What happens if you don't circumsize?

[tammyswanson]

I've heard that you have to 'clean' it...whatever that means! I had asked my MIL because she had 3 boys, that's what she said, but wouldnt' go into any details. She said it's less of a mess to circumsize, but I wonder. I don't want to, but do you have to do anything 'extra' with uncircumsized boys? :

[Ruthla]

You just clean the outside, like you'd clean a finger. Pulling the foreskin back (aka retraction) is actually very dangerous and can damage the sensitive skin. Some boys retract naturally in toddlerhood, some at puberty, and some in between. There's never a reason to retract before it retracts on its own (or he plays with it and retracts it himself.)

[tammyswanson]

Really? That's the big deal? LOL! Geez, thanks for the info Ruthla! I figured it'd be some big problem if I didn't do it, my MIL doesn't like to talk about 'icky' stuff, I guess. I had heard earlier that you have to clean it with a q-tip, but she didn't say anything about that.

[buckeyedoc]

Truthfully, DH and I were a little nervous when we brought DS#1 home that we wouldn't know how to "take care of it." It turns out that there's nothing to it - no worries at all. You can't even retract a baby or young boy to clean underneath the foreskin, so you just wipe down the outside. Once he gets old enough to retract on his own (usually by school-age, but sometimes not until puberty), then he (or you, if he's still little) just give it a rinse in the shower or bath. From what I understand, it would take a long time without rinsing for a man to get a huge buildup of smegma under there like the "horror stories" you hear.

[gardenmommy]

This is timely for me. I just gave birth to our second son a few days ago, and he will remain intact. I was wondering about the practical side of this; our first son was circed, which I deeply regret, and I only have experience caring for a circed penis. I know more this time, so it won't happen again.

So in a nutshell, I just leave it alone, correct? How do I know if there is a reason to do anything different with it?

[TigerTail]

in 6 and 4 years of having sons nothing has 'come up' - they've been washing themselves in the tub since they were wee toddlers. nothing could be easier.

[LavenderMae]

Yep, just wipe like a finger, nothing to it. There's tons of goods info in the stickies at the top of this forum, I hope you will read it!

[hipumpkins]

your MIL was probably referring to retracting which isn't safe but it is what people used to do. I think that is where people get the idea that being intact means more infections...it is only true b/c years ago those intact boys were being retracted and washed underneath and that can cause infections. Being left intact just means you don't have to put vaseline on a wounded newborn penis. You don't' have to worry that he might stick to his diaper. You don't have to see his glans. He will be all protected and you do nothing more than wash him off like any other part. No pain involved...no extra work.

I just gave birth to our second son a few days ago, and he will remain intact.

our first son was circed, which I deeply regret,

[kldliam]

Cleaning an intact child is actually easier than cleaning a wounded circ'd child. As another poster stated if you can clean your finger you can clean a normal penis. A child who has had part of his penis cut-off needs extra-special care and concern. After he "heals" you have to worry about "adhessions" (very common).

An intact child enjoys a happy beginning without any trauma to his person and has no horrific wound that gets irritated by his urine and poop. He also never has to deal with ahessions.

[bdavis337]

I must say how true this is. My boys are circ'ed, although the boy I'm carrying right now will NOT BE CUT. The infant I babysit is intact. NEver fails that I have to change both my toddler's poopy diaper AND the baby's at the same time. Takes me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to clean MT's diaper area, the stuff gets all stuck up around the scar, on the tip and all over. Baby gets a quick wipe with a warm washcloth and he's done.

DH asked me the other day "why don't you pull it back to clean inside". !!!!!! Well, nothing GETS inside, so why pull it back?

[TigerTail]

much easier than fingers, no nail to scrub under!

[calngavinsmom]

Here are a couple of pamphlets so you can compare circ and intact penis care side by side.
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/5pam.pdf

Intact=easy peasy
Circ=not so much

Good luck!
Tara

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Originally Posted by gardenmommy

This is timely for me. I just gave birth to our second son a few days ago, and he will remain intact. I was wondering about the practical side of this; our first son was circed, which I deeply regret, and I only have experience caring for a circed penis. I know more this time, so it won't happen again.

So in a nutshell, I just leave it alone, correct? How do I know if there is a reason to do anything different with it?

Yep you just leave it alone. If something does come up it will be apparent pretty fast. Infections tho rare do happen but just like if it was a girl who had the infection you treat it with medication. Yeast same thing a good OTC cream will clear up yeast pretty fast.

The foreskin is actually fused to the head of the penis like the fingernail is to the finger so you can imagine the pain and trauma you would be causing if you tried to retract him.

Be sure to read the sticky's at the top of the main CAC page "A Warning To Parents Of Intact Sons" and "The Definiton of Retraction & Why it is BAD!!" Always tell anyone Dr. family etc. to never push back on the foreskin for any reason. Even a tiny bit can cause mirco tears and let bacteria in.

Your ds should be the first and only one to ever mess with it. I cant stress how important this one simple rule is.

[kldliam]

to gardenmommy:

here are some great brochures that you should look over:

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/

(see #4, #6 and #8 )

[attachedmamaof3]

Doing something special is news to me!!

I have two intact boys and I've never done a thing. Ever. Boys penises are made to be uncut.

I would think that having an open wound on your baby's genitals in a diaper where urine and poop are going to be would be more of a problem than an uncut penis. : Gross.

[frenchie]

It requires no extra maintenance at all. I just had a girl, and boy oh boy....her bits require A LOT more attention than my son's intact penis ever has. Folds and crevices and poop OH MY!!

[attachedmamaof3]

Originally Posted by frenchie

It requires no extra maintenance at all. I just had a girl, and boy oh boy....her bits require A LOT more attention than my son's intact penis ever has. Folds and crevices and poop OH MY!!

ME TOO!!!

I always have the feeling that I'm invading her privacy!

Off topic, I know...I apologize (but couldn't resist!)

[trmpetplaya]

Having changed the diapers of both (my much younger brothers are circumcised and my friends' sons are intact) - I have to agree with everyone else that cleaning intact babies is MUCH easier! The foreskin makes the penis all smooth so there are no ridges or anything to have to clean behind.

The only person who should EVER retract the foreskin is the boy himself. If he becomes retractile before he's old enough to pull his foreskin forward over the glans (aka - if you change his diaper and notice that his foreskin has pulled back which is very rare, but it can happen) then you should pull it forward over the glans again before putting his diaper back on, but you should NEVER pull it back and you should never let anyone else (other than your son, of course) pull it back either.

The foreskin is fused to the glans like fingernails are fused to the fingers. Just like nothing gets under the fingernails without quite a bit of pain and force (the part that's fused at least I'm not talking about the bits that stick off on the end - of course stuff gets under there!), nothing gets under the foreskin either.

love and peace.

[Ron_Low]

To be clear, NOBODY except the boy himself should ever try to retract his foreskin. This even applies to doctors and nurses who (if you're in the US) may be ignorant of the normal anatomy since many studied from anatomy texts which depicted the penis as if babies are born circumcised.

BE PREPARED to forcefully assert and insist on no forced retraction with caregivers and health professionals.

Cheers,

[trmpetplaya]

Originally Posted by Ron_Low

To be clear, NOBODY except the boy himself should ever try to retract his foreskin. This even applies to doctors and nurses who (if you're in the US) may be ignorant of the normal anatomy since many studied from anatomy texts which depicted the penis as if babies are born circumcised.

: Read the sticky "A Warning for Parents of Intact Boys" Apparently some of the textbooks even depict babies in utero as being circumcised :

love and peace.