Let's have an intactivist ROLL-CALL! - Page 2

[Kathryn]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Kathryn. I've got a 22 month old little girl, a wonderful husband, and I'm due in October with another.

What state/province are you from?
Texas.

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
I've always been a huge child and infant rights person.

Particular interests? Special talents?
Nothing I can really think of that's super cool.

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
Talk to anyone possible. Leave no circ business cards places, making bumper stickers, t-shirts, diaper bags, etc..

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
Probably here.

[jessjgh1]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Jessica, momma to Joshua who just turned 2 years old

What state/province are you from?
Massachusetts

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
I wondered what I needed to know about circumcision- I came from the, 'I thought it was medically necessary point of veiw' and was shocked to find out it was not medically necessary (read the AAP to figure that out)

Particular interests? Special talents?
Right now I pretty much just try to keep up with my son and bare minimum of everything else

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
Writing letters, post to forums, expecting groups, etc.

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
The link to the 'if you regret circumcising your son' here


Jessica

[Microsoap]

Originally Posted by sunflower_mommy

First name, and any family details you want to share.


What state/province are you from?


Briefly, what drew you to this issue?


Particular interests? Special talents?


What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?


If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?

Chris, dp to Aaron, a guy who says he "doesn't care either way" about circumcision until I mention it (and I do A LOT!) and that makes him get defensive (he's circ'd) about the whole thing. I'm still unsettled about him not being in 100% agreement about the human rights violation (see above statement about getting defensive).

1.) Ontario, Canada... London to be exact.

2.) Am an intact male for 30 years and see NO reason to change what's worked for me without problems. Ever since I knew about the difference at around 8 or 9, thought it was a STUPID thing to do. It wasn't until I was 16 when my cousin was born and my mom and grandma talked about how he will have it done that I thought "what about HIS rights?!" that I became a TRUE intactivist; a word I didn't even know about until the late-'90s and the internet, THANK GOODNESS! It's become "my cause" and I'm passionate about it and plan to make it a life-long cause ending MGM!

3.) The entertainment industry. My brother and I won 2nd place in a script writing contest. We created a complete sitcom and wrote a pilot which won runner-up. We're looking for agent representation. (hint-hint, L.A.ites hehe). We plan on making an anti-circ comments a regular thing throughout the run of the series once it gets accepted and developed. There's an anti-circ website that compiles the pro-intact statements from movies and TV shows and we want to DRAMATICALLY add to that list.

4.) Mothering Dot Commune: The Case Against Circumcision ; Circumstitions.com

[Microsoap]

You SO rock!

Originally Posted by wendy1221

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Wendy (29), dh Marc (27), Damien (6--not dh's biological son), Jake (2), and Liam (6 mos.) Our 3 boys are intact. We are Jewish, it hasn't been an issue except w/ FIL, who thinks we made a mistake not having it done, but oddly enough for "medical" reasons. MIL thinks it's barbaric and commented that she's glad I had the strength to stand up and wishes she had.

What state/province are you from?
We are from PA, living in IN while dh is in grad school.

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
Thought circ was normal until I noticed most of the babiy boys whose diapers I changed at work (daycare, while I was in college at Penn State) were intact. Asked the ladies I worked w/ and none of their kids were circ'd. Intact started looking more normal. It came up in my Bradley classes when I was pg w/ ds2, and my research then made me not only against having it done to my boys, but against all RIC.

Particular interests? Special talents?
I'm good at art and music. Have a B.S. in chemistry, planning on going back to school to be a nurse practitioner, either pediatric or neonatal. I sew, mostly organic cotton sherpa cloth diapers for ds and friends, also knitting a little. Still REALLY slow! My current project is a pair of organic longies or shorties, depending on when I get them done. I dyed my balls of Treliske yarn by hand w/ indigo and that yarn is BEAUTIFUL!!! I think I'll put a link in my sig to a pic when I'm done.

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
Well, my older sister's oldest is 4. When D was a baby, she thought it was gross he wasn't circ'd. She now has 2 intact little boys. I try to plant the seeds in anyone I talk to where having babies comes up. You know, just casually mention in my whole homebirth spiel how the hospital here tried to circ Jake 3 times and isn't that awful? Can't believe people around here still do such a barbaric thing, where I had ds1, no one does that! (which, btw, is very true. Less than 10% circ rate in State College, PA, the year he was born!)

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?

I would give them Mothering articles, not links.

Truly joyful.

[MommytoB]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Traci(28) one intact DS 20 months tomorrow(Brendan)


What state/province are you from? Montana did live in california for 5 yrs that's where my son was born.


