Leaving the diaper on during exams

[peainthepod]

When I first had the baby we had no intention of doing well baby visits because we don't vaccinate and I don't see the need to hang out in a germy doctor's office just so I can be told what I already know--that my son is healthy. But it occurs to me that my state has some draconian laws with regard to vaccines, and it can't hurt to protect myself from charges of medical neglect should some nosy Parker ever question it. So we go. And I hate it, but whatever.

Anyway, I found a good pediatrician who is cool with not vaxing and has a great bedside manner. She answers my questions and is very supportive of breastfeeding and bedsharing. Nonetheless, I watch her like a hawk when she's examining him, ready to smack her hand away if necessary whenever I see her starting to drift towards his penis. I also make sure to tell each and every nurse, nurse practitioner, and the ped, "Don't retract his foreskin. Don't touch it." each and every time we go. I'm sure they think I'm a nut but I don't really care. His health is more important than my local reputation.

But I'm wondering, is there any reason I can't put his diaper back on after they weigh him? I don't see why it needs to come off as long as he's healthy and soiling his diapers normally.

What do you think? What is she checking for when she palpates his genitals and is that part of the exam really necessary?

[lawmama1984]

Well, my pedi checks the scrotum and the testicles when he exams that area. DS puts his diaper back on after weight check and the doctor just takes the diaper off quickly, feels the nodes down there and makes sure everything is looking good and healthy. He is really quick about it and never touches his foreskin or penis, for which I am really thankful. But I think keeping a hawk eye out is a really great idea b/c you just never know and can never be too careful

[PuppyFluffer]

I think you're find putting his diaper back on. That's what I do at our family practitioner's after we weigh the baby.

I too am in a state with vaccine issues and I do a very loose well baby visit schedule to establish that we have regular medical care so no medical neglect allegation can ever be substantiated. It's a shame that we have to do this....but it's smart to cover your posterior!

[PuppyFluffer]

Once it's been established that the testicles are descended, is it necessary to check this on an ongoing basis? Do they every retract never to be seen again?

[peainthepod]

Originally Posted by PuppyFluffer

Once it's been established that the testicles are descended, is it necessary to check this on an ongoing basis? Do they every retract never to be seen again?

I guess this is my question. I don't want to get on this ped's bad side because I really do like her and think she's a very good doctor. Maybe next time I'll just ask...

[milosmomma]

Originally Posted by lawmama1984

Well, my pedi checks the scrotum and the testicles when he exams that area. DS puts his diaper back on after weight check and the doctor just takes the diaper off quickly, feels the nodes down there and makes sure everything is looking good and healthy. He is really quick about it and never touches his foreskin or penis, for which I am really thankful. But I think keeping a hawk eye out is a really great idea b/c you just never know and can never be too careful

:

[3pink1blue]

my sons testicles disappeared, so yes, they can retract for a long period. our pedi said they aren't actually retracted though, just really hidden in the fat pad. (as is his penis - if he was circumcised you wouldn't see it at all.)

as far as diapers - I leave it on after the weight check, then we remove it for the doctor to double check his hips, and just the one time (today actually) to check his "missing" testicles.

[lawmama1984]

My understanding is that the pedi also checks for any lymph nodes that may be swollen down there as well as to just check on the general health of the testicles and scrotum, so to speak (I actually also did not know they could retract after having descended, so that is really interesting to learn). I think it is pretty standard to check childrens' genitals (at least from my limited experience)...our friends have a DD and I am pretty sure the doctor does a quick check down there during her well baby visits as well

[latinalonestar]

I think if his testicles have been checked and are normal, there really isn't a need to keep checking. After some bad experiences, I keep my son's diaper on unless I have a specific question about something on his bum. Last time I asked her to check a rash around his anus and so I took it off but I reminded her not to touch his penis.

[bubbamummy]

For that very reason I am not taking my son to Well Baby checks. I am English and I am visiting family next month, I have him booked in at my Drs in the UK for his 1 year check as I know there is NO possibility that they will try and retract his foreskin there as circ isnt common at all! Infact my dr was shocked when I told her how common it was here!!

