a theory of mine

[No2Circ]

I think that circ causes a subconscious mother/son disconnect that can hugely contribute to post-partum depression.

What do you think?

[Getz]

How would that explain PPD in moms of girls? Is PPD more common in moms of boys? (I honestly don't know?)

My son won't be circed. But I tend to think PPD has more to do with hormones/stress/exhaustion.

Looking forward to other responses.

[Yoshua]

dont get the logic of that one.... I thought PPD was when the mother (for instance) would have issues bonding with the child. The disconnect on a circ would typically on the childs end. IE: Irregular breast feeding and other introverted tendancies they exhibit for a few days after the circ?

I could be off too though. But I don't see the connection. Any PPD specialists around?

[onlyboys]

I suspect that any sort of trauma--be it birth trauma, life trauma, breastfeeding trauma, circ trauma--affects the way your mind perceives things postpartum, hormonally, I mean, and so by being trauma, then it might cause some PPD.

Honestly, though, the mamas that I've met who circed had their babies taken from them, swaddled up nicely, and returned to them, swaddled up nicely. They were so far removed from the trauma of circ that it didn't even occur to them that there WAS a trauma.

Sickening, honestly.

The fact that I let my first be circed definitely contributed to the depression that I found myself in the postpartum time. But, I don't feel that it was postpartum depression.

[daekini]

I don't think that circ'ing (or not) really has an affect on PPD. Too many mamas suffer "true" PPD in so many diverse situations (including mamas of girls and intact boys) to be able to leap to that conclusion. Plenty of women are fortunate enough to have a "perfect" birth and still have PPD.

That said, I must admit that choosing to circ your son and then seeing the injury day after day til it heals can't help. I get depressed just thinking about it.

[njeb]

Originally Posted by No2Circ

I think that circ causes a subconscious mother/son disconnect that can hugely contribute to post-partum depression.

What do you think?

Only if the child was circ'ed against her will, or if she's one of those who had doubts, but let herself be talked into it, or if she finds out the truth about circ. too late. I think it's mainly a hormonal thing. I suffered a bit from it even though I had my babies at home, bf them, and kept them intact.

[paquerette]

Originally Posted by Yoshua

dont get the logic of that one.... I thought PPD was when the mother (for instance) would have issues bonding with the child. The disconnect on a circ would typically on the childs end. IE: Irregular breast feeding and other introverted tendancies they exhibit for a few days after the circ?

I could be off too though. But I don't see the connection. Any PPD specialists around?

Well, I think if there's a disconnect on the child's end, the mom could sense that and thus be more prone to get depressed. "Gee, he doesn't seem to like me" etc.

PPD is a complex subject. Maybe that is a contributing factor in some cases.

[baybee]

I was listening to a tape by John Taylor, MD, the pathologist from Winnipeg who has done the detailed studies of the anatomy of the foreskin. He made an interesting point about how highly sensitive the immediate internal band just inside the foreskin is. On examination on a microscope, he says it is thousands of tiny pleats full of nerves. He makes the point that, when a parent picks up a naked newborn boy, that tip is the thing that first makes contact and could be an extra way that boys have to "know" who their parents are so they can bond even tighter than girls. So, interesting.

My own theory is that boys are more vulnerable than girls. It seems that girls come out and look around and say "Okay, where's the breast, I need to eat now!" Little boys come out, look around, find the breast and swoon with love for their mommies. It seems so cruel to disturb that romance and beauty.
Baybee

[daekini]

Originally Posted by baybee

My own theory is that boys are more vulnerable than girls. It seems that girls come out and look around and say "Okay, where's the breast, I need to eat now!" Little boys come out, look around, find the breast and swoon with love for their mommies. It seems so cruel to disturb that romance and beauty.
Baybee

How true this is for me. My dd was nowhere near (and still isn't) the little love that my son is. Thank goodness I didn't potentially wreck the beauty of our relationship by having someone cut him.

[~Jenna~]

Originally Posted by baybee

My own theory is that boys are more vulnerable than girls.

I just watched a show on PBS about the book Raising Cain, and one of the things they showed was an experiment with infant girls and infant boys. Apparently most little girls are okay if their mother ignores them for a minute or two, but most of the liitle boys freaked out. Baby boys are more emotionally vunerable than girls are.

And I have two intact little boys and got bad PPD with both of them.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by njeb

Only if the child was circ'ed against her will, or if she's one of those who had doubts, but let herself be talked into it, or if she finds out the truth about circ. too late. I think it's mainly a hormonal thing.

I agree.

[morning glory]

I didn't have PPD and both my boys are intact. I think that circing them would have depressed me greatly but it wouldn't have necessarily been PPD.

Really in my mind PPD is because a part of your body (our children ARE a part of our body for the nine months they live in us...at least in my mind) has been ripped away from you...often violently in our society...and people just act like you are supposed to be nothing but happy about it. Of course you are happy but its also the beginning of distancing a very close connection and that combined with crazy hormones and misunderstanding from those who are supporting us can be very hard to deal with.

I also think the "forced socialization" of newly post partum women can contribute. I felt very introverted and did not want to socialize with anyone other than my husband and baby...so I didn't. But most women don't allow themselves that quiet time with their new family and I think that can have an impact.

Casey

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by morning glory

I also think the "forced socialization" of newly post partum women can contribute. I felt very introverted and did not want to socialize with anyone other than my husband and baby...so I didn't. But most women don't allow themselves that quiet time with their new family and I think that can have an impact.

Casey

Yeah - I agree there 100%!!