Circumcision

[trotsky]

Who here circumcised their sons and why?

I was circumcised (born in 1971, back when it was routine). We did a lot of research prior to our son's birth in 1999 and could find no evidence whatsoever that being circumcised conferred any health advantages, and then a few days before he was born, we caught a surgery show on infant surgeries and they showed a circumcision. Well that right there sealed it - no way were we going to put our little boy through that, not for the sole reason of making it look like "everyone else." We're not religious, and even when I was, I was a Lutheran, not Jewish, so that wasn't a concern.

Anyone else go through similar deliberations? Our son is 6 now and apparently in the bathroom at school other boys have caught glimpses and asked him why his penis looks different. I've done my best to explain to him that everyone's penis looks like that when they're born, and some people think you need to cut the "extra" skin off, but we didn't want the doctor to do that. It's difficult to explain to a 6-y.o. all the cultural, religious, and societal factors that go into circumcision!

[CornField]

1. We did not

Like you, I couldn't find any medical reason for it to be done. Our little guy turns 3 next month and is the only boy in his preschool class. So, we haven't had the pleasure of 'comparisons' yet. LOL!

He does, however, find it quite shocking that his sister doesn't have a penis. Whenever he sees her naked, he gives her a little hug as if he is so sad for her.

[phylny]

3. Tell him not to be sad for her!

Girls are just compact - easier for sports ;)

[wildeyed]

6. My daughter refers dismissively to our son's penis

as his 'bottom thing'. She seems a little put out by it.

My son (2 yr old) and I were looking at a book about turtles the other day. One of the pictures was a drawing of a turtle standing up on his hind legs with a tail. My son announces that that is a boy turtle and points to his tail.

All I could say, my that turtle is hung!

[LeftyMom]

2. I certainly didn't

I don't own my children's genitals and I don't have the right to make dubious cosmetic alterations to them.

[trotsky]

4. That's what we pretty much felt.

But the lame excuse today, lacking any medical justification for it, is to not make your son "look different" than his peers. Screw that! THEY look different, he's 100% natural!

[LeftyMom]

5. Around here the locker room argument is lame anyhow

The circ/natural rate in CA births is about 50/50. (For what it's worth, my local observation is that the people circing are mostly rednecks. If that keeps up, cutting may wind up a stigmatized behavior.)

Besides, every time I've seen one of LK's snipped friends even if I know what to expect, some part of my mind always goes "Jesus! What happened to him?" I can't imagine he'd feel any less sorry for the kid, but I doubt LK'd ever think something was the matter with his own penis, even guys with genuinely pathetic ones seem to think they're porno material.

I think that's why some men are so resistant to leaving thier son in his natural state. To change something thier parents did is to admit something is wrong with thier penis. If they do that, the sun will collapse inward on itself, wiping out life as we know it. ;)

[wildeyed]

7. I did not.

No reason to do it that I could see. No one I know circumcised, either, so no comparisons. I am sure that will change when we hit mainstream public school, but currently we are still in our own earthy-crunchy little paradise of a preschool.

[SW FL Dem]

8. My son was adopted

He was circumsised as a matter of course in the hospital before we were given a chance to voice our opinion. Hubby is Jewish, so to be perfectly honest, we were glad to have been relieved of the decision. I couldn't have handled the bris.

[abelenkpe]

9. I agonized over the decision

But when Connor was born six weeks early the doctors said they wouldn't be able to circumcise for a bit because he was so small. It was then that my hubby spoke up and said 'No way are we circumcising him after all he's been through. Besides, no one ever asked me if I wanted it done anyway.' I was so relieved! I didn't want to circumcise my son but I also didn't want to make his father feel weird about being circumcised himself. Y'know?