Like many expectant parents, circumcision is something I had never even thought about. What was there to think about anyway? If you had a boy, they were circumcised. That’s just what you did with boys. There had to be a good reason we had been cutting the foreskin off of boys for most of the last century.
It wasn’t until my husband and I received an educational pamphlet in our birth class that either of us had even thought about circumcision. We were surprised about the information we read in that short little pamphlet. In a matter of 10 minutes, my husband and I had decided that we wouldn’t circumcise our baby if we had a boy.
The pamphlet was very short and to the point, but very informative and convincing. There were several key points that hit home to us right away. One was that there was NO medical reason to remove the foreskin and the reason it had originally been done was to “prevent masturbation”. Secondly, that the foreskin actually protects the penis and has nerve endings that would be removed. And thirdly, that circumcision is surgery that is not only painful for the baby, but has risks like any surgery. You can read the pamphlet here: http://www.nocirc.org/publish/3pam.pdf
As it turned out, we did have a boy. And thanks to our Bradley instructor, his penis is still intact. But I honestly believe we would have allowed it without even blinking.
My views on circumcision have become much stronger as time has passed. That is why I feel it is so important to share information whenever I can. But instead of making people feel guilty for the choice they make, I focus on just making a choice! No matter how wrong I feel it is to unnecessarily subject a newborn to that kind of trauma, I will respect your right to do it if you actually make the decision.
Getting people to know there is even something to think about is the first step to changing things.
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC)
As Nature Intended
Peaceful Parenting: The Day I Withdrew From Nursing School
It's unnecessary, unnatural, unapproved by the most important participant, and frankly, barbaric.
ReplyDeleteYes, people must realize that they are taking away their child's right to decide what they would do. My hope is that someday people will stop wondering why you choose to keep a baby boy intact and instead wonder why would you cut healthy tissue off!
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