To Cut Or Not To Cut?

THAT is (sort of) the question.

  *Before we go any further, I need to warn you that this post may get a bit TMI for some of you.  If reading about body parts makes you squeamish, I suggest you stop here...and read a different post!*

Moving on.

Now that we know Baby G is a boy, Scott and I are left with the decision of whether or not to have him circumcised.  For Scott, this decision is a simple one -- hell yes we're getting him circumcised.  And up until just a few days ago, I was totally on board with it.  The only penises I've ever seen have been circumcised, and they all looked fine to me.

But then I made the mistake of visiting my birthboard on Babycenter a few days ago and the very first post was from one mother-to-be asking the rest of us (all 12, 000 of us) whether or not she should circumcise her son.  My first thought was, It's your son...what do we care?  But then I scrolled a bit further down and watched the post explode into drama the likes of which could only rival that of an abortion thread. 

Some women, like myself, couldn't have cared less what this woman did.  Others were 100% adamantly for it.  And others were 110% against it, stating that circumcision is akin to mutilation and that no one but the child should be allowed to make that decision for him.  One woman went so far as to say that any mother who circumcises her son is a mother who doesn't care if her children die.  This same woman went so far as to post "circumcision death statistics"...from a completely non-reputable source.

I immediately began scouring the internet for any and all information I could find on infant circumcision, both the pros and the cons and the reasons why people do or don't do it. I searched videos and blogs, parenting forums and websites, articles...anything I could get my hands on.  What I found was an awful lot of conflicting information that brought me no closer to my own decision.  Some people circumcise for religious reasons, some do it for aesthetic reasons or so that their son "looks like his daddy".  Some people do it and immediately regret it, and some people do it and are thrilled with their decision.  Some people choose to leave their sons intact and either love it or regret it down the line.  I even found a few blogs and articles written by men in their 30s and 40s whose parents chose to leave them intact, but who didn't like their penis for whatever reason and chose to undergo an adult circumcision.  Bottom line:  there's A LOT of info to be found, and it's up to each parent to make the decision for their own child.

I've found that it's safest to do internet research and talk with actual doctors regarding the decision of whether or not to "make the cut".  I made the mistake of innocently bringing up the topic to some of my friends and family, and I was shocked at both the vehemency and immediacy of their responses.  None of them knew WHAT my decision was going to be...but none of them asked or cared, either.  As far as they're concerned, medical professionals that they are not, we HAVE to circumcise G.  No questions asked.  If we don't we'll scar him for life in some way, shape or form.  Never mind the research I've found, never mind if we want to leave the decision up to our son when he's older.  Never mind if we want to spare our baby the ridiculous amounts of pain that we know he'll go through having the procedure done as an infant.  What do we know, right? 

(The funny thing is that the people who have such in-your-face opinions about it don't even HAVE a son.) 

I will always, always play devil's advocate when the subject comes up, though.  One, because I believe that each parent should be aware of and informed about the risks associated with circumcusing AND the risks associated later in life with keeping their son(s) intact.  And, two, because I plain old don't like having other people's opinions shoved down my throat.  Especially when it is an opinion about something I should or shouldn't be doing for my children.  No mother is going to purposely do something harmful to her child. 

For the record, Scott and I have made a decision for our son.  I've done my research and we're fully informed on all sides, and are both confident in the decision we've made.  I don't mind telling anyone if they ask, but are we publicizing it?  No.  It's his penis and it will function just fine, regardless of whatever we've chosen to do. 

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Hormonal rant over.  :-)