OMG!! Mama Alarm Went Off at Pedi!!

[Greenie]

So, our pediatrician is VERY pro-breastfeeding, nice, takes her time during the visit, asks a whole lot of questions, is fine with us not vaxing, but really freaked me out during our last visit.

I was holding Elias, she was doing the exam, and when it came time to look down there, she started to pull back his foreskin. When I saw bring pink glans, I exclaimed "Oh, NO!" and then she stopped. She asked what was wrong, and I told her that from what I know, you're not supposed to retract the foreskin. She said that you are not supposed to, I was correct, but you have to get it to start streching so that it can rectract. Elias is only 2 months old.

This just seemed WRONG. Elias wasn't upset, but I don't want her doing it. My SO said that she's a pediatrician, and that she probably knows better than I do, but upon looking at the facts, you leave it alone completely for the 1st year. What do I do??

[whateverdidiwants]

It's not just the first year - leave it alone PERIOD. Your ds is the only one that needs to do any stretching, and he'll do it at his own pace. Your ped needs some seriously updated info.

[Daisyuk]

AAP Intact Care Guidelines

"What Is Foreskin Retraction?

Sometime during the first several years of your son's life, his foreskin, which covers the head of the penis, will separate from the glans. Some foreskins separate soon after birth or even before birth, but this is rare. When it happens is different for every child. It may take a few weeks, months or years.

After the foreskin separates from the glans, it can be pulled back away from the glans toward the abdomen. This is called foreskin retraction.

Most boys will be able to retract their foreskins by the time they are 5 years old, yet others will not be able to until the teenage years. As a boy becomes more aware of his body, he will most likely discover how to retract his own foreskin. But foreskin retraction should never be forced. Until separation occurs, do not try to pull the foreskin back — especially an infant's. Forcing the foreskin to retract before it is ready may severely harm the penis and cause pain, bleeding and tears in the skin. "

http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_d...DD&sub_cat=108

I suggest that you print a few of those off and give them to your husband, ped and keep a few for handing out to ignorant medics and caregivers. They should know all this, the guidelines aren't anything new, there really is no excuse. I can't work out why almost everyone who sees a foreskin seems to feel the need to manipulate and stretch it, why can't they just leave it alone?

[baybee]

good for you for reacting! If every mother would follow that instinctive urge, our kids would be a lot better off.

When my oldest was a baby and I knew nothing about the dangers of vax, I took her to the public health for her vax one a.m. The nurse gave her a tsp of the pink oral polio vax and then did a bunch of talking and testing of her reflexes. At the end of the visit she poured another tsp of the pink poison. I said "Does she get two?" and the nurse said "Oh my gosh, did I already give it to her?" ----I wonder how many women would just have sat there without questioning it! Scary.

Speak up, ask questions and exert your right to be your child's voice in the world! Good job.
Baybee

[Yoshua]

you never pull it back.

the kid will do it on his own eventually.

Your SO needs to be told that if the dr told him that he 'should' undergo a stomache staple because he is to fat, would he just do it coz the dr said so or would he do his own research?


arg.... no, it's not relevant and probably wouldnt happen, but that is just as idiotic as assuming the DR KNOWs MORE..... YOU DO THE RESEARCH AND STICK TO YOUR GUNS.

No stretching needed, and any adult that has that much fascination with a babies penis needs to be asked "no, seriously, why are you so fascinated with my babies penis? it was fine before you touched it, if there is something wrong with it, I will letcha know"

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Originally Posted by Greenie

So, our pediatrician is VERY pro-breastfeeding, nice, takes her time during the visit, asks a whole lot of questions, is fine with us not vaxing, but really freaked me out during our last visit.

I was holding Elias, she was doing the exam, and when it came time to look down there, she started to pull back his foreskin. When I saw bring pink glans, I exclaimed "Oh, NO!" and then she stopped. She asked what was wrong, and I told her that from what I know, you're not supposed to retract the foreskin. She said that you are not supposed to, I was correct, but you have to get it to start streching so that it can rectract. Elias is only 2 months old.

This just seemed WRONG. Elias wasn't upset, but I don't want her doing it. My SO said that she's a pediatrician, and that she probably knows better than I do, but upon looking at the facts, you leave it alone completely for the 1st year. What do I do??

