I really enjoyed our Bradley Class on Monday. There are a wide range of topics that we cover in each class, but this is the first class that started to bring people out of there shell a little. We did a foot to head relaxation technique as well as talking a bit about our personal experiences so far. We talked about pregnancy - the physiology of what is happening, etc some. Morgan could identify all of the organs on the diagram in our workbook, which was much better than I did. And then we talked about controversial issues in pregnancy. These included circumcision, b-strep/antibiotics, episiotomy, perineal massage, vaccines, etc.
The only one of these that Morgan and I had not already really figured out what we think/want to do is circumcision. I don't think either of us really knows what to think on this topic. On the one hand, we are the ONLY country in the world that has this debate - other countries (including Canada and all of Europe) ONLY circumcise for religious reasons. Insurance companies do not all necessarily cover the procedure as it is considered cosmetic and has no medical purpose.
But that is how his daddy is. And what all our parents did. So here we are, with all of our forward thinking still trapped by the construct of a social norm that makes us uncomfortable to think about being different.
In the Raleigh area there is a 60/40 split on circumcision vs. no circumcision - a common divide for educated, urban areas. The national average is like 55/45. Rural areas tend to see higher rates of circumcision. There are a lot of myths about why circumcision became the norm as far as the spread of diseases and cleanliness - and there are some truths. The most notable immediate development factor is that circumcised boys experience a drop in appetite and do not eat as much following the procedure for a while due to the trauma.
But this is one of those topics where you can find ANYTHING online to justify WHATEVER you want it to.
The American Medical Association states: All current policy statements from specialty societies and medical organizations do not recommend routine neonatal circumcision, and support the provision of accurate and unbiased information to parents to inform their choice.
Where does one begin? We have to have a plan in case Thriller is a boy.
For me the idea of having my (potential) baby boy taken away in the second day of life and put into a room where they go around snipping baby's foreskins in mass is relatively upsetting. I like the idea of having Morgan go with him so he wouldn't be so alone - but then I think that that would probably be pretty upsetting for Morgan. I have an image of the doctors approaching Thriller and Morgan snatching him off the table and running out of the hospital before the procedure could start - the Vickery men can't even face the idea of fixing their dogs!
And then there are other factors as well. Morgan and I have been hoping to have an early discharge so we can leave the hospital possibly 12-14 hours after delivery. However, if I have drugs, B-Strep or other complications then we have to stay the whole 2 days. If there are no problems and we can leave early then we would leave before it is okay to do the procedure. So then we would have to go to a doctor and do the circumcision in a Bris like fashion in the first week of life.
And then there is the insurance coverage issue...
And then there is the fact that men who are not circumcised experience a greater sensation in their adult lives when doing adult activities. Okay ... I can't really consider Thriller at this level at ALL.
And then there is the feminist prospective ...
I am very impressed that Morgan read through all the material and literature on this topic we were provided and is very thoughtfully considering what is best for Thriller. I think he will continue to do so, which is good because I don't want to look at the pictures of the procedure ever again. The slightest glance was too much for me.
My gut instinct is not to do it. However, it still makes me squeamish to think about either way.
I think Morgan may have to make the call on this one.
The wonderful thing about not circumcising is that this way the decision is one that can be reversed. Why not let your lovely baby to be make the decision when he's old enough? He'll thank you for it.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you do, do not get taken in by hype, nor by the doctor's desire to make a profit. Do what you will do all his life - protect him from harm.
Very good decision to read & research before making a decision for or against circumcision. Here is a blurb from an advice article a friend wrote that may help.
ReplyDelete"My advice, and the advice of millions of men world-wide, is to choose circumcision for your new baby. Male infant circumcision has been proven to provide a 12 fold reduction in urinary tract infections, 22 fold reduction in invasive penile cancer, elimination of medical issues localized to the foreskin, provide a much less favorable environment for pathogens to create infections, greatly increases penile hygiene and greatly decreases chances of infection by various STDs including HIV"
Please read the rest here: http://bit.ly/eoAup
Also please consider the material at the following sites:
http://www.circinfo.net/summary.html
http://www.medicirc.org/meditopics/medicirc_topics.html
http://www.circumcisioninfo.com/circ_record.html
http://malecircumcision.org/
Unfortunately your advice is propaganda and your opinion stems from a perverse interest in crusading for irrevocable and unpleasant surgery on small boys' genitals.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your baby! Bradley method is great, my husband & I used it too, and had a natural birth at a birthing center. We had a girl, but if it was a boy, I would have chosen not to circumcise him. The way I look at it is, he cannot choose to be "un" circumcised when he grows up, but if left intact, he can choose circumcision if he pleases. Doing your research is key to making this decision, but also trust your gut. It's a very important part of your future sons body! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteYour husband is young. I was circumcised at birth and when I hit my 40s I noticed that my penis was not anywhere near as sensitive as it was in my 20s. Read about keratinization here: http://www.noharmm.org/IDcirc.htm#keratinization
ReplyDeleteAlso, be aware that the Internet is a great educational tool and many young men are learning what happened to them when they were circumcised. Many question why their parents choose to circumcise them.
Many young men are questioning why they were circumcised when there was so little, if any, true benefit to the surgery. They are questioning why their parents consented to the surgery when there was all sorts of information available about how circumcision is primarily a cosmetic surgery performed for the benefit of the parents.
Chances are, when newborns grow up they will want their foreskins. Parents should be aware that there are many young men who are very angry at them for having them circumcised as an infant.
See http://www.foreskin-restoration.net/forum/ and http://www.RestoringForeskin.org to read stories of many young men who are restoring and resent their parents for having a part of their sex organ removed by circumcision.
WOW. Thank you all for your comments. I had no idea that people outside of our friends and family might come across this blog entry. I guess it just goes to show what a hot topic this issue is - and that there are a LOT of people out there with very strong opinions.
ReplyDelete"Circumcision"'s post contain links to known circ fetishist groups. Please don't trust anything they say.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 intact boys & have never once thought that I should have had part of their penis cut off. Intact is easy to care for, wipe like a finger & never let anyone but the boy pull back (retract) the foreskin. Is looking like daddy really worth causing excruciating pain & permanent brain changes (http://drmomma.blogspot.com/2009/11/circumcision-how-much-does-it-hurt.html)?
When you know better, you do better.
http://nocirc.org/
http://cirp.org/
http://norm.org/
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=112410
http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/circumcision-video.html
:) Now that you're linked on twitter, I'm sure you'll get a lot of comments! My son is intact! Luckily, I did research beforehand and decided it wasn't for my family!
ReplyDelete