Spinoff: If you were born in the 70's or 80's and your parents were anti-circ...

[BlessedMommy2006]

This is kind of a spin off, but just wondered for those of you who are guys born in the 1970's or 80's and left intact, or for those of you who are women who wouldn't have been circ'ed if you were male or whose brothers were intact, how did your parents learn about intactness and how did they dodge the circumcision assembly line?

[Greg B]

While I do not meet your criteria, I can tell you my families experience and how it worked for my brothers.

I was circed in the 50s. My parents were told it was recommended. My brothers were not circumcised, born in the 60s. My parents were told it was not recommended, their choice.

I was old enought to learn about the decision. It just didn't seem a big deal, no recomendation, don't pay to do it. Simple.

Regards

[alegna]

It's a good question... I don't know the answer. My parents say I might have been circed if I was a boy, but by my sister they definitely would not have.

My mom was raised by a dr. though, so I suspect she knew what really happened and that could have influenced her.

-Angela

[Frootloop]

I will have to ask my mother what were her exact reasons (my father, who I only found out was intact within the last year or so, may have had something to do with it), but my younger brother was born in 1977 and was left intact but only until he was around 2 yrs old.
He was circumcized at that point because my mother had been instructed to retract him at every diaper change and bath from birth (sometimes she did, sometimes she didn't - and was repeatedly yelled at by the pediatrician for not doing it as was instructed). He had repeated infections and adhesions and *needed* to be circumcized (which could possibly be true, since he was repeatedly forcefully retracted).

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

I am one of three girls, but if we had been boys we wouldn't have been circ'd. My mom was a maternity nurse and witnessed lots of circumcisions, often with no pain meds. She was horrified by the whole process. She was the first one who brought up circ when I was pregnant with ds1. I hadn't even though of it at that point. I honestly think that was one of the best things she could have ever done for her grandsons!!!

[K703]

I am an intact guy who was born in the mid-1980s. My mother became anti-circ when she was having her first child (who turned out to be a girl) and heard a baby screaming horribly loud. The doctor said that it was a boy being circumcised, and at that point she decided that circ was a terrible thing to do and that she would not let it happen if she had a boy in the future.

[jessemoon]

My parents were hippies living in the woods. My parents felt as if it was silly to cut off a bit of my brother and there was no one around encouraging them to do so.

My brother was born at the midwife's house and our family doctor was a family friend.

This was in 1980.

[Alyantavid]

My parents would have circed and did circ my brother who was born in 1976. My dh however, was born in 1978 and was not, his parents were very against it.

[MommytoB]

My parents circ'ed my brother born in 81 . My ex who is also my son's father born in 67 is intact the only reason of that because he was born in Poland. Didn't move to usa until he was 6 yrs old with his brothers .

[glongley]

Well, I am one of those mothers who had two sons in the 1980s. I did not circumcise them for two main reasons: 1) I had seen circumcisions in nursing school and knew them to be barbaric, and 2) I was into natural everything, did all the attachment parenting things - which meant respecting my children's bodily integrity. My parents also had taught me to think for myself, and not to follow the crowd, so I think that also helped.

Gillian

[Papai]

I was born in the early 80s and my parents are immigrants from a culture that doesn't practice circ. (My father, my uncles, grandfather etc. are all intact) So already it was a foreign practice to them.

But when I asked my mom about it, she said she just didn't think it was necessary.

[Minarai]

I was born in the 80s and my brother in the 90s.
My brother was initially left intact but was circ'd later because of all the old arguments

I became an intactivist because I felt I could have done something to prevent his suffering (albeit I was a toddler at the time) and my entire family hates me because of it, calling me a "wack-a-doodle" and a "pervert." I have since resolved to leave the country for good and NEVER let anyone in my family have contact with my children (if I ever have any).

[moaningminny]

My brother and I were born in the '70s to UK immigrants. (We're first generation Canadians).

My parents didn't have to "learn" about intactness, they just grew up with it. My brother was left alone after he was born, it wasn't even a question for my parents.

I actually asked my mum if they even asked her about whether or not they wanted to circ him, and she can't remember them asking at all. She didn't understand what all the fusss was about.

[Friday13th]

My DH was born in 1982 and is intact. His grandfather was born in 1890 and was intact so it was normal to his mother growing up. She "just thought it seemed wrong" to do that to a baby.

[Ambystoma]

My brother was born right at the end of the 80s and is intact. I never thought much about it until recently, and I found out my cousins (born in 87 and then 92-same family) were as well. Apparently some people gave my mom and aunt a hard time about it, but they stood their ground and all 3 adult guys are healthy and happy. Mom recently asked me gently about circ and was relieved to hear I wasn't doing it and made sure we knew "not to retract". Yay mom!

[BlessedMommy2006]

Originally Posted by glongley

Well, I am one of those mothers who had two sons in the 1980s. I did not circumcise them for two main reasons: 1) I had seen circumcisions in nursing school and knew them to be barbaric, and 2) I was into natural everything, did all the attachment parenting things - which meant respecting my children's bodily integrity. My parents also had taught me to think for myself, and not to follow the crowd, so I think that also helped.

Gillian

Good for you! Seems like a lot of nurses become anti-circ just from watching them.

[BlessedMommy2006]

Originally Posted by Ambystoma

My brother was born right at the end of the 80s and is intact. I never thought much about it until recently, and I found out my cousins (born in 87 and then 92-same family) were as well. Apparently some people gave my mom and aunt a hard time about it, but they stood their ground and all 3 adult guys are healthy and happy. Mom recently asked me gently about circ and was relieved to hear I wasn't doing it and made sure we knew "not to retract". Yay mom!

Yay mom is right! Good for your mom and aunts. I like this thread--it's nice to think about positive things rather than negative for a change.

[Sk8ermaiden]

My DH was born in 1982 and his brother in 1984. Neither were circed. Their dad was intact and as he put it, "It was obvious it wasn't necessary and it just seemed like one more thing you had to pay the hospital for."

Saved by practicality.

[Belle]

My MIL had two daughters before dh so didn't know much about circ. If she'd known she had a choice in the matter she wouldn't have consented to it in 1975.

I was born in 1976. If I were male I'd have been circed for sure. My brother was circed in 1981. When I was pregnant with DC#2 (we didn't know her gender) my mom went on an aggressive campaign to get others to convince us to circ our child. She refused to read any of the material that I sent her because "You are wrong about this" I think she was relieved that we had another girl. Admittedly I was relieved too, because I knew I'd be constantly badgered about how wrong it is to not want to cut pieces off of my child.

[ramama]

My brother born in 79 is circed, and my brothers born in 86 and 91 are intact. I don't remember it being a big deal. I don't recall any talk about it, or anyone giving my mom a hard time about it.