Should I circumcise my baby? Most of the fear surrounding infant circumcision is not knowing what to expect. Before every procedure, I take the parents through a walkthrough of every stage of the infant circumcision procedure. Throwing a bit of humor tends to help. But the overall goal is to make the parent feel more at ease.
During the procedure, the baby will be laying on a comfortable pillow. I do not use any kind of circumstraint board. Instead, I ask that a parent or friend hold the baby for the 30 seconds necessary for the procedure. Next, I will insert a thin instrument between the foreskin and glans to break the adhesion. This part of the procedure takes 1-2 seconds and feels like the removal of a band-aid. Next, I pull the foreskin forward, ever so gently, and place a special shield to close off the nerve endings and blood vessels to the area. At this point the baby will not feel the rest of the procedure. Then using a scalpel, I or the parent (yes, that is how easy it is) will remove the foreskin. After removing the shield, I will clean up the area and put a loose wrap with some special numbing medicine and “secret” healing powder from Israel. The wrap will usually fall off by itself within 6 hours.
Just like the actual procedure, the after-care process is very simple as well. At each diaper change for 2 days (3 if you wish) you will place a 3″x3″ or 4″x4″ gauze pad with a dollop of ointment and place it over the penis at every diaper change for 2-3 days. The ointment can be either Bacitraicin, Neosporin or Triple antibiotic Ointment. You may also Vaseline, Aquaphor or A and D Ointment if you prefer a more natural product.
The baby will likely grow a whitish/yellowish film around the circumcision area. This is called granulation tissue (fancy name for scab). It is NOT a sign of infection and is perfectly normal and expected. It will begin to come off in the diaper and in the bath once you stop using the gauze pads and start bathing him again.
A little bit of blood on the gauze is to be expected for the first few diaper changes. The most common occurrence as a result of the circumcision is that it may take up to a year to walk afterwards. 🙂 To date, I have been privileged to have performed over 18,000 procedures without any complications or negative effects.
SHOULD I CIRCUMCISE MY BABY?
Whether or not you choose to circumcise your baby boy, it’s entirely up to you. It’s perfectly normal to have plenty of questions about the procedure. Please feel free to call me on my cell at 314-498-6279 to discuss. Remember. There is no such thing as a silly or stupid question. This is your baby and I want you to feel comfortable asking me anything that is on your mind.
To learn more about our baby circumcision technique or to book an appointment, get in touch with us today