Briefly, what drew you to this issue? My ex was intact the first intact male I had ever seen I never really hear of talk of that or full discussion of circumcision. The most talk I ever seen on circ as a child was from Cheers and Seinfeld.
I remember weirding out after the seinfeld episode but I was not knowing that there was a choice until I had my son.

Then I was pro-choice then more I researched it oh how wrong and how uneducated doctors were just cuz they were cut happy got me like really against it when I learned there is 'real no reason' to remove a healthy part even if it has a issue .



Particular interests? Special talents? Computers, Sign language , being a mom, cross stitching


What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC? I mostly pass around pamplets to show off to nurses who come up from Better Babies and then next month I am going to figuring out a way that will be obvious to show of to say No "real" medical reason to circ or try to seem to get the look-alikes out there or maybe get a jersey stating Mom against Circ and with my son say I'm against circ also . I also write all these little notes in free parent or even tidbits saying Get Informed Say No To Circ


If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?

I would give them no links just pamplets from no-circ because they will be more likely to have time to read that and less chance at the computer . But if it was a computer nut like me I would definetly suggest this forum.



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[cristina63303]

Hi Everyone! I'm new here - over from another enlightened board. Great to have found you guys.

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Cristina (38), DH(40), DS1 (5), DS2 (3), DD (11 months). Everyone intact.

What state/province are you from?
I'm Venezuelan but live in Germany (DH's country)

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
For me intactness has always been a given. Everyone in my family and extended family is. Never gave it much thought. It was just normal.
Then my best friend and I were expecting DS2 at the same time. I knew she had circd DS1 (we bathed them together once, and I felt such pity for her son) so I embarked on an unsuccessful attempt to change her mind for DS2. It was very sad and frustrating.

The more I learned the more it seemed obvious that this is a barbaric practice that needs to be stopped and eventually will be. We must make sure it is.

It's interesting to see this whole topic from a European/South American perspective: it's simply a non issue. All friends of my kids are intact (except two Muslim boys), every pediatrician knows not to mess with it, grandparents and inlaws don't come in to explain why we should mutilate our newborns... As I said: non issue. And when you tell people that it's done pretty much as a matter of routine in USA they grimace. It's quite scandalous and incomprehensible.

Particular interests? Special talents?
Interests? You mean moms can actually have interests other than their kids' interests? Just kidding: opera and classical music in general, horses, skiing, in-line skating, mathematics, languages.

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
Around me there is no one I need to discourage, so I just try to post in boards that deal with this issue and give the intact-as-a-given perspective. And of course, every time a friend in USA is having a boy I bombard her with info.

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/vincent/index.html

[Amydoula]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Amy, DH, and Aidan (intact)

What state/province are you from?
Upstate NY

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
When pregnant with Aidan, who is now 4, we knew we needed to make a decision on circ one way or the other and after doing a lot of research came to realize there was NO WAY we were going to put our day old child through surgery for no reason. Honestly, I am NOT a big fan of the AAP overall but the fact that even *they* don't support circ was a big factor in helping us make our decision. We have never regretted it!

Particular interests? Special talents
Well my family is my biggest priority, I am a doula and LOVE what I do, I like to collect antique bottles and take care of all my special furballs

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
I work with pregnant/postpartum families all the time and have just begun including the anticirc brochure from coloradonocirc, I also always ask if they are having a boy at the prenatal, if they say YES, I always ask if they have made a decision about circ. If they are undecided I always ask them to read the brochure, go over the fact that the AAP doesn't recommend it, etc. and then tell about my wonderful intact son! IT is so incredibly hard for me to see little babies come home from the hospital with raw, circed penises I cry inside for them every time! I always do a victory dance though when I have intact clients.

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
Why mothering.com of course

[wendy1221]

Originally Posted by Microsoap

Truly joyful.

wow. thanks! I just realized a mistake in my post. I said Bradley w/ ds2, but I meant ds1. lol

[Robin926]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Robin, mama to one DS who is intact, and wife to a circ'ed DH

What state/province are you from?
Mississippi

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
When I was reading pregnancy and childcare books, a friend lent me one from Penelope Leach (who is British, I think?) which said that circ was unnecessary and not practiced in most of the world. I started talking to DH about it (who was unconvinced at first), but as I dug deeper, I found out the truth and was adamant it would not be done to DS. DH agreed too, and the more I learned the more sickened I became by the whole practice and lost that "personal choice" kind of attitude.

Particular interests? Special talents?
I am going to school to be a CNM.