He had his testicles checked at his 6months well baby (which I did go to) and luckily they stayed well away which is good as I wasnt aware that it was common for Drs to forcibly retract the foreskin!:

[InDaPhunk]

Originally Posted by peainthepod

I also make sure to tell each and every nurse, nurse practitioner, and the ped, "Don't retract his foreskin. Don't touch it." each and every time we go. I'm sure they think I'm a nut but I don't really care. His health is more important than my local reputation.

IME, it's better to say "Please don't touch his penis". Drs/nurses/PAs/whatevas seem to get confused in between retract and foreskin (ie "what is foreskin? what good is it? what is retract? I just pulled it back a little/as far as it would go/until I felt resistance, it's just fine " IOW, they 'don't get it') so in that case they can just leave the penis alone until they start having pictures of intact penises in US medical books as standard male anatomy. If I had a dollar for every time I read a post here wherein a person trusted their HCP to not retract their DS's penis and they did it anyway, I'd have....at least $100. And it still makes my blood boil every time.

Be paranoid. You have every right to be, you should be.

If the medical personnel wants to know why you don't want them to touch DS's penis, explain why you're not comfortable with it, then no matter what he/she says, just say "I'm sure you know what you're doing, I'm just not comfortable with it and I'm *sure* you wouldn't want me to allow anything I'm not comfortable with". Give them the ole' George Costanza "It's not you, it's me" if you don't feel like sparring, and if you do feel like sparring, well, then give them an earful.

After all I've read here and after what my family has experienced (thankfully, it's been comparatively very little, but that's partly due to mine and DH's insane diligence at WBVs) I've decided it's just easier to do it this way, saves you and DS some anguish.

It's so much better to feel like a jerk at WBVs then to feel like you didn't protect your DS after an MD retracts DS's foreskin right in front of you before you can stop him. It's crazy that parents should even be put in the uncomfortable position of literally smacking a HCP's hand away. So twisted.

From what I can determine, there's not any reason they should even have to touch the penis. Anything wrong with it that needed to be fixed would be well evident irrespective of an exam in a drs office. If anyone has evidence to the contrary, I'll be glad to read it. The more info, the better.

As a new mom I was more...timid when it came to WBVs- though not as much as some people, I typically have no problem speaking out. I said what had to be said but...I guess I somewhat took the medical personnel's feelings into consideration and I felt bad for saying it...like I was the jerk for telling them their job even though I knew I was right.

Now....well, if they don't like what I have to say and how I say it, then they can just bite me .

Don't worry about them thinking you're a nut.

Congrats on your new baby!

[Fi.]

Originally Posted by sophieslion

For that very reason I am not taking my son to Well Baby checks. I am English and I am visiting family next month, I have him booked in at my Drs in the UK for his 1 year check as I know there is NO possibility that they will try and retract his foreskin there as circ isnt common at all!

While circ *at birth* is not common, religious circ & circ in infancy and childhood is more common than you'd like to think. As there is no set of numbers released we really have no idea how common it is but doctors in the UK (depending on where you are) can be bloody awful.

I had one doctor tell me I should have just done it at birth and most of his patients are and (in his words) "Yes, I mean the white ones". Another female doctor told me that I should have it done ASAP (he had a yeast infection), refused to culture until I really got on her about it, and after refusing the surgery 3 times she gave us cream (which cleared it right up). She told me that if I noticed any ballooning he'd need an emergency circ. When I clarified she meant ballooning like the normal developmental ballooning she was horrified I thought it was normal and wouldn't circ over it.

The first doctor tried to rip his foreskin back, the second told me it needed to retract by his 2nd birthday but up to 5 was okay. If it didn't retract at 5 it needed to be "cut away as soon as possible"

So don't think that Canada or the UK is 100% safe just because of a low at birth circ rate and general public acceptance of the procedure not being done.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by PuppyFluffer

Once it's been established that the testicles are descended, is it necessary to check this on an ongoing basis? Do they every retract never to be seen again?

It is possible.

One of DS's did, but the Dr thought it was probably just b/c the office was cold, and showed me where to check it my self when DS was at home. Sure enough it popped right back down as soon as he was warm.

[bubbamummy]

Originally Posted by Fi.

