"Owwie"

[danarobbins]

My son turned 2 in April and is uncirc'd. I don't really know when this started but when I change his diaper he complains about his penis hurting saying, "owie, pee pee, owie". He never complains in the tub, when clothes are on, or any other time, only when we're changing diapers and I'm wiping him but then again other than in the tub, that's the only time his penis is touched. He has always hated having his diaper changed and cried about it and then since becoming verbal he's started saying it hurts. For a long time, I thought this was just him fighting having his diaper changed but now I'm wondering if something is really wrong. There is no obvious physical sign of anything wrong either.

I don't mind taking him in to have him checked out but I'm a bit concerned about the doc not even being aware of non-circ issues or how to treat the uncirc'd penis. What would you do?

Thanks Mamas!

[mysticmomma]

is it red? how are you wiping?

[danarobbins]

It is not red. Wipe probably like everyone else does?? I don't retract it, just wipe over the top of it, lift it up, around the base, etc.

[mama24-7]

maybe he's using the word "owie" when he means something else? maybe he means sensitive?

maybe now that its getting warm, he could be w/o a diaper for a while & see if that changes anything?

sus

[Tjej]

Is the wipe cold? Owie could be how he is expressing how that feels.

Tjej

[danarobbins]

i've tried warm wipes and he now has a grasp of what "owie" is and uses it appropriately.

has anyone ever had a problem w/ their uncirc'd son that couldn't be seen until a dr diagnosed the problem?

[loudmama]

Is he getting an erection when you wipe? My DS's foreskin would get pretty tight for awhile when he got an erection & for a short while it seemed to hurt. Not long after, his foreskin was retracting. By the time he was 3 1/2 or so, his foreskin was completely retractable. (He was doing this himself.) But I do remember a short while when his penis was erect the foreskin was pretty tight & seemed to hurt. Not long after it was retractable.

Just a thought...

L

[Night_Nurse]

Originally Posted by loudmama

Is he getting an erection when you wipe? My DS's foreskin would get pretty tight for awhile when he got an erection & for a short while it seemed to hurt. Not long after, his foreskin was retracting. By the time he was 3 1/2 or so, his foreskin was completely retractable. (He was doing this himself.) But I do remember a short while when his penis was erect the foreskin was pretty tight & seemed to hurt. Not long after it was retractable.

Just a thought...

L

I totally thought of possible erection pain when I read this thread last night but was too tired to respond.
I was wondering if he got a little erection when his penis felt the cool air but wiping makes sense too. Even if it's only a slight erection and the boy is starting to have a bit of separation, it could feel a little painful or maybe a sensation of being tight or pulled. Maybe it might explain why he only complains with diaper changes.
The only other thing I can think of is maybe he has a sensitivity to something in the baby wipe. If you only use a soft cloth with water, then I doubt it's wipe related. But if you're using pre-made wipes with some soap or fragrance, maybe that is it and you might want to switch.

My son was fully retractable by 2.5 yrs. He never had any pain or issues but it's not unheard of for boys to start retracting/separation issues and pain around age 2.

My only concern with you taking your son to a doctor about something like this is I'm pretty sure most docs will try and retract to check things out and it might lead to more problems. If you take him to a doctor, please search the Finding Your Tribe forum and get a doctor who is sure to be foreskin friendly.

[green betty]

Has he got poop on his penis? I wouldn't routinely manipulate/clean the outside of my son's penis unless it was particularly dirty--getting swished around in the bath daily seems like plenty of cleaning to me. If it hurts when you wipe it but not other times, I would just stop wiping.

[eepster]

Are you wiping every diper change or only when there is poopy on it? Are you using commercial wipes or cloth with water?

My guess would be simple irratation from too frequent wiping, chemicals in the wipes, or rough wipes. Possibly a combination.