Raising An Uncircumcised Son As A Circumcised Father

[matchrestore]

With circumcision rates in the United States trending downward, there are a lot of boys being left intact being raised by fathers who were not. This naturally leads to questions on what to expect and what care needs to be given. Anxiety over this may even lead to some fathers leaning towards circumcision, when in reality caring for an uncircumcised boy isn't any more difficult than caring for a circumcised boy.

Its Attached At First

At birth the foreskin is adhered to the glans in most boys. While some boys can retract their foreskin early in life, most may not be able to retract their foreskin until their early teen years. Retraction of the foreskin should not be forced, as doing so can cause pain and bleeding, and even scaring and permanent adhesions. A boy being unable to retract his foreskin is not necessarily a indication of phimosis, and in fact in the United States the lack of frequent exposure to uncircumcised boys has lead to frequent misdiagnosis in boys. The only person who should ever retract a boy's foreskin is the boy himself.

Some boys can retract their foreskin as early as 1 year old, some not until after 10 years old.

Cleaning

As long as the foreskin doesn't easily retract, only the outside needs to be cleaned. If the foreskin retracts a little, the exposed portion of the glans should be cleaned with water. Do not use soap on the penis, and always gently pull the foreskin back over the glans after cleaning. As boys get older and the foreskin has completely separated and retracts easily it should be retracted fully for cleaning during each bath and/or shower. Bubble baths can cause problems, but not in every child.

Ballooning

As the foreskin separates from the glans throughout the early years of a boy’s life, urine can momentarily swirl around underneath the foreskin in spots where it has already separated from the glans. It is not unusual for urine to fill up these pockets between the foreskin and glans briefly during urination. This is often referred to as “ballooning” because it appears as just that: a balloon being blown up, then deflated. This is normal and nothing needs to be done, as long as the urine being passed, in fact this ballooning can speed up the separation of the foreskin from the glans.

Mesh

The mesh in swimming trunks can pinch the genitals of any person who wears them. When the fabric is wet, it expands, and any loose skin can enter the holes in the mesh. Then as the fabric dries and contracts it can pinch that skin creating a painful situation. To avoid this you can cut the mesh out of swim trunks, have him wear underwear or swim briefs under swim trunks, wear swim briefs instead of trunks, or wear swim trunks that have smooth fabric in areas the genitals are exposed to.

These trunks have smooth fabric in the areas of the liner exposed to the penis.

Tugging and Pulling

Babies naturally touch their genitals as they are learning about their bodies. Tugging and pulling on their penis and foreskin is part of this. Tugging and pulling also starts the process of separating the foreskin from the glans. Boys know what hurts and what does not so they will not prematurely retract their foreskin. If their foreskin is separated from the glans and they do retract it, make sure it is back in place over the glans before putting a diaper back on him.

#parenting

#uncircumcised

#foreskin

[ms_regina_george]

ewwwwwwww !!!

[CT_CD]

Informative myTake

[Uncut]

I for the life me can’t understand why it’s so hard to clean your self. It’s not rocket repair. I have never had and issue not had a complaint.

[Mnlrg]

Unless there are complications, it's something which it's easy enough to take care of once you get to a certain age in terms of keeping it clean. It can also be pulled back to pee which is something which can also help and I learned worked best for me when a was a little older. In the majority of cases keeping it clean just becomes a normal part of everyday routine.

[richardjohnson]

Circumcision should be a personal matter depending on an individual's health as well as social and religious considerations. During the 1950's when I was growing up the trend for boys was toward circumcision. Young boys of the Jewish faith are circumscribed in a ceremony called a bris which represents God's covenant with the Jewish people. I'm not Jewish but for me circumcision is more hygienic and less worrisome than being uncircumscribed and, besides, I'll take God's word for it over anyone else's.