our hospital here changed a few things....

[babygrant]

My sister is pregnant and went to a meeting at the hospital to discuss her birth plans etc etc. The doctor said to her "if you have a boy, will you be having genile mutilation surgury?" she was really confused and asked what it was. Apparently our hospital will not call it circumcision, they refer to it as "genitle mutilation" because it is strictly cosmetic. Thankfully my sister said NO! The doctor also informed her that if they chose to get it done, one or both parents would HAVE to be in the room when the doctor snipped the baby or else they will not do it. As sad and disgusting this "procedure" is, I'm glad that they are making one or both parents stay in the room!! So many parents I hear just abandon their baby and go to another floor of the hospital while the baby gets snipped. Then the parents come back an hour or whatever later and the nurses say "Oh he did great, he didn't even cry". Yeah, bull crap! Of course the nurse is going to tell you that. She/he isn't going to tell you "your poor baby screamed until he couldn't scream anymore beause the pain is so intense!" Hopefully now parents will think twice about having "penile modification surgery".

**edited to change the name of the procedure. Was thinking of something else. It's great, even on websites they refer to it as mutilation http://www.canadiancrc.com/circumcis...rcumcision.htm **

[rozzie'sma]

that's wonderful

[minkajane]

That's great! I guarantee that hospital's circ rate will plummet!

[paquerette]

Too bad they won't go one further and call it "penile reduction surgery."

Or heck, refuse to do it.

That is a step in the right direction, though.

[babygrant]

The circ rate is relatively low here anyways compared to the rest of Canada and the US. It's about 40% circ'd, 60% not. Would love for it to be 100% uncircd and 0% circd....but better than some places. Another question, can a doctor refuse to circumcise or no because it's a personal decisioin for the parents? I'm just curious because a girl I know had her son done and if her 2nd baby is a boy will have him done too and she said that she saw 2 pediatricians about it and both of them tried to talk her out of it and when she STILL went ahead with wanting it done were apparently really rude to her (good!). But can a dr refuse to do it?

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

That's great! What hospital is that?

[morning glory]

But can a dr refuse to do it?

Yes, Dr.s can refuse to do it. In fact the whole hospital where my sister had her baby doesn't do them. They had to drive an hour to find a Dr. that would do it. And they did

[baybee]

The circ rate is relatively low here anyways compared to the rest of Canada and the US. It's about 40% circ'd, 60% not. Would love for it to be 100% uncircd and 0% circd..

I don't think this stat for Canada can be correct. High rates in Canada (Toronto and Winnipeg) are in the 25% range. Newfoundland has a zero percent rate and the other Maritime provinces are below 5%.
Baybee

[babygrant]

Ok well our circ rate is lower compared to the US then.

[baybee]

Yes, we can be happy that it's way below the Circumsited States but, you're right, in Canada we're going for zero percent. One baby boy cut is one too many.
Baybee

[njeb]

It's definitely a step in the right direction.

I wish the hospitals in the U.S. would describe circumcision so frankly.

[calngavinsmom]

How great for that doc to speak of circumcision for what it is Where is that hospital located if you don't mind me asking?

Here are the Canadian circumcision rates for anyone interested:
http://www.courtchallenge.com/refs/rate1m.html

And yes, docs can refuse to do it. There is a whole organization of those who do:
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/

As well as nurses:
http://nurses.cirp.org/

I also know a few peds in our area who refuse to do it because they don't agree with it



Take care,
Tara

[DahliaRW]

I wish everyone called it genital mutilation. That sure would make those who are uneducated in the topic think about it a bit. What a great hospital! I like using penile reduction surgery too!

And I agree, one boy circ'd is too many, but policies like this are sure going to help save some and I think that's great.

[ColoradoMama]

That's so cool they consider it cosmetic surgery. When people ask me why I didn't have my son circumcised, I say, "because I didn't want an unnecessary, painful, cosmetic surgery done on my infant boy who is perfect the way he was born!" That hospital rocks!

[babygrant]

I am in the west kootenays of BC.

[polarbear]

4 Years ago, when we were preparing for the birth of our first child, the nurse at the hospital on the west side of Toronto told us 40% circumcised and 60% intact. 3 Years ago, family from north Toronto said their hospital is about 20%/80%. FYI.

[sal42]

i also think it's great how the doctor referred to circumcision. i also think it's great that they require one of the parents to come into the room if they choose to have the procedure done. i have observed this procedure as a student nurse and feel so badly for the baby (i am against circs). somehow seeing the dad in the room watching his son go through the procedure made me think they were really understanding what happens and maybe after watching one son go through it they would reconsider if they have another.