Grateful for a change in mind

[xxkristyxx]

Hi everyone,
Well I've gone my entire life being pro- circ.. All the men in my family, my husband and husbands family are circumcised and are strongly FOR the issue.
I decided a long time ago that my son would most 100% definately be circumcised.. Naively basing my decision on the 'facts' that it 'looks better' that it's 'healthier'.. Having never done a bar of research or looking into it.
I always thought that they just put a ring around the foreskin and painlessly it fell off.. I thought there was no pain caused to the infant, that it was quick and effortless and the chances for error were very slim to none. I thought it was a very routine thing, that 'everyone' gets done..
Thank GOODNESS for a presentation that Dr Milton (from Newcastle,nsw) puts on his website.. He puts a presentation up that is compulsory for parents to watch once they make their mind up about circumcision- they can't follow through with the procedure without seeing it. Before watching this presentation I had no idea as I have just mentioned.. But I learnt very quickly that circumcision is NOT what I want for my baby son!! And thank goodness!!
I did extra research on circumcision after this and also exploring the threads on this forum.. I can't believe what people have been led to believe about it, I believe if all people were educated then we would see barely any circumcisions at all! And hence I now understand why numbers have dropped so significantly.
There is no way I can justify my baby having this done anymore (coming from someone that used to be all for it) and I am so happy that access to great informative info is out there these days :)
My son will be the first in a long time on both sides of the family to stay intact.. I know I will be battling family members negative 'comments' about my decision, but I know I know better now so am very happy!

I just hope anyone out there considering getting their son done will definately research the topic HARD.. It's a life changing process u owe it to your son! (and u might even change your mind as I did)

Kristy :)

[One of THOSE mums!]

It's amazing what a little bit if research teaches us!

That's great and I'm glad ur happy and strong in ur decision!!!

[brogeybear]

I am so glad you were able to research and make the right decision.
Before kids, I too never deeply considered the circ issue, but always assumed I would have it done for the 'health benefits' I assumed it must have. As soon as I knew we were having a boy I did research, and my goodness! I am so glad I did. I knew *nothing* about circ before, being an only child female of a single mother. I am very much an "intactivist" now!

[BabelFish]

Good for you :highfive:

[Californication]

Good for you! DH wanted DS done so he would "look like me" and wouldn't get teased at school. I told him over my dead body! He still thinks DS's looks weird, but there was no way I was letting it happen.

It certainly is on the decline. I live in the country and we would have had to go to the city to have it done as my GP said there are very few Dr's that will do it anymore. I think it's a good thing. I have nephews in their 20's that are intact so hopefully as that age group grows up, there will be even less little babies subjected to it.

[myhusbandswife]

My DS is 6 weeks old and I was the exact same as you. When I was in hospital I booked in the procedure for when he was 2 weeks old. My best friends DS had just had her DS done at the same hospital by the same doctor.

Anyways i started getting a bit worried about the procedure because the OB filling out the admission forms kind of muttered under her breath that this procedure shuold be illegal (very unprofessional but I am so grateful) DH and I decided to look into it a bit. We very quickly changed our minds and cancelled the procedure.

We are both so content with our decision to leave our son intact. We have had a few comments from family members (all men in both families are circed) DH is circed and I am assuming it was his dads decision because MIL agreed that its totally unneccesary.

[xxkristyxx]

This is why I'm so mindful about what I teach my little girl. She's an only child with a single mum so I want to teach her about respect as a whole, which includes respecting the body of another person. The only time anyone can override that is if it's for a
medical reason and there is no other way around it. I want to teach that boys and girls deserve to be respected and this is why she was not allowed to have her ears pierced until I was sure she was capable of making the decision for herself, in the same way that I would not have a little boy circ'd unless it was medically necessary with no other way around it unless he was old enough (over 16) to make that choice for himself and be able to then own that decision throughout life.

Absolutely agree, and it's soo good that you feel that way because you will naturally role model that to your little girl.
I think it does have a lot to do with respect too.. To be able to respect someone elses body even though you have the 'power' to do what you want with it.. I feel now after coming to terms with it, that if I were to tamper with his body in a way it's abusing it, he is completely incapable of saying no and standing up for himself and that's another thing I agree with you with, I'm not against it if HE was the one to make the decision himself at age 16 or if it was absolutely medically necessary- that is different. But once it's done there is no going back.

Also, I just don't know HOW I could look down at my beautiful son and think "oh that's ugly, that needs to go or change".. When I had my daughter gosh she was the most perfect little thing I'd ever seen, I KNOW I'll feel the same about my beautiful son. His body and everything to do with it (without sounding weird) will be perfect and Just the way god made him. I'm not going to love him more if he's circumcised, and I'm not going to think he's any more perfect or beautiful than what he was when he was born!! Noones "comments" will ever bring me down about that.

Iv heard people say, "well I'm the one that had to change his nappies and look at "it"" like it is disgusting.. I think that is horrible and seriously we do change their nappies for a while but their body really is none of our business.. And we shouldn't be changing it to suit 'our' preferences..

I can't believe how differently I feel now that I have really looked into this.. So glad I did!

[minties]

Well done mumma! When we know better, we do better.

I was much the same as you, just assumed it was the thing to do. A bit of research changed my mind very quickly and if I ever have a son he will remain intact. I feel so lucky to have the resources available to allow us to break the cycle.