We're having a boy, with a scheduled delivery date of May. We're starting to be asked by the OBGYNs if we're planning on circumcising or not. We spoke to 4 different OBGYNs and here's the general medical consensus from them:
Circumcision will be done by the OBGYN the day after the birth.
The operation: Baby will be given a pacifier dipped in sugar water, and a special swaddle will be used that is only for the upper half of the body. The legs will be held down by straps. The penis will be sterilized and then a numbing agent will be applied onto the penis (it's a cream-like substance, and not a shot). After waiting ~5 minutes for the numbing agent to take into effect, a tool will be placed over the penis to guide the cut, cut will occur, then clamped back. No stitching is required. Apparently, the most bleeding you'd expect is also a drop or so; and most babies undergoing circumcision don't even cry or show any discomfort. This seems hard to believe, but all 4 of our OBGYNs said this.
Recovery: Gland will be swollen and may start crusting. No baths or showers allowed until fully healed. For the first 5 days, at every diaper change, use warm water and a sponge to lightly dab the penis, and cover with Vaseline to prevent sticking onto diaper. After the first 5 days, and until fully healed, wash at least once a day. Once fully healed (estimated to be between 7 to 14 days), bathing is acceptable.
Complications: The surgery itself- extremely rare; if anything happens, follow-up surgery may be required, but not by the OBGYN, but by a urologist. Most likely complication will result in follow-up surgery within the first 5 years due to skin fusing incorrectly to the gland. Recovery- Bacterial infection is extremely unlikely (also hard to believe???).
Benefits: The older OBGYNs seem to point out that there are a lot more medical benefits; they point out that having a foreskin could lead to problems with retraction due to improper "un-fusing" of the foreskin with the gland or the foreskin being too tight, infections due to poor hygiene, and higher STD rates. The younger OBGYNs seem to point out that it's largely social and visual preference. Regardless, all OBGYNs stated that if you don't do circumcision within the first few days of being born, the procedure gets significantly more complicated and will require general anaesthetic.
........thoughts, GameFAQs?
Personally, I thought circumcision would have much higher chance of complications and the baby will be tortured/hate it. But all OBGYNs that we talked to say that most babies literally sleep through the entire operation and the ones that don't are just fussy (and not screaming/crying). Given that, I feel like doing it is a no-brainer, since complications with a foreskin later on in-life is a thing.