but notice just how WRONG it really looks

[Fay]

A baby's circumcised penis looks mutilated...because it is mutilated.

[bluetoes]

They do look wrong to me since the only time you should be aware of that part is during arousal. Yet somehow in their twisted logic an intact penis is dirty? Having to clean poop off an open wound isn't?!

I was changing my son after we did a swimming class as were all the other parents on a long changing table in the dressing room. I unfortunately caught a glimpse on a poor little boy next to us. His penis looked incredibly scarred. Imagine you rolled a pair of knee high panty hose all the way down to the thinnest part of your ankle. That is how his penis looked.

Oh the ignorance. And I have discovered the hard way how impossible it is to reason with people.

[NamastePlatypus]

Originally Posted by barefootpoetry

My nephew was born a few weeks ago, and SIL had him circed. I figured she would, she's a pretty mainstream type parent, but I didn't bother trying to talk to her about it because all my efforts in the past to help her, like with BFing and other things, were ignored. But when I saw that poor baby's penis during a diaper change, I wish I had offered her some advice. It was so red and raw and....awful-looking. And to top it all off she was complaining about how she had to clean it all the time and change the bandages (before it healed). I wanted to scream, "you could have just left it alone and not had to do ANYTHING!"

DH and both our sons are intact, so I've gotten used to seeing intact penises. It was such a shock to me to see a circed one, especially one so newly done. I had to look away because I actually felt choked up. Funny how so many people say that a circed penis "looks better." That will NEVER look better to me, especially now that I've become accustomed to how a NORMAL penis looks. He healed very well, apparently, but it still looked so wrong.

I know what you mean I am the only one I know IRL pretty much that is against it and everytime I see it it still hurts. I wish I could have the boys where shirts that say they are intact. everytime I see a boy now, regardless of age my heart breaks for what they had to go through and what they never got to experience.

[becca_howell]

My mom brought up to me the other day that my cousin had her newborn son cic'd and "they had such a neat way of doing it." I'll spare the graphic details she didn't spare me, but I felt like throwing up when she was telling me!

[Nicole B]

"they had such a neat way of doing it."

:Puke
That sounds about like something my mom would comment about
It's like she knows where I stand and she's "OK" with me leaving my son intact but she totally does not see the horror of what RIC is...

Added note that my own brother (when he speaks of it) is openly MAD about it being done to him as an infant
I'd bring up restoring to him but he's totally mainstream enough to think me INSANE for even bringing it up

[aurora_skys]

Originally Posted by PuppyFluffer

I remember hearing a European woman say how truly wrong a circumcised penis looked on a child. She explained that coming from an intact culture, the only time you saw the glans of the penis was during sexual arousal. To see a child in what she was accustomed to seeing during sexual arousal was just totally wrong to her. It made perfect sense to think of it that way.

I often wonder if it's part of why Europeans (in general) are so much more comfortable with nudity than we are - because the sexual parts are covered.

I am so sorry for your nephew.

thats a really interesting perspective! ive never heard it put that way. the next time my dh is critical, i will tell him this.

[Arwyn]

I avoided (and still try to avoid) being around diaper changes of circumcised boys, because it is so awful -- not just the way it looks (it just looks wrong, and my partner is circumcised so you'd think I'd be used to it! but especially on little ones, it's just... wrong), but how awful it makes me feel. My pain can't help them any at this point, so I don't bother.

And yes, I too have sat through descriptions of how much they screamed when they peed after they were cut. It sucks.

[mismaggie]

I'm new to this site but am a 4 time mother. I am ashamed to say that I did circ my first 3 boys With my last boy I put my foot down and spared my son. I did not want to circ my first three but my hubby thought we should and I reluctantly agreed. I wish,wish,wish I could go back and change it but the awful,sad truth is what's done is done. I agree with you mamas though after seeing what a babies penis should look like it is heart wrenching to see a circ'd one. I even have a hard time seeing my 2 year olds when I change his diaper. It just looks"wrong" and painful and my heart still breaks for my first three.

[Gabe'sMummy]

I have never in my life seen a circ'd penis (DS and DP are intact; my stepbrother and brother when I was growing up, were intact;plus previous partners all intact too). I am British so that is why.

I imagine it does look wrong, especially on a newborn or a child in general...it's sad that it is still being practiced.

[tammyswanson]

Originally Posted by mismaggie

I'm new to this site but am a 4 time mother. I am ashamed to say that I did circ my first 3 boys With my last boy I put my foot down and spared my son. I did not want to circ my first three but my hubby thought we should and I reluctantly agreed. I wish,wish,wish I could go back and change it but the awful,sad truth is what's done is done. I agree with you mamas though after seeing what a babies penis should look like it is heart wrenching to see a circ'd one. I even have a hard time seeing my 2 year olds when I change his diaper. It just looks"wrong" and painful and my heart still breaks for my first three.

Hey, at least you didn't circ your last baby boy. It's so sad this is allowed to be practiced at all. Parent's should not have to make a choice, there should be no choice to mutilate.