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
Anytime I find out a friend is having a boy, I immediately jump on the circ issue. I don't bite my tongue at all, and just get right down to it. I also participate in online arenas to educate about circ and hopefully sway expectant moms.

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
the first thing I give is the Mothering Case against Circumcisions article. If that's not enough, I follow up with more specific issues.

[mamamillet]

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First name, and any family details you want to share.
Laura mom to Noah-intact

What state/province are you from?
TN, but ds born in NC

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
It wasn't even a conscious decision to leave him intact. The majority of babies I knew were intact. The more I have read after my ds was born the more upset about it I become. Goes hand in hand with my disgust of the medical community.

Particular interests? Special talents?
Reading, when I have time. ( i am not that boring, just really busy)

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
Letter writing, trying to get a nocirc center off the ground in tn

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
right here

[jessjgh1]

Gentle bump....

Let's add more names!!!!

[gabysmom617]

First name, and any family details you want to share.

Sonya, married for 5 years to a man who was circed at age 11 and is now planning to restore, and mom to 9 (almost 10) month old Gabriel, intact.

What state/province are you from?
Va

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
Needing support for my decision to keep my son whole/ AFter researching when I was pregnant, I became passionate about this subject.

Particular interests? Special talents?
Sewing/art/animals


What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC? Not much yet, dealing with Social Anxiety issues, so as you can imagine, I find it difficult to go around talking about penises!


If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
http://www.gleeson.us/gm/chat.htm

[Baby Makes 4]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
My name is Sara and I am married to Randy. We have 2 intact sons. DH was circ'ed and wishes his parents had left him intact. Initially he was pro-circ but when I showed him some websites and he did some research of his own he became very much against it.

What state/province are you from?
British Columbia

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
Having boys. DS#1 is from a previous relationship and his father was intact so we left Luke intact. It wasn't even an issue. I investigated more closely when I married DH and was really horrified by what I learned baout RIC. I look at my baby's penis and it's just so perfect. Whenever I see circ'ed penises on babies and little boys in change rooms or whatever they look so ... naked.

Particular interests? Special talents?
I have a degree in Environmental Science and right now my biggest talents are being a Mommy and making milk. I normally like to bake and be one with nature but I haven't had much time lately.

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
Since Logan was a home waterbirth people always want to talk about his birth. I'm happy to oblige because it allows me to hype natural birth and home birth as well as start a discussion about circumcision. I throw all the arguements out there and knock 'em down one at a time.


If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
I never really thought about it. I'll have to make a little list.

[drnmd1216]

[QUOTE=Baby Makes 4]First name, and any family details you want to share.
My name is Melissa, and I am married to Doug (circ'ed) We have 3 children, Kylie, Elise and Caden (intact).

What state/province are you from?
Massachusetts

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
Well I always though circ'ing was a given, and maybe if my first two had been boys, they would be circ'ed. My dh felt strongly about it, and gave me the "they will have so many infections" excuse and I believed it all. Once I got pg with our son, I knew that we would have a boy and I felt sick thinking about circ'ing him. I started reading more deeply into those posts on mainstream boards where they talked about not circ'ing. Than I began bringing it up to my dh and we had SOOOOO many fights over it...and I hoped i was wrong and we were having a girl. But once we found out we were indeed having a boy, than I got to work. I told my dh he could choose but only if it was an informed decision...and I made him read page after page of stuff about it. I was relentless! Now he is as anti-circ as you get...I never thought I would see him like this. I feel so strongly about this, bc its still so hard to find what circ is all about. All the mainsteam pg magazines I have read about circ are appalling....so one sided...and this is how people make their decisions!! I just want everyone to be able to see both sides for what they really are, and make the right choice to end this riduculous barbaric American tradition!

Particular interests? Special talents?
Just enjoying my time as a mommy right now...hoping to go back to school to be a nurse in the future, once kids are in school.

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
I ask anyone and everyone that is pg about their opinions on circ'ing and I always bring up proudly how Caden is intact...I also offer info to read about it and share our experiences on how we came to our decision, since we started off thinking about it much like the majority of people do.

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
I would rather give them copies also...much more likely to read if its right there in front of them! Definately the mothering article on circ. is a MUST!

[Fi.]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Fi. Does not rhyme with Hi.

What state/province are you from?
Pennsylvania, but I spend a couple of months a year in the UK as well.

