How Midwives Can Recommend a Holistic Circumcision

For Jewish families, male circumcision is a very important moment in their baby boy’s life. As a midwife, whether you agree with circumcision or not, you will sometimes be asked to help arrange a circumcision for newborns. Your natural inclination may be to refer the family to the hospital for a traditional circumcision but there is another choice.

A holistic circumcision combines the spiritual with the practical considerations of performing a circumcision and is a more pleasant experience for both the child and their family. If you’re new to the idea of a holistic circumcision, this is what you need to know.

A Hospital Circumcision

As a midwife, if you’ve had any experience of circumcisions, they have probably been with a hospital or doctor. Although the end result is achieved, the whole experience can be difficult and in some cases rather traumatic for the baby and their family.

At a hospital, the process is clinical and cold, and treated just like any other kind of sterile procedure. The baby will be strapped down, which for newborns can be very distressing even before anything else is done. An injection is normally given, causing more trauma, and the whole process typically takes from 15-30 minutes. For a small baby, this is an extraordinarily long period of time to endure, and it’s hardly surprising that it’s not a moment which is celebrated.

Every loving parent wants to play an integral part in their child’s life and a circumcision is certainly a big moment for any Jewish family. However, with a medical circumcision the parents are not normally permitted to be present, leaving their little baby alone with medical staff.

While practicing doctors are usually competent enough to perform a circumcision, it’s not an area of expertise. Medicine and surgery have an ethos of “see one, do one, teach one” which means that your baby’s circumcision could be carried out by someone very inexperienced.

For families who want their child circumcised, a medical circumcision achieves the outcome but it’s fair to say that the process is not ideal for anyone.

A Holistic Circumcision

The whole ethos around a holistic circumcision is very different and it’s carried out in a setting which is full of love. The baby does not need to be strapped down, so any anticipatory distress is immediately eliminated. Instead, the circumcision is performed while the little boy is cuddled by warm and nurturing hands.

Holistic circumcisions are carried out by experts; Rabbi Rovinsky has circumcised more than 8000 boys and has 20 years of experience in making the process tranquil, speedy and painless. With the rabbi, a circumcision takes just 15-30 seconds, quicker than many injections!

And speaking of injections, there are no injections required for a holistic circumcision. A topical anesthetic can be used to minimize any discomfort or pain. Parents are actively encouraged to be present throughout the spiritual process, to celebrate their baby son’s landmark occasion.

A Different Approach

If you’ve never seen a holistic circumcision before, it’s understandable that you might have reservations as a medical circumcision is very different. Choose a holistic circumcision and you will find that the baby and their family experience a warm, loving and spiritual occasion without the pain, discomfort, and trauma associated with a hospital process.