Since I am becoming more and more convinced I am having a boy, I have been thinking about this lately. Obviously, I won't know for sure until delivery, however, I am a research freak and I like to be prepared.
The one thing I love about the internet is the sheer amount of information available to a person with a few keywords. If you can think it, someone's probably got a webpage on it. It is amazing!
Whenever I thought about having a boy, the idea of circumcision wasn't even a question to me. I would have it done. I have had a boyfriend who wasn't circumcised (although he is a poor example, I will admit) and I did not like the fact that he wasn't, solely for the hygiene reasoning. All my other boyfriends (without making me sound like some slut), have been circumcised. I have to say that I personally prefer it.
But is my personal preference really enough to justify cutting a part of my son's penis off? It is unnecessary surgery in the eyes of the medical profession nowadays, and is not covered by Canada's medical coverage any longer.
Keith is pro-circumcision as well. There is no question to him. He was circumcised, therefore baby will be (if it's a boy, of course! LOL).
The following was part of a pregnancy newsletter I get sent to me each week, which is probably the reason I started writing about it.
Circumcision or Not
This question, much like the one regarding breastfeeding, is the subject of a great amount of debate. Some couples choose to circumcise for religious reasons, while others do so simply because it is more popular or is considered by some to be safer. The American Academy of Pediatrics has not issued an opinion for or against circumcision.
This question, much like the one regarding breastfeeding, is the subject of a great amount of debate. Some couples choose to circumcise for religious reasons, while others do so simply because it is more popular or is considered by some to be safer. The American Academy of Pediatrics has not issued an opinion for or against circumcision.
Here are the facts so that you can better decide what's best for your child:
1. A circumcised penis is easier to clean.
2. Circumcision early in life eliminates the risk of it being necessary later in life. (Sometimes men and older boys having a circumcision experience phimosis, a rare problem in which the foreskin becomes unretractable.)
3. Circumcision may reduce the incidence of urinary tract infection in infant boys.
4. Circumcision reduces the risk of penile cancer, which occurs in fewer than 1 in 100,000 elderly men. (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that good hygiene can be just as effective as circumcision at preventing this cancer.)
Reasons not to circumcise:
1. It hurts! A new anesthesia has been developed, but it is still being tested.
2. Complications, though rare, can occur.
3. Some health insurance plans no longer cover it.
4. The foreskin is a normal piece of tissue which is not necessary to remove. (One study states that it is protective for the first year of life.)
1. It hurts! A new anesthesia has been developed, but it is still being tested.
2. Complications, though rare, can occur.
3. Some health insurance plans no longer cover it.
4. The foreskin is a normal piece of tissue which is not necessary to remove. (One study states that it is protective for the first year of life.)
Oh maybe Bean will turn out to be a girl and I can just debate on whether to get her ears pierced or not. (A much easier decision, since if she doesn't like them later in life, she can just take them out! LOL)
3 comments:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~stormboy/circumcision/circletter.htm
It's so hard...I was leaning (if this one was a boy) towards not circumcising because it is unnecessary and so expensive. But then, my mom was rather horrified about this as someone she knows (husband of her friend) had to have a circumcision as an adult...
Tough decision. Good luck! BTW,how much does it cost in Canada? do you know? At my hospital it is just under $500.
It is a hard decision definitely!
And when you hear the horror stories (both sides - botched circumcisions and having to have it done later in life) it makes it so difficult. I obviously do NOT want to put my child through something unnecessary, however what happens if it becomes necessary later on?
I wouldn't want to have to put my child through having one done when he is 8 or 9 and could remember it.
Arghhh...LOL
In Canada, I believe it is about $300 to have it done. I am planning to ask my Doctor on Wednesday about it, to see what his thoughts are.
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