Circumcision
We are all committed to natural birth, which relies on our belief in the physiological design of the human body. So, it’s really interesting that elective surgery on newborns is a conversation we are having today.
One of the most difficult (and controversial) decisions parents have to make is whether to circumcise their newborn son. Circumcising my sons is my BIGGEST Regret from my early parenting decisions. I have prepared this article to give you the information I wish someone had shared with me.
Circumcision is a surgical procedure that seems like a “normal” choice. For some people, choosing to leave a son in-tact is an “alternative.” There is a growing conversation about whether circumcision has a place in the modern world. Please take the time to read the evidence, discuss the complexities, and arrive at an informed choice that takes into account your son’s unique needs and future life. The decision to circumcise can’t be “undone”, so it’s really worth thinking through. Please do your research. Give it a lot of thought.
This article by Evidence Based Birth discusses all sides of the conversation. There’s also a GREAT video called “The Elephant in the Hospital”. You can watch it HERE. Here are some excerpts from The Elephant in the Hospital. HERE
In a nutshell, here’s the blunt truth . . .
1) There are no true medical reasons to circumcise your son.
2) There are no other examples of surgeries we do on any person of any age without a clear medical reason. We don’t routinely use preventative surgery to prevent common illnesses like tonsillitis, ear infections, or appendicitis. Claiming to do circumcision to prevent rare diseases is inconsistent — unless you are also going to schedule surgery for more common illnesses. OR, you could just treat infections as they come up.
3) Even the most observant religious persons have the alternative of not circumcising their son; but especially if you do not live by all of the Biblical mandates, circumcision is not essential. Your religion is personal; your child’s religious choices will also be personal. Let him make that choice for his body.
4) Babies don’t “look like dad” whether dad is circumcised or not. Babies don’t know if they look like dad.
5) There are risks to surgery, and some babies have to have reconstruction if it doesn’t go well. Taking an unnecessary risk without any benefits is not ideal.
6) Babies feel pain. Their body will record the pain. Circumcision cuts of 1/3 of the most nerve intensive tissue on his body. Rabbis don’t use anesthesia. Some midwives use only topical numbing.
7) If you wouldn’t do surgery on your 2-day old daughter for social / cosmetic reasons, you shouldn’t do surgery on your newborn son for social / cosmetic reasons.
8) You can teach your son how to be proud of his body, and how to respond to bullying without offering surgery as the first solution.
9) Fewer and fewer people are circumcising their sons. By the time your son is in high school, only 50% of kids will be circumcised.
10) It’s can’t be undone. Let your child decide. It’s his penis. How it looks and how it feels & functions should be his choice. If he wants to be circumcised he can have that elective surgery done when he’s an adult. It is not any more painful as an adult — it’s just that babies can’t talk so we assume they don’t feel.
If you are expecting a son, please seriously evaluate whether this is a procedure you want to have done to your son. We would love to answer your questions in an upcoming prenatal appointment
If you are planning to circumcise your son, we feel STRONGLY that you should only use a provider who uses anesthesia. There is a popular rabbi who does circumcisions, but he does not use anesthesia. Removing 1/3 of the most nerve intensive tissue on a human without anesthesia is inhumane.
There is a doctor in plano - Gentle Procedures - who uses anesthesia. And, Circumcision by Christina also uses a topical numbing agent..
