Do parents ever watch the procedure being done?

[vermontgirl]

Whenever I hear of parents having their sons circumcised I wonder if they watched the procedure. Something tells me that it is rare for parents to want to be present for that. Otherwise they would be spreading the word that it was a horrendous procedure. Most parents are in happy lala land thinking that it didnt hurt their child enough to warrent not doing it to their next son. Does anyone have any comments?
Did anyone here watch their childs circumcision before they knew that it was wrong?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

There have been many I have run across who have watched it and most say the same thing "He only cried when it was numbed, after that he just layed there/or he just slept through it"

[bandgeek]

I've met one woman who watched. It was 20-something years ago, so you know they most likely didn't use pain relief. She didn't say whether he cried, or "slept through it", or what. She just said, "I'm glad he went through it when he couldn't remember it, because it would have to be done later anyways and it's worse later".

Because it ALWAYS has to be done later. :

[phdmama06]

Of all my friends who have circ'ed boys, not one of them watched the procedure. They tend to believe the nurse who said "oh, your baby barely cried!" or "He fell asleep!" :

[carriebft]

I remember reading a post here once that said she (or her husband? I forget) held the kid down...

[vermontgirl]

Originally Posted by carriebft

I remember reading a post here once that said she (or her husband? I forget) held the kid down...

That is chilling. Ick-just ick.

[SleeplessMommy]

My acquaintance _____ watched her son getting circed. She said it was interesting, because she had "never seen an intact penis before."

She is of the generation (like me) where 95% plus of males got RIC. As the current "50% RIC" generation grows up, most women will have seen intact penises before, and have a better appreciation for them.

[Houdini]

Neither my husband nor I watched the procedure being done on our sons....

[savienu]

Originally Posted by carriebft

I remember reading a post here once that said she (or her husband? I forget) held the kid down...

That just put a chill through me. :

[catholic74]

Interestingly, in the past, when we discussed having a boy and whether to have him circumcized, my first reaction to my husband was "Well, I couldn't watch. You'd have to go in there with him." It was THAT reaction that later made me think more deeply. If I am instantly horrified at the thought of watching the procedure, maybe the procedure shouldn't be done at all! It was the catalyst to getting me to think more deeply about WHY were considering the procedure.....and the more thinking and research I did...the more horrified I became, but also the more determined to protect my son from it.

We did have our first son in July and he is not circumcized.

[JennaW]

We had friends that had a baby boy recently and I know they watched. They said he didn't cry.

[GoodMomma]

I've seen many parents say they watched it and I just don't believe it. How can they watch such a thing being done to their son and say "oh he slept right through it" or "he didn't make a peep" AND also in a recent debate a mom claimed her newborn GIGGLED during the circ!! : I just don't believe it. I was once pro-circ and and one time claimed to have watched my sons and even claimed that I held him during it.... Yes I was an idiot! :

[Papai]

Originally Posted by GoodMomma

I've seen many parents say they watched it and I just don't believe it. How can they watch such a thing being done to their son and say "oh he slept right through it" or "he didn't make a peep" AND also in a recent debate a mom claimed her newborn GIGGLED during the circ!! : I just don't believe it. I was once pro-circ and and one time claimed to have watched my sons and even claimed that I held him during it.... Yes I was an idiot! :

WOW! Can I ask what compelled you to lie about that? And what made you "come to the light"?

[Bm31]

I only had the bad fortune one time of showing up at the hospital to see some ex-friends that just had a baby boy right as the circ was about to take place. As they were walking AWAY from their newborn the mother nervously giggled that the doctor said, "You don't want to be here for this part." And they weren't. They left their son alone with that butcher as they cowardly walked away. I felt like I was hit in the stomach by a baseball bat and had to make a run for the exit before I puked. I lost all respect for them right at that moment.

[wytchywoman]

I watched my DS 1 get circed. :Not a good time in my life at all. As always, I regret this horribly.

[Drummer's Wife]

when I worked in mother and baby the majority of baby boys were circ'd and only a couple of times when I was there did I see a parent (almost always just dad) leave with the baby when the nurse came to take them to the circ. And then once they got down the hall the RN would let them know they could stand out in the hall and wait, watching thru the glass windows. The way the counters were set up for the circs the MD would stand with their back to the windows completely blocking the view of baby boy strapped into the circumstraint. The parents, if there, were really far away and definitely couldn't see their lil boys precious face.

I once saw a dad trying to video tape thru the window but I doubt he got much of anything recorded until baby was being wheeled back down the hall.

[serendipity22]

the doctor said, "You don't want to be here for this part."

I think its likely the doctor "was here for this part either", but rather was emotionally absent.

Of course, if both parents were always present for a circ then its popularity would tend to drop, so the system discourages it.

Not having parents present serves many purposes, one of which is to help the circumcisionist remain insulated in a kind of emotional stupour.

[GoodMomma]

Originally Posted by Papai

WOW! Can I ask what compelled you to lie about that? And what made you "come to the light"?

Because I was just like THEM, lol. I was a rabid pro-circ'er and was willing to lie (I'm hardcore Christian now and I don't lie) to proove that the procedure wasn't as horrible as the anti-circ posters were saying. This was on a circ debate message board when Colin was 3 months old. At the time I had no idea about the procedure, had no idea they tightly strap the baby to a board etc etc. So I felt guilty and decided to lie. Yes, I'm horrible! Soooooo... since I lied about it being the moronic pro-circ mommy that I was, I know other moms probably do the same thing when backed in a corner when asked about their decision. Anyway, how I changed? I got off that board after being ripped apart a couple days later....I finally took the time and looked it up when he was 9 months old and deeply regretted it ever since.

[RachelGS]

A friend of mine did and found it horrible, but is still planning to circ her next baby. :

[LavenderMae]

I have debated with pro-circers that say they watched and of course their baby giggled or slept through it. I'd gather most are lying about being there.