Conversation with my mother about circumcision

[K703]

I recently had a conversation with my mother about circumcision, which got started when we were talking about "things that shouldn't be done to babies" and circ was one of the things mentioned. She told me what made her decide not to circ me (or any other boys she may have had; I was her only son): When her first child (a girl) was born she heard a baby in the next room at the hospital scream extremely loud, and asked the doctor what that was about. The doctor mentioned that it was a boy getting circumcised, and that's what convinced her that circ is a terrible thing to do to a baby. Thanks to that incident I am an intact man! (My father seemed indifferent to the issue despite being circed himself, and there weren't any bad "looking different" issues either. Note that my mother divorced and remarried later, so my father is different than that of the aforementioned half-sister of mine.)

[BlessedMommy2006]

That is so awesome! : Your mama sounds like a great lady. I'm sure that you've already thanked her for leaving you intact. Especially with you being an adult, circ was probably even more common back then, so good for her for not being a sheep and following the flock.

I've always wondered what some of the thought process was behind parent's decision to leave boys intact when it was even less common and circ's were practically assembly line, thanks for sharing your story!

You're a lucky man to have such a thoughtful mama.

[tutucrazy]

What a great story. You have to wonder whether more mothers would change their mind if they actually saw the circumcision. Nothing is more powerful than being present to hear the cries of a baby as the most sensitive part of his body is being cut away. Your momma sounds like a pretty great woman.

[K703]

I mentioned circ to my mother again on Thanksgiving, and she mentioned another reason she was anti-circ: She thought foreskins must be there for a reason, so why remove them?

For some bad news, one of my nieces overheard the conversation and said that she wants to circ her future boys (on the other hand she's not exactly the smartest person I know and has made numerous other bad decisions in her life, one of which was to drop out of high school).

[SlackerDad]

Good deal, Kelly! It feels good to be among the fortunate ones to be spared the knife, doesn't it? In my case I got an assist from the airline not letting my third trimester mom fly home to the U.S. (I'd like to find the airline employee that made that call and thank them if I could) and their getting used to me being intact by the time we got back to the U.S. (and not having the circ assembly line ready to go also short-circuited things; having to make a special appointment to do it is a small thing that can I think make a big difference). Your mom made a conscious choice to buck the trend despite none of these advantages, and your circed dad went along--good for them!

[PuppyFluffer]

Kelly, I am glad that you had this conversation with your mom! It's great that she was so intune to her protective sense and now overwhelmed and steamrolled by the medical establishment which seems to push hard for circumcision in some places.
I am curious to know what the doctors and nurses said to your mom when she refused to circumcise you.

Nice to see a man named Kelly. It's my son's middle name. My husband was hesitant at first thinking it was a feminine name but a little research showed him otherwise. It's a great name!

[Night_Nurse]

Originally Posted by K703

For some bad news, one of my nieces overheard the conversation and said that she wants to circ her future boys

Well, you could always send her a link to the Penn and Teller video, or send her some printouts with a Christmas card or something. If she doesn't have kids yet, you've still got time to plant some seeds!

[proudmomof4]

Wow, your mom must've had some spunk in her!