Good for you saying something. THE FORESKIN SHOULD NEVER EVER BE RETRACTED BY ANYONE OTHER THAN YOUR DS not even a tiny little bit, not to see the opening, not to check to see how open it is, NO REASON AT ALL. And that rule applies to always not just in the first year. Any retraction at all runs the risk of causing microscopic tears that can cause major issues in the future, scare tissue and trouble with elastisity of the forskin. So many american dr are very ignorent about the proper care of the intact penis which is LEAVE IT ALONE


Sounds like other than this issue she is a good caring dr. But she needs to be educated. What u should do is print out the aap intact care and the intact care agreement. Give to her so that in the future she will know not to touch. Male several copies to keep with u in the diaper bag so that if u see anouther dr for any reason u can hand them out (i have several) and have one put right in the front of his chart as well.

[SJane01]

Danny's did not even separate until he was 11... I know, ,thats an extreme case, but the doctors shouldnt ever really try to retract an attached foreskin.

[MommytoB]

Maybe we should change the wording to stretching because I hear how doctors and other people say they never retracted.

We should say No Stretching on foreskin period no matter which way it is my son is the only one who does the stretch of his foreskin.

[SJane01]

Originally Posted by MommytoB

Maybe we should change the wording to stretching because I hear how doctors and other people say they never retracted.

We should say No Stretching on foreskin period no matter which way it is my son is the only one who does the stretch of his foreskin.

Well I know that his normal doctor now retracts his foreskin for him since they know it is fully retractable, but they never tried until they knew

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

SJane01 Even tho your son is retractable the dr has no reason at all to retract the foreskin. The equivalent of that on a girl would be to do a vaginal exam at each visit and we all know that shouldnt and dosnt happen. There is nothing in there the dr needs to see at all THE ONLY PERSON THAT IS ALLOWED TO RETRACT IS THE OWNER OF THE PENIS If for some reason the dr needs to look under there for possible infection then it should be your son retracting the skin to show him. Not the dr doing it. I swear I dont know why dr's seem to have this facination with looking under there. They dont look inside the vagina : if they did I bet more than one would be fending off a very furious and rightly so mama.

And retracting at 11 isnt really that extreme since some are adults before they seperate and that is perfectly normal.


I was just thinking to why in the world would a dr be fooling with a childs genitals at 11years old????? I can understand doing the hernia check but to touch the penis to me that would be like the dr pulling back the clitoral hood during a exam a definate big

I guess things are a bit different for a boy and a girl but I will not allow any more genital exams on dd she will make the choice to have one or not when she is older.

Side note here: Is there any reason to do hernia checks in boys at there phyisical exam every time they have one?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Originally Posted by MommytoB

Maybe we should change the wording to stretching because I hear how doctors and other people say they never retracted.

We should say No Stretching on foreskin period no matter which way it is my son is the only one who does the stretch of his foreskin.

You are right about that I am getting the impression in lots of posts here lately that just pulling it back a little is ok when is most certainly is not. Retraction to me implies forcing it back altho I know this includes just a bit of pulling back.

[SJane01]

MRDCatLvr: im getting in a bit over my head heh, i get secondhand information execept when I beg for it lol.. Dan will only talk to me about his stuff there whenever its in his advantage to do so..

[hummingbear]

Originally Posted by Greenie

but upon looking at the facts, you leave it alone completely for the 1st year.

Just wanted to reiterate..............
leave it alone for the first and second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh and eigth ...........etc............

Your DS should be the only person ever to retract himself.

[CA Mommy]

This has happened to me too. More than once. Afterwards, my son's foreskin was red and irritated for a while. I worry that some damage may have been done due to premature retracting. I am always on guard now when they want to look under the diaper. You'd think they'd be a more educated in this area. Scary!

[mattemma04]

You are correct in that she was wrong to do that. Next time you see her bring it up.In this case you seem to have a better grasp of normal male genitalia than she does.

On an off note does she also stretch an infant females hymen to help things along???

[Greenie]

I'm going to definitley print out a few copies of the agreement, and a few different sources saying that you don't touch it. We go back at his 4 month checkup. She's a really nice doctor (and one of the only ones in the city that are okay with not vaxing) so I think that if I just tell her that this is the info that I have, and that I prefer her not to touch him down there, everything should be alright.

Thanks for the information ladies! I knew that I was right. Not in a self-richeous way, in a mama bear knows best for baby bear way. If I had never found Mothering, I'm afraid to think about what would have happened. I learned all about the circ issue here, and after about an hour's worth of reading, my mind was made up that my son would be intact.

Thanks again for all that you do!!