Foreskin Support

SO I am one of six girls, and I have 6 nieces....

I am having a boy in February and could not be happier! We have broken what is known in my family as "THE WHOOHA CURSE"!

We have decided not to circumcise (as my husband isn't). What do I do? How to I take care of it? I am at a loss for anything penis related, so any tips for newborn boys or boys in general would be a great help. I just ordered a few books that will shed some light on the subject. But first hand experience always seems better somehow.

ANYWAY.... thanks in advance for any advice.

Melinda

Mom to Danica Careen born 7/12/07

Expecting Braegan Alyre on Valentines Day of 2010!!!

Hi Melinda!  Welcome to the board, and congratulations on your first boy!  How exciting.

The great news for you (and your son) is you do absolutely NOTHING for a natural penis!  Couldn't be more simple than that, huh?

At birth, and for the first several years (up to puberty) of life, the foreskin is fused to the glans of the penis.  Do not ever pull back his foreskin, or allow anyone else to do so.  This may require a frank discussion wtih your son's ped as well as any caregivers he may have.  Many people see a foreskin and have an inexplicable need to peel it back.  I think its because when a boy is circ'd you have to routinely pull back teh remaining foreskin to avoid complicaitons.  Who has time for that, right?

When your son has discovered that his foreskin is retractable (around age 4 or 5, or even later), you wash it underneath it with warm water, no soap.  Just like you wouldn't use soap on a girl's internal genitals, you would not do so with a boy's.  Your son will simply retract, rinse, replace.  As easy as washing an armpit, between your toes or under your fingernails.

Please let us know if you have any other questions! 

" Belief is not required.  Once you know this story, you'll hear it everywhere in your culture, and you'll be astonished that the people around you don't hear it as well but merely take it in."  Daniel Quinn, Ishmael.

 

 

Yes it really is that easy! But as a parent of an intact boy in a circumcising culture, its helpful to be a bit more informed than the average bear, since you may run across some incorrect advice from family or health professionals. Here are a few links on care and development of the intact penis which should really be helpful for your and your husband.

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf  [NOCIRC's brochure on care of the intact penis. Has information similar to the info given out from the American Academy of Pediatrics, but has much more detail on anatomy, development, normal variations, and how to handle minor problems.)

http://www.cirp.org/library/normal/  [Goes over the medical literature on development of the intact penis, including the fact that the normal age range of retractability may take into early adulthood.]

http://www.mothering.com/health/protect-your-uncircumcised-son-expert-medical-advice-parents  [A must-read for parents of intact boys, by foreskin-friendly pediatrician Paul Fleiss. Gives all the reasons a doctor might some times say a boy "needs" to be circumcised, and why it's almost never true.]

Congratulations! We're always here to answer questions!

Gillian

WECOME MELINDA!!! LOL about breaking the "HOOHA CURSE" HA HA!! Congrats on your baby BOY!!! What a LUCKY little boy to get to stay whole :-) As everyone else already said you do NOTHING for the intact penis.... just wipe it like you would a finger and move on....NO RETRACTION...not you, not your hubby, not your doctor, don't let anyone talk you into this... ONLY the OY shold be retracting his foreskin in HIS own time....could be in the toddler years, could be in the pre-teen years, could even be into adolescence. There is not time frame or "magic age" where it SHOULD retract....he will do it in his own time. Other then the no retraction rule you seriously do nothing special :-) nothing more simpler then an intact baby boy.

Boy's in general are "easy" my son is almost 3 an give him anything with wheel's and he is happy as a clam. Don't worry, you will do GREAT!! If you have any other question's please feel free to post ANYTHING!