[savannah&aidansmum]

Let me give a little history before so you get a better idea of the reason why im asking so late in the game..
I got prego with my DD when I was still in high school.. Ive been around kids and done enough babysitting that having a girl didnt scare me and I was really excited.... in order to finish highschool and be able to live I signed up for L.E.A.P.. its apart of O.W and helps teenage mothers be able to live, afford daycare, while still going to school!..
Well about 15 months later I had DS and to say the least I was scared shit less While Prego I had looked into circumcision but since I was still with L.E.A.P and finishing school and didnt have a preference either way DF and I decided not to get it done..
Well fast forward to about a month ago.. my mom noticed that DS penis was rather red and was a lot more swollen then usual( he had a chubby little penis LOL.. the dr was never concerned with it.. as he would say.."hes got bragging rights at daycare") So we took him to our Dr after hours clinic and after seeing it and how sore he was when it was touch he sent us to the ER.. Well 30 mins later(was so pleased with how the handled him and for a change no long wait!) and three dr... they got a lot of puss out, along with lots of tears, they sent us home with a prescription for antibiotics and some cream.. it took a week for the infection to go away but thankfully it is now..
So I guess my question is should I go and look into getting him done so late in the game?? I know that if they need to have it done for medical reasons they'll do it but will they still do it even though at this moment he doesn't need it?? He'll be two in Aug. and im terrified to think of the pros and cons of getting it done now.. I hate thinking that the stupid $300 price tag is going to give him a hard time for ever kwim?? If i didnt get it done is there anything we can do to make sure that it doesnt happen again..
Thanks for listening .. so conflicted right now....
I posted that on another forum and was send over here because they thought that id get some more help and thoughts over here.. I know the title of this section is against circumcision or something like that I'd just like some thought about where or not considering getting this done would be a good idea.. the infection he had was pretty bad and it took a week for it to start going away... I just dont want to have to see my DS in as much pain as he was before.. Thanks for the input!

 

[apple_juice]

He does not need to be circumcised! He had an infection thats all no biggie. Research proper intact care and keep doing the right thing. Leave him intact!

 

[Tinijocaro]

Just think about what you would do if your dd got an infection down there- you wouldn't be looking at surgery at all. Deal with the infection, don't assume it will be a chronic problem. Remember that an intact penis is not a ticking time bomb any more than a vagina is. Sometimes they have problems, and you just deal with them.

Surgery should ALWAYS be a very last resort for any problem, after all other methods have been tried.

 

[Fellow Traveler]

The one thing you didn't mention was whether or not the ER doctors did a culture to determine whether there was an infection or not. Some intact boys in your son's age rage can have soreness and puffyness as you describe and it is generally due to the foreskin separating from the glans. We have a thread you should read through here. Some but by no mean all boys do have this happen and it's most often confused with an infection by US doctors, generally a warm bath with baking soda can relieve the soreness. What they cleaned away was smegma which is usually passed during this process of separation. At this point, I would leave things be. I hope that will help you, stick around and participate you'll be an expert in no time.

 

[Ann-Marita]

Now is not the time to consider getting him circed.

If a doctor ever comes to you and says your son's foreskin has cancer, is suffering from gangreen or frostbite, or was horribly mangled in a tragic accident and they can't save the foreskin, THAT's when to think about circ.

There are no other valid reasons for circ.

We don't cut off pieces of girls that get infections in/on/around their genitals - why would boys be any different. And we don't amputate a toe if the toenail is infected - we treat the infection.

(The mental image of a person getting frostbite of the foreskin - while NOT getting it anywhere else - always makes me laugh.)

 

[perspective]

Quote:

Originally Posted by savannah&aidansmum I posted that on another forum and was send over here because they thought that id get some more help and thoughts over here.. I know the title of this section is against circumcision or something like that I'd just like some thought about where or not considering getting this done would be a good idea.. the infection he had was pretty bad and it took a week for it to start going away... I just dont want to have to see my DS in as much pain as he was before.. Thanks for the input!

I know everything with your son is kinda worrisome, especially since you may not understand it all. But its a good you ended up on a board like this, because often American parents feel very lost with the health of their intact son, because many americans doctors know so little. But really keeping care of your intact sons genitals is no more complex then it would be for your daughter.

First you should just relax, and know there is almost always an easy solution to any problem your son may have. Also know that circumcising does not stop an infection, or kill a disease, medicine does, proper care does.

