Which is worse - to be circ'ed or not breastfed?

[Galatea]

Discuss amongst yourselves.

If it were either/or - either the child is circumcised, but is breastfed, or he is intact, but not breastfed - which would be worse? This is not a real-life situation for me, but I am curious to see what people think. In a sense, which is the worse injury to the child?

[mattemma04]

//

[Kathryn]

Circumcision is WAY worse. You're cutting off a healthy functioning piece of skin. I'm a huge breastfeeding activist and I don't think people should do anything but (unless medically needed), but if I could convince someone to not circ by telling them they didn't have to breastfeed, I would.

[crunchyconmomma]

wow. that was atcually a shock to see the first answer. thought it would be the other way.
personally, cut and BF would be my option. no FF.
isn't it nice that we don't have to choose?

[Silvercrest79]

To me it would be worse to not circ and FF. I think the potential life long health risks to babies raised on Formula are FARRRRRRRR worse than the risks of circ'g ever could be. JMSHO

[StrawHatBrat]

I'd choose to breastfeed!!

[celestialdreamer]

Originally Posted by Silvercrest79

To me it would be worse to not circ and FF. I think the potential life long health risks to babies raised on Formula are FARRRRRRRR worse than the risks of circ'g ever could be. JMSHO

I agree. I'm glad I would never have to make a choice like that anyway!

[kisagotami]

:

[Jasmyn's Mum]

As much as I'd hate it, I would circ before I'd ff. In the long run, I think the child would be better off. Phew! Glad I don't have to choose, though.

[LavenderMae]

I am really trying to decide what I'd do and I just can't. It would physically make me ill to mutilate my child, I can't even imagine my son having to go thru that. It also would break my heart not being able to breastfeed my child, I can't even really wrap my brain around it. These two things are things I feel so strongly about. I am thankful so thankful I don't have to choose.
What if my son was the one that died from being circed or had a full amputation or got gangreen (it happens and it's horrid)? What if my son was fed tainted formula and died? I would have to really research and figure out which really is more dangerous. Again though thank goodness I don't have to choose.

[EFmom]

Circing is worse. It's permanent mutilation.

[Quirky]

Well, I think you're trading known risks for unknown risks either way. The odds of dying from circ in this country are very, very low - as are the odds of dying from ff. But both happen. And both have lifelong impacts - but no one can tell you ahead of time what those are going to be for your individual child.

Yikes, I'm not going to choose on this one.

[liseux]

I can`t choose either, what a nightmare!

I think if it was a spur of the moment thing like if they were going to circ him right then against my will unless I ff, I would probably ff. All of my extended family except for my brothers and me were ff, and they are super healthy, so maybe if you`re not allergy prone and generally pretty healthy maybe ff wouldn`t be so bad as much as it pains me to say that. A foreskin can never be replaced and starting out life with excruciating, violating pain can`t be undone either.

[calngavinsmom]

Whew tough one is right....I feel really, really strongly about both but I have to say that I know lots of kids who were ff and are doing alright but every single baby boy who was circed is damaged sexually forever. So I think I would have to say I would ff before circ.

Take care,
Tara

[kate~mom]

tough call! i would have to choose intact and ff.

[Medusa]

I've seen this question come up a few times on differant AP boards and everytime I see it I have to wonder why.
Has anyone ever really been put in this position? How could this question ever actually come up IRL?
Breastfeeding and gential integrity are both extremely important issues, and I can't see any value in weighing one against the other. What can this question do but cause division in the AP community?

Maybe one of you has some insight here that I'm lacking...but I just can't help but wonder what we're actually doing when we ask this question.

[mahogny]

I'd wish for a girl!


I'd breastfeed.

Horrible things happen in both scenarios, and both have lifelong implications; I would do my child a disservice by either circ'ing or ff'ing. But I believe the bigger danger is to deny breastmilk.

[kimkabob5]

I'd rather see a baby formula fed than genitally mutilated. I am a huge breastfeeding advocate, but cutting on a baby is far worse than feeding him formula, IMHO. Breastmilk is ideal, keeping all of your body parts is a birthright.

Not breastfeeding is not a violation of human rights. Cutting a baby with little or no pain relief for cosmetic reasons is. Again, IMHO.

[Shaunam]

I've thought about this before, believe it or not. If I had to choose one or the other (and thank goodness that isn't the case), I would definitely leave my son intact and formula feed.

Of course I think bf'ing is extremely important, but the consequences of ff'ing don't even come close to losing a functional part of the penis. A person MAY get asthma or allergies. He MAY have intestinal problems. He MAY even end up with something worse. But when a boy is circumcised, he ALWAYs loses his foreskin. He ALWAYS has a circ scar. He ALWAYS has diminished sexual pleasure. And the consequences can even get worse. Painful erections and so on.

That being said, I would bottle-nurse in a very AP way.

[InnieTurnedOuttie]

I would breastfeed. I have 5 older brothers, 3 of which are circ, and they are all well adjusted and great brothers.
While I agree there are drawbacks from circ, I don't feel they are that critical in most cases. I have not read any of the horror stories yet though (trying to stay away from them until after baby is born so I am not agitated).
I've also been around a great deal of ff babies, all who were prone to sickness, generally unhealthy and had parents who were not very attached.

I think bfing is as important to parental bonding as it is to the childs health.