Question about my son's penis?

[iris0110]

So my 17month old is intact and I really don't do anything with his penis as far as cleaning or anything. I just wipe it down when dirty and swish it in water at tubby time. He has had some redness before, but stripping the diapers seemed to help. Well just today when I was swishing his in the water at bath time (actually shower time, but same difference) I noticed that the tip looked different. It seemed looser, like it wasn't being held closed like it used to be. I don't know how to describe it. Before it looked all tight and closed and today it looked open and loose. Does that even make any sense? And the tip was pink, but not red or irritated looking like it gets when the dipes have build up. Is this ok? No one messes with his penis at all, everyone knows not to, and he isn't much for playing with it either. He rarely seems to even notice that it is there unless he is using it to pee on the floor when naked. So is this just a normal thing or should I be concerned?

[Ruthla]

It sounds like the process of natural retraction has begun- it's loosening up and at some point DS will retract himself.

[Yulia_R]

Could it be that somebody retracted him (doctor/nurse/child care worker)?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

2 things come to mind right off. You caught him just before or just after a pee when the sphincter opens more to allow urine to pass through. The other is that he is starting to become retractable. Things loosen up as this happens and become more relaxed looking.

since you are sure no one has messed with him then the above 2 things are the most likely and totally normal.

[glongley]

The pinkness is the normal color of the inner foreskin. If his foreskin is loosening up, perhaps you're able see a bit more of this interface now.

Sounds like he's starting to become a little retractable. Sounds completely normal.

Gillian

[titania8]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

2 things come to mind right off. You caught him just before or just after a pee when the sphincter opens more to allow urine to pass through. The other is that he is starting to become retractable. Things loosen up as this happens and become more relaxed looking.

since you are sure no one has messed with him then the above 2 things are the most likely and totally normal.

that's what i thought too.

[Nathan1097]

Hi. My sons are now 9 1/2 and 5 1/2.

When my eldest was 7 months old, he was crawling around on the floor sans diaper for a little "free time". When I picked him up, I was surprised to see that his foreskin had retracted a bit. I placed it forward again and that was that.

This would happen when I'd open his diaper sometimes too- I'd just place it forward again. After a few months, I noticed that it had become non-retractable again. And then at a fairly young age still, he was 3/4 retractable. Now, as far as I know, he is 90% retractable and has been for several years. Basically, you cannot see the coronal ridge yet. I have told him once or twice to retract and rinse in the shower now that he is in charge of his own showers. Dunno if he actually does- last time I reminded him he did one of those "Yeah, Mom... I know...."-don't-mention-that! things.

ETA: Occasionally, he got sand under his foreskin as a baby from the beach- or once I guess.... not "occasionally"! I just put him in a plain-water bath to let it "swish-out". I can only imagine, that this is even more of an issue in circ'd boys, as their foreskins are even shorter and don't even have the "drawstring" aspect to the ridged band- because it is obviously removed.

My youngest, on the other hand, has a longer, tapered foreskin, and has never had any of those issues. He also is only retractable to the very tip and as far as I know, he never retracts.

[iris0110]

THanks ladies. I thought it was probably normal but just wanted to make sure. It's not very pink, and he doesn't seem irritated. i know for certain that no one has retracted him lately. He never stays with anyone but my mom and MIL and they both know not to mess with it. He was once retracted by accident by the dr, but that was a long time ago. He had a really red forskin and I asked the dr to look at it because he also had a yeast diaper rash and I wanted to make sure that we got it treated if it was yeast. He really just put his hand on his penis to move it where he could get a better look at the tip and his forskin slid back. The Dr seemed more suprised than anyone and it only came back just a touch (you could just see the urethral opening) and Tharen didn't react at all to it so I don't think it hurt him. But that was a good 9 months ago.

I guess what had me concerned is that his forskin is quite long, has an overhang of quite a bit, and it has always seemed very tightly closed, like a Drawsting, I like that analogy. Now it is open and loose looking, like an elastic band that has lost it's stretch. I just wanted to make sure that was normal and nothing to worry about.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I have noticed ds's is loosening up as he is growing. Sometimes the hole is super tiny then sometimes it is quiet large. Just a variation is all I can figure.