taking care of an intact penis

[Chanley]

Oh dh is circ'ed and I am about to have a boy. Well I have never bothered educating myself on taking care of a penis, because I have a daughter and it has never been part of my life.

we are planning a homebirth and I know NOTHING about intact penis'. Other than not pulling back the foreskin, is there anything I need to know about my little man's manhood??

I am sure this has probably been covered a million times. But please enlighten me so I dont make any stupid mistakes!

[Quirky]

It's wonderful that you're keeping your son intact, and breaking the circing cycle!

I have an intact baby boy too, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the intact penis is pretty much maintenance free. DS gets washed in the tub, but all it involves is a general wash to the area, just like I would wash his fingers and toes. You're definitely right about no retraction needed for washing or anything else. During diaper changes I'll wipe him off with a wipe, and for poops I wipe front to back so as to avoid getting any poop on his penis.

The thing to watch out for is to make sure *no one* else retracts his foreskin, whether his ped, your relatives during diaper changes, or anyone else. My ped is fairly foreskin friendly and I've still found her going for his penis at well-baby visits. There's just no reason for anyone else to touch his foreskin, let alone retract it! Retracting the foreskin before it's ready is very bad. As many people say, the first person to retract your son's foreskin should be your son.

www.nocirc.org has some pamphlets as well as the AAP's statement on the care of the intact penis.

Oh, just to warn you, once your ds develops some hand coordination you will probably find that he pulls on and tugs his penis/foreskin, sometimes quite forcefully. My ds (11 months) pulls on his to the point that I'm . But it's totally normal.

[Frankly Speaking]

Frank's Complete And Highly Detailed Manual On The Care Of The Intact Penis

The proper care of your infant son's intact penis is very important for his health and well being. Every step must be performed in the order presented and no step may be skipped. When you son is old enough to do this for himself, he must be taught to preform each step in order and without fail. I know this is a great burden on both the mother and the child as everyone knows how hard it is to maintain proper hygiene for the intact penis. Please memorize the steps and teach your son to memorize each step. If possible, print this manual and tape it in a place where you or your son can see it during bath time to insure each step is followed and is followed in order.

(1) Wash the penis just like a finger.
(2) Rinse.
(3) Dry.
(4) Never allow anyone other than your son to retract his foreskin for any reason.
(5) The End!



Frank

[Teresa]

Uh, Frank. . .

Maybe #4 should include the clause "or his wife"?

[khrisday]

ahem..... "lover" woudl be more PC

[Frankly Speaking]

I s'pose by that time, you won't have much say in what happens to it.




Frank

[HeatherSanders]

I asked the same question before Kenny was born - as my husband is not intact and we had planned, after much reading and a very convincing online video (Jeff said he doesn't know how any man could see that video and still circumcise their son - I can hear the screaming still.), we knew Kenny would stay intact.

The washing has been so simple. Diaper changes I move his penis around and make sure that none of the poopie gets left under or on the sides, but never retract. When he is bathed - he doesn't like baths as much as showers with momma. I hold his thighs and spread-em for the shower's trickle. He giggles at this and then just wipe it much like I would his leg, arm or whatever - no soap though - just water.

I'm glad to know from Jane not to be alarmed as he grows older when he may start tugging at it. Now that I think about it - that makes perfect sense b/c he certainly wouldn't do anything to himself that hurt.

[Sara29]

My ds is at the tugging stage.LOL is it humorous to see him checking out his complete package.I could not imagine him any other way.It HAS been really easy to take care of.Sometimes the tip gets red.Sometimes I use cream and sometimes I don't.It resolves either way. I think all the problems people site as a reason to circ(infections and/or UTI's) is mostly due to imporper care(retraction),and if they followed Frank's advice the child would have been fine.
sara

[somemama]

I don't use soap on my son's penis, either.

[Chanley]

Great!!!

I just wanted to make sure there was nothing I needed to know about my little man's manhood.

My dh wanted to circ and we talked about it when I was pregnant with DD. THen when we were in the hospital with her and she was erroneously admited to NICU, I had to nurse her in the little room where they do the circ'ing. There was the little table with the straps to hold them down and a list of the dr.'s who did circumsizations and the supplies they needed. Out of the 8 that do them at that hospital, my OB was the ONLY one who used anesthesia.

Seeing that table and that list made it sink in for my husband. He saw how tiny and sensitive our newborn was and it finally hit him how awful the procedure is for babies, especially without anesthesia. He was very much against it after that. So our little man is going to be born at home and will not be surgically altered.

I get so confused, I have a friend who is fired up about PKU tests being so awful and cruel yet they circ thier boys. *shakes head*.

I am going to have to BEAT it into my mothers head NOT to touch my sons penis. Ughh!!!

[Teresa]

Great story!

Whenever I have heard about people seriously considering circumcision (I'm fortunate in being very sheltered from this mentality) I recommend that the parents be told they must watch one done at the place where their baby's would be done.

Just as they need to check out their birth-place and pediatrician's office before actually using them, they need to check out the exact circumcision procedure and room before they consent.

Any parent that could witness a real 'flesh-and blood' circumcision of a newborn, and then consider doing the same to his/her own is beyond reach anyhow.

p.s. Why would your mother want/need to touch your baby's penis?

[turquoise]

Originally posted by HeatherSanders
I asked the same question before Kenny was born - as my husband is not intact and we had planned, after much reading and a very convincing online video (Jeff said he doesn't know how any man could see that video and still circumcise their son - I can hear the screaming still.), we knew Kenny would stay intact.

Heather, Do you have a link to that video? I let DH decide for DS (he's circ'd so DS is too) but now I'm not sure if I want any future babies (if we are so blessed) to be circ'd. DH is not the type to research anything. : but if I get the info, he'll check it out and make a more educated decision.

[Chanley]

My mother who is the worlds best grandmother, is also a busy body. And I can imagine her trying to clean poop or something from a messy diaper off of my little one and getting overzealous in her stupidity and doing something.

that is why...I have to be VERY VERY clear with her about everything. The saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" will be engraved on her tombstone. She is a wonderful woman but things just happen.

[Sarah]

Turquoise- I don't have the links- intact.ca hosts the one which many other sites link to. Just run a google search for circumcision video.

Love Sarah

[muldey]

Hi everyone,my ds,Gabrion,who will be 2 on Sunday is intact. We wash his penis just as any other body part. Occasionally he'll get a little red at the tip, but we usually leave it alone or use a little callendula cream, and it goes away very quickly. I understand about watching grandmothers when they change diapers.My Mom thought she had to retract, and it took me a while to convince her otherwise.Thankfully she never tried.She works in a nursing home,and they are told to retract all the intact males when they bathe them.Some have even been circumsized to make it easier for the CNAs and RNs. That makes me very upset, these poor men who have to go through that pain for someone's convience.
My dd saw me changing another baby's diaper awhile ago, and she asked why his peepee was different than her Gabey's. I tried to explain it in a way a 4 year old would understand.But she knows her Gabe's is just how nature intended. When she gets older I'll go into detail,so hopefully my grandchildren stay intact.

Lisa in RI
Stay at Home Mommy to homeschooled Kasia,5 ,Gabrion (2 0n Sunday!) ,Mommy to 5 furry feline babies,and wife to skateboarding Billy(almost 28 going on 15!)

[turquoise]

Originally posted by Sarah
Turquoise- I don't have the links- intact.ca hosts the one which many other sites link to. Just run a google search for circumcision video.

Love Sarah

Thanks Sarah! Sorry about going T everyone!

[earthmama007]

http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell/
This is a link to a circ movie. i haven't watched it since DS was born I get nauseous when I even think about it.: