to circ or not to circ

sorry if this is a little graphic for some of you: i'm going to talk about penises today.

had you asked me years ago if i thought circumcision was any big deal, i would've said no. i had always thought that i'd circumcise my boys, because everyone else was doing it so why not? that was driven behind an ignorance of what circumcision exactly was -- i had no concept of the foreskin, or why it was even done.

as i explained to chris last night, i had always believed that the foreskin was as people had described it: a "flap". yeah, right. nobody ever told me that the "flap" covered the whole penis; i mean, seriously people, flap is much different from sheath (because, well, that's basically what it is!) i mean, the foreskin goes from the base to the head of the penis - there's nothing "flappy" about it.

before we had found out Grace was a she - i had expressed some discomfort about circumcision, but that was all quickly tossed aside when we found out that she was, in fact, a she. woo! no worrying about cutting off baby bits the first time around!

but now that i've been faced with the fact that #2 is a he, i've come to the reality of circumcisions. all it started with was a simple question of "how does one cloth diaper with a circumcision healing?" (because vaseline damages your diapers, it's kinda a big bad "no-no") i brought this question to the table on diaperswappers.com, where i got some great responses - both about how to diaper, and information from mama's on circumcision.

boy, have i seen the light. actually, i've watched a video on the circumcision of an infant, too.

before, i used to think that i would want to be present for my son's circumcision. after all, i wanted to provide some comfort for my little baby. after watching the video of an infant circ, i've determined that i couldn't be present for it: without killing the doctors.

this is what they do in an infant circumcision (and boy is it mean: i cried watching the video): the doctors and nurses strap the baby to a molded "case"; strap his arms and bowed legs down so he can't move. the baby is already resisting and crying because this isn't comfortable. he's cold and naked and strapped down: no fun. they take this metal object and jam it into the space between the foreskin and the penis. they proceed to shove it around so that the foreskin will become unhinged, per se. then, they clamp the foreskin; baby is screaming hysterically at this point. after a few minutes of letting the clamp just sit, they begin to cut. they cut away a healthy, natural piece of skin. blood is everywhere and baby sometimes just wails himself to kingdom come, or passes out in shock. the doctor will smile, say it's done, and hand the baby back.

sound like something you want done to your son?

the AAP has come out and said that circumcision is actually not medically necessary after all. it doesn't benefit a man to be circumcised. actually, it's pretty detrimental. the foreskin is actually the most sensitive part of a man's body; and, oops, the doctor just hacked it away. it provides protection and lubricant to the penis; it is an immunological defense; and it's a major part of a sexual organ. it's not just a piece of skin, folks. it has a purpose!

it used to be believed that leaving the foreskin on was "unhygenic" or "difficult to care for"; turns out that's not the case. caring for an intact penis is a piece of cake: wipe it off. the anti-circumcision community has this saying "if intact, don't retract." pretty simple; you don't have to clean up in there, you just let it be.

i strongly encourage all parents, present and future, to be educated on this topic. you should know what a circumcision is. you should know "why" it's done (and there aren't any good reasons, in my opinion.) you should understand the ramifications of the procedure. don't be like my husband, who simply says: "he won't remember it!" chris watched the video and you could see the horror on his face. i told him that if he allowed the doctors to circumcise my son, i'd divorce him and press assault charges. yep, i'm that serious.

why in god's name should we do cosmetic surgeries on newborn's private parts? seriously? it's illegal to do it on a female, but legal on a male. something is so wrong here.

here are some links for more information:
information for fathers considering circumcision
important information about the foreskin
graphic: infant circumcision  (this is the video i watched. if you don't believe it's a big deal, i recommend you just watch this. it's a really big deal.)

so, i'll get off my soapbox for the day. be educated!

peace and love.