do most pediatricians perform circumcisions?

[mama_daba]

i hardly ever read this forum because i get so sad and upset. today my son had his 6 month wbv and really the only reason we went was cuz we where curious about his length and weight. while we where waiting i heard a baby crying and said to my partner i thought it was a circumcision being done and he said it might not be. then the doc popped his head inand said he would be with us soon he was running late and had to perform a circumcision. there was so much crying. i felt like i was going to faint i felt so powerless i couldn't go and save that baby. he was mutilated and asualted and i couldn't stop it and i t was awful. we have been there before when a circumcision was going on and i feel like i just can't deal with it anymore. i never want to go back. is that normal? do most pediatricians do that? ours is cool with our sone being intact and he known not to retract and he is cool with our vax choices and aproves of all our odd crunchiness but i just can't stanbd knmowing that he is hurting baby boys on a regular basis.

[tennisdude23]

I am pretty young, but I don't think my ped. did them. He was from India; and I never heard any prolonged baby screams in his office. I see you are from Cali. Yeah, even there they do them, but most people apparently forego them. Cali has like a 25% circ. rate which in comparison with the rest of the nation is really low. So, if it helps, remember that most kids are not subjected to them anymore in your state.

[Night_Nurse]

Where I live/work, most circs are done in the hospital by the OB. However, one or two OB's won't do circs. So if the pedi on call at the hospital won't do them (usually it's a scheduling conflict), the baby will go to a pedi office after discharge and have them done.
So to answer your question, it's not unheard of for a newborn to be circed in a pediatricians office if the pedi isn't all together opposed to performing them.

I feel your pain. If a circ went on when I took my kid to the pedi, I'd pack up and leave. I'd also tell the office staff why I was leaving.
Regardless of how much you like your pedi, this has happened twice and it's obviously distressing to you. I'd call the office, explain why this upsets you, and ask for a referral to another doctor who does not perform circs.

I'm not condoning performing circs ever, but if a doc does them in office, he or she should always do them first thing in the morning or during the office closing time of lunch so that other patients do not have to hear this. Imagine taking your child in for strep throat or something and then all of the anxiety that child would feel seeing the doc walk in after "seeing" that wailing child in the next room!
It's just really an all around sad situation.

[fruitful womb]

I would call or write a letter to complain about that.

Sux to hear the terror in the screams from the innocent because they're being TORTURED!!!

I dunno, its seems so wrong that they have to subject that onto the babies AND to sensitive parents like you guys IN THE NEXT ROOM! Jeeez!

What are they trying to accomplish? Mooore conditioning to our already [screwed] up culture?

If it were me, I'd be in autozone. My body would have one of those out of body experiences and walk into that room to tell the parents and the pediatrician that they need to stop torturing that baby. And try to save that baby.

Watch, now that I said that, the opportunity to do such a thing will find me.

GOOD FOR YOU FOR KEEPING YOUR SON INTACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UptownZoo]

That's kinda surprising to me. In my city, most circs happen in the hospital. There aren't many peds who will do one in the office.

[snazzy_mom]

I am so sorry you had to hear that. I had a similar experience a few weeks ago in my ob's office but I didn't hear the baby, as he was seeing a dr that wasn't mine.

I know my ped doesn't circ (he also doesn't give me flack about not vaxing) and encourages parents not to but he is also Trindadian, and didn't go to school in the states.

I would definitely look for a different ped, as well, if I were you. I wouldn't want someone caring for my child that didn't hold similar ideals.

[Ruthla]

A lot of babies scream in ped's offices from receiving vaccinations. Also, sick or hurt babies may cry while being examined or treated- an otoscope in an infected ear is painful, blood draws are painful, etc. The babies you heard crying (BEFORE the dr mentioned the circ he was about to do) may well have been from one of those other things.

I'm shocked that the dr told you what he was doing to another patient- isn't that a breach or patient confidentiality or something? It just strikes me as being awfully unprofessional at the very least- why not just say "I'm busy with other patients and I'll be with you as soon as possible"?

[Mrs-Mama]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I'm shocked that the dr told you what he was doing to another patient- isn't that a breach or patient confidentiality or something? It just strikes me as being awfully unprofessional at the very least- why not just say "I'm busy with other patients and I'll be with you as soon as possible"?

That's what I was thinking.

[paquerette]

I don't think it breaks HIPAA unless he tells you who the patient is.

[GoodMomma]

Poor baby!

[mama_daba]

i was looking for a new ped before this happened but i am looking harder now. my chiropractor is a member of jews against circumcision so i will ask him if he can recommend a good ped

[kldliam]

Not sure if this will help you. If you find an anti-circ/pro-intact Ped, please remember to add him to our thread. Thanks.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=855913

[layla983]

Some do, some don't. Here, OB's normally do them in the hospital. Otherwise, peds do them. But my ped actually came to us & said if we weren't doing it in the hospital, we'd have to find someone else to do it because he didn't do them & he wouldn't refer us to anyone who would, we'd be on our own. The nurse in the nursery told him we were "going to wait & see" when our answer was flat out no. Of course, this was the same nurse who argued on the tour that we must get it done & to prove it wasn't a big deal, insisted on showing up how they strap the babies down.

Anyway, that gave me fabulous hope for my ped, plus he said we'd need to leave it alone & that's it's normal for the foreskin not to retact for years. Then at 4 months he told us we'd need to pull back a little, not forcing it, but retract it what he could during baths to clean it. When I tried to correct him, he swore it wasn't considered retraction, even though he called it retraction. But he's the only intact friendly ped in my area (I talked to several) & he doesn't mess with DS's penis at all, so it's the best ped we can get where we are.

[andivebeen]

I had the exact same experience a few weeks ago at a family practice doctor's office. It was my the first time at the office and I was so excited because they seemed so progressive and "crunchy." I will never forget the sound of that baby's screams- unlike anything I've ever heard The baby was literally choking, he was crying so hard

I was there to have my IUD removed and was feeling a little anxious about it. The nurse practitioner walked and and said "I'm sorry about the commotion, the Dr. performs circumcisions here in the office..." I was HORRIFIED! I am not usually an emotional woman, but that literally traumatized me. I never want to go back there! Back to finding another doctor, I suppose.

I've also been thinking about writing a letter. I hate to think it'd fall on deaf ears. Plus, I feel so strongly about no-circ I'm afraid I can't express myself logically without coming across judgmental. I guess I should at least try.

Sorry mama... no answers, just commiseration

[Nathan1097]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

A lot of babies scream in ped's offices from receiving vaccinations. Also, sick or hurt babies may cry while being examined or treated- an otoscope in an infected ear is painful, blood draws are painful, etc. The babies you heard crying (BEFORE the dr mentioned the circ he was about to do) may well have been from one of those other things.

I'm shocked that the dr told you what he was doing to another patient- isn't that a breach or patient confidentiality or something? It just strikes me as being awfully unprofessional at the very least- why not just say "I'm busy with other patients and I'll be with you as soon as possible"?

I sometimes wonder too. When my eldest was 4, we took him in for his "kindergarten shots". He SCREAMED like we were cutting an arm off with a dull knife. Right after he was born, there had a been a study saying that babies screamed more at their six-month shots if they were circ'd. Well, my kids are intact and it made me wonder.... He also screamed at age 2 when he had a bunch. Now? He's very philosophical about it. Plus, pediatricians- in the ER esp- are so used to hearing kids scream, it doesn't phase them sometimes. I've heard kids screaming so often at so ma ny peds offices over the years with my 3; I do wonder if its a circ, but never have been told "yes". Kids hate dr's and pain. I was a preemie with health issues myself.