Make sure you never retract his foreskin (in boys the foreskin is bonded to the penis head like a nail is to a finger) If any retraction has occured, that can explain a lot.

But generally keep calm, and remember 80% of the worlds males are intact and have happy, healthy bodies.

 

[BlessedMommy2006]

Please don't circumcise your son. Like others said, one infection is not a medical reason to circumcise.

My husband is circumcised and wishes that he wasn't. Please give your son the right to choose.

 

[Yulia_R]

It looks like the ER doctor retracted (tore) your son's foreskin badly. Retraction is a huge NO-NO and is harmful. Please read this thread to protect your son in the future:
A Warning to Parents With Intact Sons http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1050941

The "pus" thing could very well be smegma which is normal. But even if indeed it was an infection (which could most likely happened due to a retraction (by a pediatrician, babysitter, etc) on the first place) you simply treat it with antibiotics (if it is bacterial infection; followed by a course of probiotics) or anti-fungal (with probiotics) if culture shows yeast. Just like you would treat a girl...no difference.

 

[Full Heart]

Did they not tell you what kind of infection it was? I have 5 sons. All intact. 2 have had infections, 2 different types. One had balanitis caused by of all things switching detergent. So much for me trying to save a few bucks

, poor kid! Had to have antibiotic shots in each butt cheek, and an rx for 10 days. Now that hasn't sent me off thinking about me getting him circed. It was because of detergent! Remember that a lot of these infections can occur regardless if there is a foreskin. I certainly don't think that altering your childs body after the trauma of infection is wise.

 

[peainthepod]

I agree with previous posters that circumcision is not the proper cure for a minor infection. Please don't permanently mutilate your child's genitals just because he has a common childhood condition that is easily treatable without surgery.

They're not yours to cut.

 

[PassionateWriter]

its not YOUR penis...its HIS.

much of what you state here is simply NOT true.

genital mutilation is just that...leaving a son intact is not a gamble.

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[kittywitty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burnaby 10% of circumcisions result in complications. That's not even considering metal stenosis (the scarring and narrowing of the urethra), requiring surgery that doesn't fully solve itm because the scarring returns (due to the natural healing process of the body) and requiring multiple surgeries over his childhood. This is the most common yet not warned circ complication to happen.

:

My ds has meatal stenosis. He had to have surgery and probably will have to again. Please to god don't circ that poor infant. It's mutilation. There are no positives. Please get a *real* doctor who knows something about the penis and let it be.

 

[tutucrazy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by savannah&aidansmum they got a lot of puss out, along with lots of tears, they sent us home with a prescription for antibiotics and some cream.. it took a week for the infection to go away but thankfully it is now..

This tells me that the doctor did not treat your son properly.

1) Regardless of whether there is an infection, you NEVER manipulate a foreskin. Your doctor tore the natural adhesions which is a HUGE no, no. During childhood the foreskin is fused to the glans. This is how it protects itself from infection. Trying to retract it will cause tearing and open it up to infection. Read these about forcible retraction and the development of a retractable foreskin in a child/adolescent:
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet6.html
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...kinleaflet.pdf

2) You don't "squeeze puss out" Most likely what he got out was smegma which is NOT puss and does not necessarily mean infection. During separation process, when smegma escapes, it can have a bit of a smell. This does NOT indicate infection and is normal in non-retractable boys.

3) Some amounts of redness and swelling are a normal occurrence throughout childhood as the foreskin goes through a process of separation. This does not mean infection. Infections are rare and you would see massive swelling of the entire penis and it would get worse and worse. If you see a little redness and a little swelling it does NOT mean infection. In order to determine whether there is an infection a doctor should swab the tip and do a culture. No manipulation of the foreskin is needed to do this b/c any bacteria will be present on the tip. Manipulation of the foreskin is a HUGE "no, no".

Read this link:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=764732?

4th) Circumcision is only indicated in cases of frostbite, malignancy, serious trauma, or gangrene. Those are the ONLY reasons. Read this:
http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet7.html

5th) You need to protect your son from US doctors that do not understand the proper development of the intact boy. Read this carefully:
http://www.mothering.com/articles/ne...uncircson.html

6th) During baths don't use soaps on your son's genitals or let him sit in soapy water. This is a good rule of thumb for both boys and girls b/c soaps often cause irritation and disturb the natural flora balance, which can cause yeast infections.

