Mothering › Forums › Health › The Case Against Circumcision › I am so glad I left my baby intact.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

I am so glad I left my baby intact.  

post #1 of 21
Thread Starter 
When I found out that I was pregnant with a boy, I was confronted with the circumcision question, one I had NEVER pondered on before. I always kind of thought it was a given that he'd be just like his daddy.. cut. I asked my uncle (my only living family - my parents are deceased) what he thought about it, and my uncle immediately told me NOT to do it, that it was mutilation. Huh? His adamant tirade against circumcision launched me into a frenzy of research. I found a bunch of bull about how circumcised penises are easier to clean (which made no sense to me logically).. some very suspicious studies on how it supposedly prevents HIV infection (whatever happened to teaching boys to use condoms?).. and whole LOT of reality about how unnecessary and painful it really is.

When my son was born, I had a wonderful pediatrician. He asked if I wanted him circumcised, and I asked if there was any medical reason to do so. "Absolutely not. It's all about looks," was his reply.. the most refreshingly honest answer I've ever gotten from a doctor. So, with that, I said no. 3 months later, I am so glad that I didn't do it. I never had to witness my boy in any pain.. feel any sense of guilt or regret. And.. this may come off as kind of odd.. but I prefer the look of it. His penis is attractive in that it is smooth-toned and natural, not scarred and off-color like my husband's circumcised penis is.

I am a total convert to the anti-circ debate, and the more I research, the more confident I am in that fact. My uncle told me that my little boy will one day thank me for not getting him cut, and he's probably right.
post #2 of 21
Thank goodness for your uncle speaking up. You can pay it forward, by speaking up to others!. Congratulations on your intact son!

Gillian
post #3 of 21

What a wonderful mama you are!

Congrats on you perfect whole boy!

Just wanted to make sure you read those two threads:

A Warning For Parents of Intact Sons http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=129378

The Definition of "Retraction" & Why it is BAD http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=575627
post #4 of 21
for you mama, you made the right decision to protect your baby boy! Spread the word, and don't get discouraged when others are stubborn and refuse to understand. Some day someone will get the message and feel just as relieved and thankful as you do today!
post #5 of 21
: another link you might find helpful in the future http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732
post #6 of 21
So proud of your uncle for speaking up for children and so happy that you listened to him and your heart. Please never let anyone retract your dear little boy, except himself.
post #7 of 21

Great job!

I'm right there with ya momma!
I've saw a handful of circumsized infants when working in our church nursery and they simply look..butchered
I never thought about it with my dh cause the damage was long done and it just looked "normal" to me but seeing it on a baby gives me a whole new perspective on it and saddens me so much every time I see a cut baby boy:
I agree my intact son has beautiful perfect bits and I still smile proudly at every diaper change knowing I've protected him in every way I can:
post #8 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicole B View Post
I'm right there with ya momma!
I've saw a handful of circumsized infants when working in our church nursery and they simply look..butchered
I agree my intact son has beautiful perfect bits and I still smile proudly at every diaper change knowing I've protected him in every way I can:

I feel the same way; circ'd kids do look butchered ...all of them: some more some less, but all look butchered nonetheless.

I too am very proud having an intact son. He is perfect...ALL of him!
post #9 of 21
:

That is so great! I'm glad you didn't get bamboozled by people giving you bad information.
post #10 of 21
thats awesome you had your uncle to give you that insight! They do look way better uncut, and there is no reason to cut!
post #11 of 21
I'm glad you had such a positive experience - and that your dr is so supportive!
post #12 of 21
Thread Starter 

:)

Thank you all for the replies, and the information on retracting! Our child care provider (a stay at home mom, it's done in her house - waaay better than daycare!) has never retracted him, and since she's the only one who changes him, I'm glad I don't have to worry too much about it. I will keep that info in mind for babysitters!

I can't help but wonder if things will change over the next few decades. The only reason why most people do it nowadays is because everyone ELSE does it, and they want their kid to fit in.. besides the misguided ideas that circ'd penises are somehow more sanitary, or the sketchy "facts" about HIV that's being shoved down our throats. I wonder if, as more women like us say "no" to circumcision, non-circ'd babies will start to become the norm. The only reason why I would have any future sons snipped is for any untreatable medical conditions that may arise.. that's IT. Snipping for aesthetics, or to have him look more like his peers is a stupid reason in my eyes. But perhaps the norm will become uncircumcised babies, and we'll see a sharp decline in circumcision in the future. One could hope.
post #13 of 21
congrats on having a boy and leaving him intact!! ::

Quote:
Originally Posted by siriusrising View Post
The only reason why I would have any future sons snipped is for any untreatable medical conditions that may arise.. that's IT.
The only medical reasons for circ is frostbite, gangrene, malignancy, and serious trauma, all very rare so you will never need to worry about that. Just enjoy your babe and don't let anybody tell you that you will need to amputate to treat an infection, it just doesn't work that way when our fingers get infected so why we should treat an intact penis differently? anyways, good luck and congrats again!
post #14 of 21
So wonderful that you have supportive people in your life, both your uncle and your pediatrician.
post #15 of 21
Not to worry. We are already seeing a sea change. There are lots and lots more intact boys running around. If we keep up the chatter on the internet there will be even more. Look at the comments that are being posted whenever a pro-circ article appears. Folks are finally getting it.
post #16 of 21
Congrats and welcome baby boy!! Bless your uncle and thank goodness he spoke up. YAY! for leaving your son intact, you should be proud mama!:
post #17 of 21
I have two girls, but we didn't find out the gender so we had the circ discussion just in case. DH and I came down on opposite sides and neither would budge.

I thank all you SO MUCH for coming here and sharing your stories so that IF we ever decide to have a third I can help DH understand where I'm coming from.



-Vijay
post #18 of 21
I think we're part of the sea change in my house. A few years ago it honestly wouldn't have occurred to me NOT to. Now my friends and I are talking about it, and realizing it's not "necessary" and not just those weird hippie tree huggers who don't do it. But around here, that DOES lead to a lot of conversation. More people are interested in my son's penis than I would've thought!
post #19 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Burnindinner View Post
I think we're part of the sea change in my house. A few years ago it honestly wouldn't have occurred to me NOT to. Now my friends and I are talking about it, and realizing it's not "necessary" and not just those weird hippie tree huggers who don't do it. But around here, that DOES lead to a lot of conversation. More people are interested in my son's penis than I would've thought!
I think everyone is part of that sea change. I think the thing is people just have to be made to think. That's all. For years they've been fed misinformation and when they see someone take the step you did, it makes them think. They see first hand that it is in no way necessary. And so what you did and your discussions will lead to more people being confident in not circumcising.
post #20 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by siriusrising View Post
The only reason why I would have any future sons snipped is for any untreatable medical conditions that may arise.. that's IT. Snipping for aesthetics, or to have him look more like his peers is a stupid reason in my eyes. But perhaps the norm will become uncircumcised babies, and we'll see a sharp decline in circumcision in the future. One could hope.

I just wanted to ask you to please not call circ a snip, especially when talking to parents who may consider it. This gives such a false impression about this surgery, which snip has NOTHING to do with. If you saw a video of the actual procedure, you will see that it has three stages: 1. Ripping apart (separating foreskin from the glans); 2. Crushing (crushing the foreskin with a device); 3. Cutting off. Snip has nothing to do with it.

You are a very wise mama for keeping your son intact . Let's help others come to this decision as well by naming things for what they are.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: The Case Against Circumcision
This thread is locked  
Mothering › Forums › Health › The Case Against Circumcision › I am so glad I left my baby intact.