[cyberyoda]

Hello,

Does anybody circumcised your baby boy in HK?? Is it necessary to do that?? Do you normally do it within 2 days after delivery? What is the long term effect on the baby? Is it still very popular in the US that baby need to do circumcision?? I was told that men in US tends to laugh at those who did not do circumcision. I am shock to hear that, is that a correct saying? Seems like it is not that common in HK for baby to circumcised so not sure if the medical team here is experienced in doing that. How much does it take to circumcised a baby in private hospital??

Thanks for any input.

[carang]

the ONLY reason i would think of putting my son through that would be for religious reasons.

personally, i think that it is a terribly cruel thing to do to a baby. there is no way i'd let anyone with a sharp instrument near my son's penis!

they used to think that it was easier to keep "it" clean. but today, that holds no truth.

[barbwong_130]

In most religions that circumcise the procedure happened on the 7th or 8th day of life. If you do it at a week it has much less effect on breastfeeding than if you do it on the second day of life.

Often the breastfeeding is only just getting started and there are still a few problems to sort out on the second day. Also your milk will not have increased yet. So having a baby that is in pain and doesn’t feed easily can be a big problem. Also the baby is likely to be given medication to help with the pain which makes him sleepy and again causes problems for the breastfeeding.

Of course the baby is still in pain at a week but if doesn’t affect your breastfeeding so much because your milk has already increased and you are better able to cope with a baby like that.

My husband and I come from Britain and Hong Kong. We never thought of circumcising our boys. It seems a very cruel and heartless thing to do to a small baby.

I had a boyfriend who had to have it done, for medical reasons, as a 13 year old. He said it was the most painful thing that had ever happened to him. I don’t believe that just because the baby is only a couple of days it doesn’t hurt them that much. After all other things like injections hurt them as much as it does us.

There is also research telling us that babies that undergo lots of medical procedures as a baby are less able to copy with pain as they grow older. I can see this in my last child. She was quite sick after she was born and had lots of injections and blood tests for the first three weeks of her life. Every time something hurt her she was much more upset and for longer than my other babies. Fortunately after about 9 months she settled down and doesn’t get upset any more than necessary about injections now.

[bekyboo44]

We had our son circumcised for religious reasons when he was a month old. He should of been 8 days old but as we travelled abroad for the proceedure he was a little older!

Because the circumcision was done in a religious ceremony there was no anesethic ( only a numbing gel and wine!). The actual proceedure itself wasn't overly painful, it was when he first passed urine afterwards that it was very painful, but the pain lasted only a matter of hours. And in 1-2 days it had completely healed!

Next time I would make sure any son was circumcised at 8 days, and no later! It was pretty traumatic- mainly for me I think, more than my son who obviously has no recollection of it!

[cyberyoda]

Thanks so much for all the reply.

I myself opt for NOT to do the circumcision as we dont have any religious need nor other solid reasons to do so. I can imagine how sorry and sad I will feel if someone hurt my son's penis. My husbnad told me circumcision was very popular in the US many years ago. Some older generation American may have some
biased thinking on those who did not do circumcision
but I think it is their mind which is out-dated and need to be
re-educated. I think modern people should not think
that way. As a HK person, at least I am sure no Asian will think that way. Luckily, my husband let me make the decision and he did
not object at all.

[shahirakk]

we had our son circumcised in the UK for religious reasons too, and had to do it at 6 weeks as he was born premature with jaundice. The jaundice can impact on the healing process. Anasthetic numbing gel was used. We found it was exactly the same as you - he screamed, it bled (a lot) and from what I can gather forgot quite quickly too.

If I do end up having a second child and I have a son, would want to do at about 8 days old - where do you go in Hong Kong?

[bekyboo44]

Hi,

We decided not to have our son circumcised in Hong Kong. It meant the most to my husbands family, that our son be circumcised, so we went to where they lived so that they could all be there! We had a mohel in my husbands home country perform the circumcision but there are lots of mohels who will travel to HK for circumcisions ( as long as you are willing to pay a small fortune for it!). That is if you want a Jewish circumcision.
Some people have their sons circumcised in hospital by a doctor and then have the Rabbi attend to say their prayers. My husband and his family wouldn't agree to this however and would only let a mohel do it!
Next time to ensure our son could be circumcised at 8 days- would either have the baby in my husbands home country; or have baby here and then bring a mohel over. Sometimes if you can find someone else with a baby boy due at the same time you can share the cost.

We also specificially chose a mohel who does not let it bleed- it can be dangerous if it bleeds because this can mean there is a cut and lead to infection. We were told if there was any blood to go to a hospital immed. The mohel we had was great and no blood! Just lots of screaming!

[hol]

To answer Cyberyoda's US question, YES boys are circumcised and it is usually on the second day. The OB/GYN's preforms them in the hospital and it is covered under insurance. Since most US insurance plans only provide a 2 days stay with a vaginal birth, I believe this is where the 2 days come into play. As I have never been in the boy's locker room, I would not personally know about the teasing, but I would not put it past them.