Might be a Boy

[MamatoPeach]

So I am preggo with #2. I think its a boy but we didnt find out. I lurk here often. We don't have any desire to circ. BUT I do not feel prepared for all the adhesion problems, retracting drama, and boy parts. My husband is intact but he is all for keeping his son the way he was made. No cutting body parts here.

Is there a good thread on how to care for the newborn? And how likely is it that I am going to have retracting/adhesion problems?

Thanks!

[lawmama1984]

Adhesion problems occur with circ'd newborn boys, so no worries. You don't need to "care" for an intact boy's penis at all, that's another thing that's great! You just wash the outside like a finger.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER retract your son's foreskin, and do not allow anyone (including medical professionals) to do so. A lot of people, including doctors, are not informed on proper care of the intact penis, so you have to be vigilant. Never allow any examination of your son without your or your husband's presence. If anyone tries to retract him, be prepared to move their hand and tell them they don't need to retract and that retraction will be damaging and painful.

Your son will be the first person to retract himself, and this will occur naturally through exploration when he is older. Many boys do not become retractable until the age of 5 years (although this can occur earlier or later, depending on the individual).

Anyway, I hope this helps! I have a pamphlet that I can email laying somewhere around on my computer, but for now, this link should help:

http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/

ETA: I found the link to that pamphlet. This is the HTML version but there is a link to the PDF at the top.

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:...ient=firefox-a

[beru]

Care of the intact penis:
Clean what is seen.

I didn't give my newborn daughter douches every other day. It's the same principal with boys. If you leave it alone, it takes care of itself.

Also, ignore friends, family and medical professionals who think your son's penis is a ticking timebomb:
http://www.mothering.com/protect-you...advice-parents

[tutucrazy]

The foreskin is supposed to be tightly adhered to the glans during infancy and childhood. You don't need to worry about retraction until after puberty. Only clean the exterior and don't use soaps on the genitals, same care you would give a girl. Here is all you need to know and more:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...893&highlight=


CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for giving your son the right to his body!

[A&A]

Well, you're getting the "boy parts" either way!! :

And cleaning an intact boy is SOOO much easier than cleaning an intact girl. Girls have so many "folds" for the poop to get into.


How to clean an intact penis:

Wipe the outside like you would a finger.

The end.


Do NOT attempt to retract your son, and do not let anyone else attempt it, either (even a "well-meaning" doctor.)

Sooner or later, sometime before/during puberty, your ds will figure out that it retracts.

When he hits puberty, you (or your dh) can teach him to wash under his foreskin with WATER only. (No soap.) Even if he retracts earlier than puberty, there's no need to clean under the foreskin before puberty.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

99% of the time I would say there is zero retracting drama as in the boy dosnt have any pain or any sign that he is retracting other than one day he just is.

Adhesion's only happen when the foreskin is forcibly retracted and then it grows back. Either by the boy being a bit to ruff or more commonly a Dr. tearing it back. True adhesion's are very rare.

At birth the foreskin and glans are fused like the finger nail to the nail bed that is not adhesion's that is synechiae the way it was meant to be. As seperation progresses as the boy ages it may not do so in an even manner. He might be fully retractable on one side and not the other. That also is normal.

If you are worried about Dr's then the thing to do is before any exam just refuse to remove the diaper and tell the Dr. why. If you are worried they will think child abuse let them look but dont let them touch.

A thread that you might find useful http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732 just in case anything does come up then you can know how to deal with it and when/if it is something to worry about.

[eepster]

Of all the boy parts that exist, the intact penis is the easiest. The scrotum is much more dificult to clean, and the circ'd penis needs all sorts of special care.

I remember when I was being discharged from the hospital with DS, the nurse was going over a big packet full of instructions about stuff like using wet wash clothes and the umbilical stump. Then she got to the section about circ care, and I said "but he's not circumcised." She then tore two pages out of the hand out with a big sigh and simply said "well you don't need to worry about that then."

[MamatoPeach]

Did you instruct any family/friends watching baby not to retract? I hate to have everyone know about my sons business, but I would hate more for them to harm him while watching him.

[beru]

Originally Posted by MamatoPeach

Did you instruct any family/friends watching baby not to retract? I hate to have everyone know about my sons business, but I would hate more for them to harm him while watching him.

I instructed anyone who would change my son's diaper. I kept the AAP's "care of the uncircumcised penis" handout and the article by Dr. Fleiss (that I linked to above) in my diaper bag. I did feel awkward at times. I would say, "My son is not circumcised. They used to say that you should pull back the foreskin to clean underneath it. That is wrong and could hurt him. Just clean the penis like a finger."

I had an inhome daycare provider. She was just one person to explain it too which was a relief. My daughter goes to a daycare center and with so many caregivers coming in and out I wonder, if I had had a boy, how I would have dealt with that. I think I would have made them put a sign up by the diaper changing table, "DO NOT RETRACT BABY X!"

[Nandi]

Don't worry about all those infection myths etc. There isn't going to be penis drama, don't worry. Just don't retract or try to scrub underneath. You don't lift your eyelid and scrub your eye, do you?
You have a lucky babe! :

[tutucrazy]

Originally Posted by MamatoPeach

Did you instruct any family/friends watching baby not to retract? I hate to have everyone know about my sons business, but I would hate more for them to harm him while watching him.

Yes, you have to tell everyone exactly how to care for him. We've had countless moms come on here and say that their daycare had been trying to retract their son during diaper changes. You can never be too careful.