question regarding wiping of the penis

[Erin Pavlina]

Hello,

My boy is intact and 2 years old. I notice that when I use the diaper wipe to wipe the outside of his penis he seems to get really agitated. He acts like someone who is either in pain or just totally uncomfortable and freaked out by waht I'm doing. I am not putting hardly any pressure in what I'm doing, so I know I'm not pushing too hard. It could be the wipie is cold and that's making him uncomfortable. But he doesn't seem to have a problem when I wipe his butt, he doesn't get all squirmy and freaked out.

Any idea why he is freaked? I feel so horrible when I go to wipe his penis area because I know he hates it but I don't know why. Could his penis be hurting him or something and I'm not aware of it? And even the lightest touch is causing him pain? I never retract it. In the bath I really just let the water do it's thing and don't fiddle with him much.

any ideas?

[AntoninBeGonin]

I'm going to venture a guess and say that maybe your son is starting to become retractile, so that any stimulation is annoying. There was a thread on here earlier with close to the same question on it. I bet it's no more than 2 or 3 pages back at most. In fact, I think it's one of Frank's posts if you'd like to read his "find more posts" page.

Anyhow, I may be wrong, so I'd like someone else to either back me up or correct me.

~Nay

[Frankly Speaking]

I suspect it's ticklish. The foreskin is a very sensitive structure similar to the lips. Run your fingernails across your lips very lightly and you will see that it tickles. But it's not a "ha ha" ticklish, its an annoying ticklish and I suspect that is what your son is responding to.

As a matter of fact, the touch receptors in the foreskin and in the lips are the same, the meisners corpuscles. Imagine that!



Frank

[AntoninBeGonin]

Darn! I knew I'd be wrong.

**goes and hides under a rock**

~Nay

[birthdancedoula]

My youngest son, who is also 2, reacts the same way. He's always not liked having his dipe changed but he especially doesn't appreciate me trying to use a wipe to clean his penis. He plays w/ his foreskin by stretching when he's diaperless and he seems to really enjoy that. That, more than anything convinced me he was fine. Its probably just an unpleasant sensation.

[fromscatteredtribe]

LOL I think kids that age just don't like to be "made" to do anything...even "made" clean. mine never have. i am known for saying "no owies" to ds3 as I start to change him to avaoid kicks and scremas throughout the diaper change he is wild and likes his own way

can't be that sensitive to regular touch when they do (and he does) spend an hour a day stretching and pulling if they can get access.

i don't use wipes though, just washcloths with water and a warm bath with water and sometimes vegetable based tea tree oil soap from trader joes after an especially stinky diaper has been changed and his butt is wiped down or at least when he wakes up in the morning and before bed (a quick 2 inches of warm water without a big scrub or anything). no commercial wipes if i can help it and burt's bees ointment if he seems especially irritated....

hope that helps.

[Frankly Speaking]

Originally Posted by AntoninBeGonin

Darn! I knew I'd be wrong.

**goes and hides under a rock**

~Nay

Nay, you're not necessarily wrong and I'm not necessarily right. We're both guessing and we could both be wrong. Don't be so hard on yourself!


Frank

[Erin Pavlina]

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I think perhaps it's a ticklish thing. I do go pretty lightly.

I should probably let him go diaperless more often so he gets used to it. I've never seen him touch himself there at all.