While circ *at birth* is not common, religious circ & circ in infancy and childhood is more common than you'd like to think. As there is no set of numbers released we really have no idea how common it is but doctors in the UK (depending on where you are) can be bloody awful.

I had one doctor tell me I should have just done it at birth and most of his patients are and (in his words) "Yes, I mean the white ones". Another female doctor told me that I should have it done ASAP (he had a yeast infection), refused to culture until I really got on her about it, and after refusing the surgery 3 times she gave us cream (which cleared it right up). She told me that if I noticed any ballooning he'd need an emergency circ. When I clarified she meant ballooning like the normal developmental ballooning she was horrified I thought it was normal and wouldn't circ over it.

The first doctor tried to rip his foreskin back, the second told me it needed to retract by his 2nd birthday but up to 5 was okay. If it didn't retract at 5 it needed to be "cut away as soon as possible"

So don't think that Canada or the UK is 100% safe just because of a low at birth circ rate and general public acceptance of the procedure not being done.

Interesting. I didnt know anyone that was circ'ed in the UK, at least no boys that I knew well enough to ask and none of my family or my friends families. My Dr was shocked at how common it is in the US.

But good to know anyway

[purplestraws]

We see a family practice doctor, but he only checked my sons genitals at the very first visit at 2 weeks. Since then he'll just ask if we have any concerns with his genitals and then moves on. I much prefer this approach. I'm sure if we were seeing a regular ped...they'd do a diaper check each time...which just seems kind of unnecessary after a certain point.

[frontierpsych]

Our ped weighs with the diaper on. Only time he takes it off is to check his hips, but he leaves it laying over his penis so he doesn't get sprayed, lol! I'm very careful about this, too. It hasn't been a problem yet, though.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

They also check for hernia's not only descended testicles. I stopped doing wbc back when ds was 4mo but have had him in a few times when he was sick and the Dr. tried to retract him. So I am not sure if I will allow a under the diaper (at this point under the under ware check) check ever again.

I struggle with it because what if he does have a small hernia I wouldnt know about it and maybe the Dr. would catch it.

Neither of my kids where weighed without diapers on at WBC and dd went to every single one. I just put a fresh diaper on her and they weighed her that way and the 3 times ds went same thing. I think the main reason is they didnt want the possible mess lol So actually if you dont want to have the diaper off just change them into a fresh one and do the weight with it on.

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by sophieslion

For that very reason I am not taking my son to Well Baby checks. I am English and I am visiting family next month, I have him booked in at my Drs in the UK for his 1 year check as I know there is NO possibility that they will try and retract his foreskin there as circ isnt common at all! Infact my dr was shocked when I told her how common it was here!!

He had his testicles checked at his 6months well baby (which I did go to) and luckily they stayed well away which is good as I wasnt aware that it was common for Drs to forcibly retract the foreskin!:

My SIL who lives in Moscow (Russia) has a boy just two months older then my son. Russia does not circ. When she went to a doctor for a 3 year check up she was told that the foreskin needs to be "trained" to retract. Good thing she knew that I am into this stuff, so she asked my advice if she should be indeed concerned that her son was "still" not retractable and if she indeed needed to "train" his foreskin. So, non-circ country does not automatically mean competent doctors.

[hippiemommaof4]

Our ped told me to print out the aap info for any medical professionals reguarding not forceably retracting foreskin and hand it to them. I'm a spaz and would just freak out if they did anything to his parts so thats what he told me to do...so i think that will save me a lot of time and headache. Actually when I just had my son some ignorant nurse in L and D goes to me " I dont know who told you that you arent supposed to retract the foreskin but you are to clean it" I was like umm no and she didnt believe me. I should have said the AAP says not to but without that on paper she probably wouldnt have believed me, anyway I'm making it a point to print out like 15-20 of them from the AAP and taking them up there to prove a point since they are so ignorant about it.

[Treece]

I had a PA try to retract my son. (You can find the thread by searching with my name Treece) I printed up a bunch of stuff and gave it to him to read. A few months later, I took ds to the er, and he was a doctor at the er. I was actually kinda happy to see him and decided to stay with the clinic b/c h e moonlighted at my preferred hospital. lol