Just trying to get everyone's thoughts on circumcision...I hope this post doesn't offend anyone or make anyone uncomfortable.  I know that this is such a taboo topic (and I don't know if it's been brought up recently, but I can't seem to find the thread if it has).  I was wondering your thoughts on the matter, espeically mommas of boys, if you are comfortable sharing ...

Here is some of the data I've found while researching:

PROS OF CIRC'ING:

• About 50-65% of the population is circ'ed in the US (depending on where you live).
• My DH is circ'ed
• Less cases of UTI infections (however only 1% of boys who are not circ'ed will be affected)
• About 1% of men have to have corrected surgery later in life for a foreskin that won't retract all the way
• No need to worry about cleaning

PROS OF NOT CIRC'ING:

• It's becoming less and less common (since the 80s especially): In most places in the US only 1/2 the population is circ'ed
• There is not medical "necessity" for this procedure, unless it is for religious reasons
• You keep 20,000 nerve endings that can increase sexual pleasure later in life (although these findings are mixed)
• About 1% complication risk (infection/botched procedure)
• Cleaning is very simple: and doesn't need to begin until the foreskin retracts, usually for a child around 4 years of age.  It's similar to cleaning little girl parts, just on a boy.

DH is circ'ed, but he does not want to circ our son.  I was surprised by how passionate he was, actually!    I am on the fence, really.  I'm sure we will end up with what he wants, but just curious about your thoughts if you want to share them! 

Personally I have never understood why people do it unless its for religious reasons or medically necessary. I believe it is just 'the done thing' in the US, it is certainly not a common procedure in England like it is in the US.

It is absolutely a choice that every parent needs to make for their children, and i am not judging anyone that does choose circumcision, but for me it was never a question, I would never allow either of my children to be cut regardless of how quick the healing time is or how little pain they may feel unless it was absolutely medically necessary.

We chose too...

We did it based on the that we know about 5 people that had issues later on down the road and they had to be - it was super painful!  So we figured better to do it now then have to deal with later when he can remember.  

I will tell you we have had some issues, I guess they don't chop (boy that sounds harsh!) that much off these days so we had issues with his head sticking to the skin, this all goes away once they start "sporting wood" as my pedi says lol.

If we ever have another boy we will probably circ him as well just because while there is a 1% chance of issues / UTI's with uncirc I would rather deal with it when he won't remember then when he will.  And my luck my kid will be that 1% that has the issues hahaha.  

Oh and regardless of what you do, you still need to clean it daily - it's amazing how much stuff gets stuck in there...

My oldest is 18 circ and due to a heart lung complication at birth of my youngest he was not circ.

Here is my take. My son hates showers and baths and I am not sure if he cleans it or not he is age 12 and well, he is a boy, so if i could have had him circ I would have, but he has NEVER had an infection and I think his retracts all the way, as a baby I had to clean it, but at age 3 I stopped.  So I really do believe it is much a do about nothing.

Also, I have been told it makes intimacy more enjoyable for men to NOT be circ. My dh is circ, so I have no personal knowledge and given my age all of the guys I dated I assume were circ. Though I will be honest I never asked. And no it never came up so to speak.

If your DH is then I would say circ if he is not then I would say no.

We aren't. Mostly because we don't see any reason to. I always just assumed I would if I ever had a son but when I studied abroad in England and had guy friends make jokes about how how they are glad they weren't American so that at least they could keep their foreskin (totally joking) I realized that there are literally continents full of men who are not circ'ed and they are fine and walking around with no problem. My response to the concern that they may have to do it in the future and it will be more painful is that there are very few medical procedures we would do without any current cause in order to prevent a very very small chance that it may need to be done in the future. I also have never understood the argument about wanting them to look like dad since by the time the male anatomy looks like adult male anatomy it would probably be rather inappropriate for a dad to be comparing his penis to his son's lol.

Thanks for your responses ladies.

@kristenkay..I love your reponse about sons and fathers...when they are 12, it's not like they will be caught naked comparing anatoy.  LOL.

I even asked DH if he knew what his friends penis' looked like or if he saw the when they were kids/teens.  And he said that he never saw or cared to see his friends...it was never a big deal.

The way I see it, if there comes a time when he notices daddy is "different", it's easy to explain "Daddy had a surgery done when he is born that they used to think was a good idea, but now they realize that it's not necessary.  You look just a little different than me, but we work the same!"  End of story.

@idoagain...yes much ado about nothing with the cleaning ;)

Dh was not circ therefore we will not circ our son.  There is no medical reason for it at this point. 

DH is, so I left it up to him and he wants to get out son circ'd

ditto clips.

My DH is. I am almost positive he will want our son to be as well. Regardless, I am leaving it up to him.