dh agreed to discuss not circ if the baby is a boy

[maya's mommy]

I had casually mentioned that I would like to look into NOT circ'ing this baby, if we have a boy. With our first there was no question and then it was not an issue. We are jewish and it is just assumed that there will be a bris if this babyis a boy.
We haven't found someone to do it yet, I was leaving that up to my dh. Last night he said that he did look into a little bit and was open to finding out more. I have resisting looking into too much becuase if we end up doing I will feel terrible. Ignorange is bliss is not usually how I like to approach things but in this case it seemed the only way I could get through it. Now, I am due tomorrow and so we have more than a week, but maybe not much more to decide.
Anyone have any good sites, that have the medical reasons against and even for circ?

thanks,
michelle

[brown eyed girls]

My exp. may or may not help you.

When we discussed it the first time (4th pg) he wasn't congenial, but the baby was a girl so I said "See, I win." So next pg I reminded him that we had a girl when he couldn't agree with me about circ so could we talk about it again. What it finally came down to-- he tells me "I don't know even know what a foreskin is!" His had been amputated like most boys, at 1 day of age, and then it was never spoken of again.

I showed him the things I'd found on CIRP about the anatomy of the pen*s and the foreskin, to show the purpose and function of the foreskin and what is removed during the amputation.

Then I also showed him what I learned from the religious "angle." The circ done in the hospital isn't even anything like the circ that G*d commanded of the Israelites. Then, since we're not even Jewish but Christian, I pointed out the words in Galatians where circumcision as a command is pretty much... um, pardon the pun... retracted.

After about an hour of my presenting my case, it was a no-brainer for my DH. He was in tears. I had never used the "loaded" words: mutilated, amputation, etc. I had spoken in clear terms. But he was in tears, and he looked at his pen*s and said sadly, "I feel mutilated." The very next day he apologized to our first sons and begged forgiveness for circumcising them out of ignorance. Our 5th child was a boy, and he's intact.

[alegna]

I can't help on the religious angle (though do a search there have been a couple of threads on Jews who choose not to circ) The medical angle is easy. NO medical group in the world suggests RIC. None. Not one. It has no real benefits. Would you circ a girl to keep her cleaner? Of course not. Would you cut off his toes because they could get ingrown toenails? How absurd.

-Angela

[LavenderMae]

http://www.cirp.org/

www.mothersagainstcirc.org

http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/

http://www.noharmm.org/jewhouseholds.htm

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/

[Erin+babyAndrew]

times have changed, and many jewish families are not circing these days.

[MAMom]

DH is Jewish and after researching and discussing, was confident that leaving DS (2.75) intact with his foreskin was the right decision. He has never regretted leaving him as he was born with his foreskin.

We had a lovely, peaceful Brit Shalom (non-cutting naming ceremony) with our Rabbi for our DS. Many Rabbis do these ceremonies in lieu of a Bris.

Please be sure to check out the "Case Against Circumcision" forum right here on mothering.com. The folks there should be a huge help to you.

These are some of my favorite anti-circ links:

Top 10 Values of Judaism
http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/
(click on "jewish" link on left, then "Top 10 Values of Judaism" at the top)

Click on Bris Shalom, then "Flyer", then scroll to flyer & click on "here"
"Brit Shalom - A peaceful Alternative"
http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/flyer_bs.pdf
http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/

Letter from Dr. Jenny Goodman
http://www.cirp.org/pages/cultural/goodman.html

A Mother Questions Brit Milla
http://www.noharmm.org/karsenty.htm

Circumcision: A Jewish Feminist Perspective
http://www.noharmm.org/pollack.htm

Circumcision: A Source of Jewish Pain
http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/spectator.htm

Brit Without Milah
http://www.circumstitions.com/Docs/britwm.pdf

What the Bible Reveals About
Circumcision and Sexual Violence
http://www.cirp.org/pages/cultural/glass3/

Answers to Your Questions About Infant Circumcision
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/3pam.pdf

Article
http://www.luckystiff.org/files/SeparatedAtBirth.pdf

Information Summary
http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/info.htm

Anatomy of the Penis, Mechanics of Intercourse
http://www.cirp.org/pages/anat/

How Male Circumcision May be Affecting Your Love Life
http://mensightmagazine.com/Articles...p/lovecirc.htm

Effects of male circumcision on female arousal and orgasm
http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/116-1181/595/

Mothering Article - Fleiss
http://luckystiff.org/files/TheCase6Page.pdf

Book
Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective
(you many not have time to read this, but if you do I would highly recommend it!)
by Ronald Goldman, Ph.D

Video
Whose Body, Whose Rights?

Circ Clip - Intact's Circumcision Video Online
http://www.intact.ca/

[maya's mommy]

Thank you all so much for the wonderful resources. I think we are through the medical aspect and now he just needs to look a bit at the jewish info. There happens to be a rabbi who is listed on one of the sites that is very close to us. When I have time I am going to call him(right now the only time I seem to have get anything done is the middle of the night.