How to make sure baby won't be retracted?

[heatherweh]

DS is circed, but we are not going to do that with #2 (expecting baby any day). It seems like it is common not to circ these days, but I've seen a few threads on nurses or doctors (or family or babysitters) forcibly retracting foreskin on babies, so I wanted to know how to prevent this. I would prefer not to make a big deal about it, I mean I wasn't going to advertise to everyone that my son is uncircumcised, but I worry that if I don't tell every person who might ever bathe or change him that someone might think they know what to do and retract the foreskin to clean it.

What has your experience been?

I guess we'll start with step 1: the hospital. Obviously no one would try to retract his foreskin there in his first day or two of life right?

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by heatherweh

DS is circed, but we are not going to do that with #2 (expecting baby any day). It seems like it is common not to circ these days, but I've seen a few threads on nurses or doctors (or family or babysitters) forcibly retracting foreskin on babies, so I wanted to know how to prevent this. I would prefer not to make a big deal about it, I mean I wasn't going to advertise to everyone that my son is uncircumcised, but I worry that if I don't tell every person who might ever bathe or change him that someone might think they know what to do and retract the foreskin to clean it.

What has your experience been?

I guess we'll start with step 1: the hospital. Obviously no one would try to retract his foreskin there in his first day or two of life right?

I don't know from experience but based on what I've read here the hospital experience is hit and miss. It might just be easier to make sure you mention to anyone who might come in contact with your boy that he should be retracted; the nurse, pedi, and ob.

And you don't have to make a big deal about it but people usually do talk to any care givers. Congratulations BTW, what a lucky boy. : Please let us know how it goes.

[tutucrazy]

You need to be sure to tell all docs/nurses BEFORE the diaper comes off during exams that they are NOT to manipulate his foreskin. I use the term manipulate b/c some doctors try to retract "as far as it will go" and don't seem to understand that this is also under the definition of retraction. Basically the ONLY time you need to touch his foreskin is if it gets poop on the penis. If this happens you wipe the penis from base to tip, like a finger. You will want to explain this to all baby sitters b/c most of them will have little experience with the intact boy and the experience they do have will often be incorrect. NEVER feel shy about protecting your son. I am a shy person but when it comes to this you have to be very firm.

If anyone gives your little one a bath you also will want to be sure that they don't use any soaps on the genitals and no sitting in bubble baths!!! This rule should be followed for both girls and boys. Most people don't yet understand that soaps are irritants for the genitals and often cause flora imbalance in children.

Here are some links that you should become familiar with:

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet4.html

http://www.mothering.com/articles/ne...uncircson.html

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...kinleaflet.pdf

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet6.html

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet7.html

This thread is about separation. Every boy experiences separation differently but I thought it important to reiterate that some swelling, redness, irritation, itching, sting while urinating, ballooning, pearls, etc are all NORMAL symptoms of separation. Here is a link about separation:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=764732?

You can give this to your pedi and other medical care providers:

http://www.cirp.org/library/normal/aap/

You might consider buying a onsie like this to use while you are at the hospital after baby is born. This way if he ends up in the nursery for any reason you will know that everyone knows not to retract him:

http://clothing.cafepress.com/item/s...eeper/19536008

Hope this helps!

[peainthepod]

Originally Posted by tutucrazy

You might consider buying a onsie like this to use while you are at the hospital after baby is born. This way if he ends up in the nursery for any reason you will know that everyone knows not to retract him:

http://clothing.cafepress.com/item/s...eeper/19536008

I'm not usually a fan of clothes with writing on them but that is awesome! Thanks for the link.

[serenekitten]

Originally Posted by heatherweh

I guess we'll start with step 1: the hospital. Obviously no one would try to retract his foreskin there in his first day or two of life right?

Well, that's one optimistic hope... but from what I've heard, that's not always what happens. People (even in the hospital) are just too under-educated about care for the intact.

[becca_howell]

IMO, the best plan to make sure he is not retracted is to be the atypical momma hen. If you know Bob, Joe, Jan and Dr. Smith are going to be opening or changing your DS diaper, make sure they know, A. he is intact, B. he will not be retracted and C. (only if they give a face or verbal opposition to B.) there will be serious consequences for the person who does retract him. Save C. for the nurse/doctor/hospital. My hospital was very crunchy-friendly, so they were appalled to find out that some hospitals retract, but it does happen!

[tutucrazy]

Originally Posted by becca_howell

IMO, the best plan to make sure he is not retracted is to be the atypical momma hen. If you know Bob, Joe, Jan and Dr. Smith are going to be opening or changing your DS diaper, make sure they know, A. he is intact, B. he will not be retracted and C. (only if they give a face or verbal opposition to B.) there will be serious consequences for the person who does retract him. Save C. for the nurse/doctor/hospital. My hospital was very crunchy-friendly, so they were appalled to find out that some hospitals retract, but it does happen!

My nurse that released me from the hospital even told me to "retract and clean". Thankfully I knew better and told her that you never retract an intact boy.

[hippiemommaof4]

take the aap info with you to the doc on paper that says not to retract the foreskin (until its retractable on its own) and hand it to them with a gentle explaination on what it is... do this before they even touch him. I tried to tell a nurse in L and D when I had my son last month that you do not retract and she argued with me @@ shows that she didnt know crap about it. We also dealt with a few other med personel in the same place who had no clue. Basically medical people want proof and facts on paper most of the time and the AAP is a surefire way to get them to say "Oh okay, good deal!" Our ped told me to take that paper every time I visit the hospital with my son too so that they wont try to argue with me.