Is circumcision still painful? - Page 3

[notkept]

I am a nursing student. I'm also the mother of a five year old intact boy. WITH a GIANT fight from his father. I wonder if I'm no longer kept partially because I refused circ for my kid. lol

I had my OB rotation this last semester. I took my instructor aside on our orientation/tour day and said "Dr.P, will I have to participate in a circumcision? I'm very nervous about this. I'm very opposed medically and personally." And, no, I didn't have to. She assured me right there. It never actually came up and none of my classmates had to either. But, had it come up, I was comfortable in referring to that earlier conversation. I go to a SMALL school in a SMALL area. The burbs of the burbs if you will. My "crunchy" views first came up in CNA class, we all have to have it to enter our nursing program. The instructor made some BAD points about circ. I gently corrected. Classmates asked questions. I answered. We moved on. It was all very PC. Then we went drinking after our final and I made my best nursing school friend. HE is now also friends with my new husband. He told me, when I asked him about his opinion on circ when other classmates brought it up "Are you kidding me!? We're Mexican! We don't do that!"

My point, the world is turning, thank GOD, and it's easier NOW even than it was five years ago when my son was born to say NO and have it accepted. Nursing schools are still not perfect in their education, but they are working toward being more factual in the info they give to their students.

[erin23kate]

Even if there were a way to make the circumcision surgery itself painless (and I doubt there is), that doesn't cover the post-op period.

I had a teeny-tiny "skidmark" after labor, not even a tear, and peeing brought tears to my eyes for almost 2 weeks.  I can't imagine the pain for a baby, peeing in his diaper and into an open wound.  Poor babies can't even have tylenol.

An adult circumcision would be done under serious anesthesia (potentially even general anesthesia, if requested) and the man would be given several days' supply of vicodin or other opiates for the post-op pain. Plus, they know what is happening to them and can rationalize it and understand, can pee into a cup of water to dilute, can spend time without their newly exposed glans rubbing against everything.  All the baby knows is that it hurts to pee, and hurts every time they move.

I will never forget the sound of babies being cut after I delivered David.  It was the sound of torture, plain and simple.  I cannot respect that choice.

[SashaBreeze]

Originally Posted by erin23kate 

Even if there were a way to make the circumcision surgery itself painless (and I doubt there is), that doesn't cover the post-op period.

I had a teeny-tiny "skidmark" after labor, not even a tear, and peeing brought tears to my eyes for almost 2 weeks.  I can't imagine the pain for a baby, peeing in his diaper and into an open wound.  Poor babies can't even have tylenol.

 

[PlainandTall]

Originally Posted by erin23kate 

Even if there were a way to make the circumcision surgery itself painless (and I doubt there is), that doesn't cover the post-op period.

I had a teeny-tiny "skidmark" after labor, not even a tear, and peeing brought tears to my eyes for almost 2 weeks.  I can't imagine the pain for a baby, peeing in his diaper and into an open wound.  Poor babies can't even have tylenol.

An adult circumcision would be done under serious anesthesia (potentially even general anesthesia, if requested) and the man would be given several days' supply of vicodin or other opiates for the post-op pain. Plus, they know what is happening to them and can rationalize it and understand, can pee into a cup of water to dilute, can spend time without their newly exposed glans rubbing against everything.  All the baby knows is that it hurts to pee, and hurts every time they move.

I will never forget the sound of babies being cut after I delivered David.  It was the sound of torture, plain and simple.  I cannot respect that choice.

[MoonJelly]

Originally Posted by major_mama11 

Here is the thing that boggles my mind, at my place of work (90%+ circ rate): even when presented with more info, parents, especially dads, here seem dead set on circ. Maybe the only answer would be for docs to just refuse to perform them.

I have been present many times when one of our (younger) pediatricians at work talks to the parents and obtains consent for the circumcision she is about to do. She *always* explains that there is no medical reason at all for circumcision, and that it is purely a cosmetic procedure. I have even seen her reiterate the cosmetic procedure aspect to a dad who was present as his infant was being strapped to the board. But I have never seen a dad change his mind about consenting to the procedure. (I've seen plenty of moms cringe, but then they still tend to defer to the dad's wishes).

Because it nearly always comes back to the dad.  It's the psychology of them repeating what was done to them.  And it confuses and frustrates me that there are so many moms who are unable to stand up to this.  I guess there's some psychological stuff wrapped up in that too. 

Male doctors are victims themselves.  Female doctors are trying to justify what they have already done to their sons or to others' sons. 

[PuppyFluffer]

MoonJelly,

I think you are exactly right.  The burden lies with the medical community to stop this abuse of a baby's right to bodily integrity.  There is a financial motivation to continue the procedure and an after market sale of foreskins for bio tech and cosmetic uses. 

It's a snake chasing it's tail situation, the doctors say they are performing it because the parents ask and the parents say the medical community is soliciting it - and round and round it goes.

I have little faith in the medical community to stop.  I don't think they want to really analyze the medical ethics of it.  I think too few legal actions have come to make a real impact with doctors.

My faith in ending this lies in two areas:  elimination of Medicaid coverage and education of individual parents.

It is my understanding that the private insurance industry follows the government sector in terms of coverages.  As we see more and more stated ceasing medicaid coverage, I think we'll see fewer and fewer private insurance companies paying.  If doctors can't get paid for it, they will stop asking to do it, I think

As individual parents get educated, they will refuse the solicitation from the medical community.

[minkajane]

I sat in on an infant care class for the hospital up the road from my house. The nurse said that while circ was very painful, the docs use EMLA cream so it's ok. That's ALL they use, EMLA cream! She also mistakenly quoted the circ rate as being at 90% (it's 70% state-wide, I did speak up and correct her and gave the national rate as well) and gave NO functions of the foreskin.

[mommyminer]

Then the lidocaine wears off and the baby is peeing and pooing on an open wound.  At my hospital, they don't even give the babes Tylenol afterwards. 

My question for the other RNs --  Did/do they treat the post surgical pain from circ at your hospital?

I simply don't understand why we don't give babes anything for pain afterwards.