So many think this is a controversial topic and if you bring it up in the wrong place you better be prepared for the onslaught of verbal attacks. It is unfortunate that, as a society, we are not able to hear someone’s question with compassion and answer with empathy. Most of us have been in that place of having to make a decision that we knew little about at some point and we should understand what they are working through.
For me it was when I was pregnant with my first. My husband is intact and believes he is “too sensitive” so he wanted to circumcise if we were having a boy. I wasn’t on board with that and started doing research to learn what could and to give him a better understanding of what that process looked like. This is not a pleasant journey visually, I cried more times than I can remember, seeing newborn boys strapped down to a hard, cold plastic tray. These trays are created specifically for our sons' tiny little bodies.
Here is what I learned and why we decided that we would not touch our sons if we ever had any….
1) Circumcision is a COSMETIC surgery, meaning it isn’t a medically necessary surgery and you have to pay for it.
2) It is done with a local anesthetic and they start cutting almost right away. There is no way for them to find out if the area is numb prior to cutting because our babies can’t talk.
3) Babies generally scream until they pass out and the doctor will say they didn’t feel a thing. I find this highly unlikely
4) This procedure is only routine here in the United States, other countries around the world cannot figure out why we mutilate our newborn sons.
5) Originally it was pushed as a hygienic need stating high risk of infection if left intact. I can assure you that this is not the case at all. The foreskin protects the penis and only pulls back later on. My husband has never had an infection and our son hasn’t either.
Before you make a decision or just follow the status quo I encourage you to do some research of your own. You are the parent and protector of your children and it is your duty to make decisions from a place of knowledge and understanding with each decision you make.
Oh, and if you have found this information helpful and you would like more encouraging, uplifting, and supportive information like this, I have a community I think you might like! You will find more great tips, empowering birth stories, and the support of a community that will come alongside you through your journey! Click here to join now.