I hope this helps you understand how to care for you son in the future. In the future you must tell all doctors not to manipulate your son's foreskin before they examine him. Never treat him for infection until a culture has been done. This will tell you if he has yeast or bacteria. Yeast is far more common, especially after a round of antibiotics. If the culture is negative it is probably just normal separation trauma and it will go away on its own.

Welcome to TCAC and please feel free to ask your questions here.

 

[georgia]

Hello

I have removed several posts that were in violation of the User Agreement. Any further issues will result in this thread's permanent removal. Please be cautious before posting to make sure you're posting to contribute to the discussion rather than cast suspicion or to inflame. Any questions, please PM me. Thank you!

Quote:

We are not interested, however, in hosting discussions on the merits of crying it out, physical punishment, formula feeding, elective cesarean section, routine infant medical circumcision, or mandatory vaccinations.

 

[Yulia_R]

Quote:

...circ is legal in this country...

If you look at the history, you will see that the most horrible things in the history of humanity, such as slavery, racism, were legal before they became illegal. Just because something is legal, doesn't make it right.

 

[Fyrestorm]

Actually, it's questionable if Male genital mutilation is legal in the US...

12 years ago, the FGM law was passed making it illegal to modify female genital in any way, shape or form...

The constitution provides equal protection...

I'm assuming that people of the male persuasion are included under equal protection - therefore - modifying their genitals in any way, shape or form is by definition ILLEGAL!

The law is just being ignored.

In the next few years, the first generation boys mutilated after the passage of the FGM bill will be coming of age - It will be interesting to see what happens. With access to the internet and all the anti circ info out there, they are going to realize that they have been sexually mutilated and that it was illegal at the time...let the law suits commence!

 

[pigpokey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by savannah&aidansmum the infection he had was pretty bad and it took a week for it to start going away... I just dont want to have to see my DS in as much pain as he was before.. Thanks for the input!

You are getting good advice. My son is 4 and has had no infections near or on his intact penis. But last week he had an infected hair follicle on his chest (zit, boil, what have you). He had to have it squeezed out at the doctor's with lidocaine to help with the pain, which caused pain in and of itself being injected. It has been a week and it is still healing.

But, we are not considering cutting away that part of his chest skin.

See how silly the argument for amputating because of infection is?

Wait till you get a chance to read mothers write about the pain of "fixing" the complications of circumcision in the doctor's office (widening scarred urinary openings from an exposed glans rubbing on diapers, or ripping open adhesions (scars)).

 

[Treece]

I honestly think that at no point before the 3 reasons to circ, should circ even be considered. The 3 are: Frostbite, cancer, and gangrene. Notice none of those are phimosis, paraphimosis, or any other "reason" American medical professionals claim. All of those can easily be treated. Even his infections only require antibiotics. A UTI in a female does not result in sending her to have healthy tissue amputated. EVEN if there is research that supports.

The boy should be able to choose what he wants done when he is a man, 18 or older. I also think that the man should be informed that he would be losing the most sensitive part of his penis and that sex may not be as great as before. Otherwise, it is a waste.

Please, leave your little boy intact. Please, please, please ask questions. We are a educated group here. Any one of us who have been here any length of time no more about the normal penis than probably 95% of the medical world. We will answer your questions no matter how personal. PM me if you have questions. Visit the links in my siggy for info you may need. The links are related to the word that it is linked to (does that make sense?)

Congrats on your intact little boy!!! You have stopped the cycle.

Way to go mama!!!!

 

[eepster]

I need to question the diagnosis, and treatment.

The "infection" might just have been th normal seperation process starting. The "puss" was likely just smegma.

Did the Drs at the hospital retract your DS's foreskin to examine and clean it out? How did they get the "puss" out? It is highly likely that what took a week to recover from wasn't the "infection" but was actually the "treatment."

I'm sorry that this is probably hard to read, but the truth is important for you to know. This article is very informative http://www.mothering.com/articles/ne...uncircson.html

 

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

NOOO he dosnt need circ and he is a very lucky little boy that he is still intact.

Your ds was not treated well in the ER they hurt him for no reason. The foreskin should never be retracted (pushed back) by anyone but the owner of the penis.

Some helpful things can be found here. http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732

If you or anyone else has been retracting him to clean or wash then you need to stop now and never do it again. When he is old enough and can naturally retract on his own he should do it.

What eepster said about the way they treated him is probably why it took so long to heal not that he had an infection he might have even had yeast or normal seperation going on.

I so hope you come back and read all this because your ds needs to be protected.