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
Oh dear. I'm so embarassed about this. I was really pro-circ (I thought of it as a hangnail - like a little flap coming from the top of the head down over the tip like a doggie door so I figured meh whatever, kind of like kids born with a tail - I had seen a HORRIBLE diagram in health class and it looked like a mealworm) and I never realised that NO ONE did it so you can imagine my surprise when I arrive in England and I was talking about going out to pull and someone mentioned men not being circumcised. I FREAKED OUT. But I had met a guy I really REALLY liked while there and figured okay, well. Whatever! And I've learned that you should never say "Wow that's does NOT look like a mealworm" and expect not to get a strange look from the owner of said foreskin.

Particular interests? Special talents?
I'm loud and I don't mind drawing attention . I got 2 bumper stickers on my car and I advocate wherever I can. I've found that a good conversation opener is talking about my psycho inlaws practically disowning my son over it. "Can you believe they're so hung up about his foreskin? Shouldn't we be hung up by the fact they did cosmetic surgery on their kid to make his d**k look PRETTY? I mean ew, who cares what their KID'S d**k looks like right?" and usually they say something like "oh well i heard its cleaner" or whatever and I shoot down the myths. I've converted several people my age and younger (I'd say 17-21) who swear they'll NEVER do that to their kids.

What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?
See above.

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
I'd hand them a DVD of the Penn and Teller episode, tell them it's a great laugh, and to call me if they have any questions. I'd enclose a business card with cirp, DOC, and that REALLY good link that shows the chart of how many babies would have to be cut to prevent one UTI and how many complications there would be (i lost that recently, if anyone could post it I'd love oyu forever)

[ericswifey27]

Originally Posted by gabysmom617

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
http://www.gleeson.us/gm/chat.htm

I am not sure if I can call myself an intactivist, atleast not a successful one, ny sister in law just circed her baby I wish I had seen this mama's link to give her before... it counters every possible excuse with a calm logical answer, awesome! (I've bookmarked it in case said SIL has another boy...)

Anyway, in the spirt of hoping to become a successful intactivist:

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Amy, mom to my 2 year old, thankfully intact son, wife to my DH Eric


What state/province are you from?
Sunny California

Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
My instinct told me circ was unneccessary so I started researching,asking other mamas here, to convince my husband of it. Mamas just like you helped change my husband's opinion. I also did the "force read"- I printed out tons of info for DH to read, but I also told him I would seriously consider divorcing someone who wanted to cause unneccessary pain to my son. I was only half kidding. Is that bad?

Particular interests? Special talents?
Above all I am into doing 2 year old things But I also enjoy my job as a speech pathology assistant, I like sewing diapers and am (slowly) learning how to knit.


What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC? I put No circ signs in my siggies . I try to innocently slip into conversations with family and strangers alike info I've read when the subject comes up, but I definitely need some work on getting my point across (that's for my newest nephew)

[jessjgh1]

Heck, this hasn't gotten bumped up and I KNOW there are many new members.

Jessica

[kxsiven]

Yep - huhuuuuuuuuu.


Wellcome new ones. Take a cup of coffee and tell about yourself!

[dynamohumm6]

Emmy (29), dd age 7, ds age 15months, married one year on October 1 :

What state/province are you from? born in Washington DC (in their first birthing room!), raised in ultra rural upstate NY, past 11 years and the rest of my life in Boston, MA

Briefly, what drew you to this issue? when I was pregnant with my daughter is really the first time I gave it much thought..got really passionate about it after looking for research to arm myself with in an anticipated debate with dh when I was pregnant with our ds


Particular interests? Special talents? I'm REALLY good at being sarcastic! I 'm a musician in my spare time, went to college for it , I play every wind and brass instrument, teach piano, and am a percussionist at heart.


What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC? Talking. To anyone who'll listen, and even those that won't.

If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be? the gawd awful video.

[Telle Bear]

First name, and any family details you want to share.
Suzanne (29), Married to the most wonderful man Reggie (29) and we have a 8 month old named Truck, who is all there where it matters and a weiner dog named Betty:

What state/province are you from?
Grew up in Queens, NY but lived in Southern NH and Southern Maine, now live in SC, but am moving back up north soon


Briefly, what drew you to this issue?
I read the Mens Health Magazine years ago...changed everything for me


Particular interests? Special talents?
I LOVE Politics.: .reading, and family time



What kinds of things are you doing to discourage/end RIC?I am in the process of making my town sticky...I stick anti-circ stickers everywhere I go. I am just getting the nerve to talk to pregnant woman. I have spoken to my friend that are pregnant, but no luck so far


If you could give an expectant parent one link, what would it be?
I would prefer to give them literature because ( please don't be offended) if I send them to the computer and they land up getting bullied or feeling attacked...I feel like we defeated ourselves.: