Re: {waterbirth} Circumcision and vaccinations

[Kachina K'ang, CLD]

While growing up my mother always would tell me if I had a son to make sure I circumsize because it was cleaner and healthier. I, just taking my mom's comments at face value, struggled with this decision when I was pregnant with my first child. Looking back it's very odd that I was ever contimplating circumcision especially since my unborn baby's father was intact. My MIL would tell me "why would you want to do that to your child? That is brutality." But, my mom said it was unclean. My MIL explained "you teach your son to clean just as you teach your daughter to clean". Luckily I had a girl.

When I was pregnant with my second I read a short piece somewhere regarding uncircumsized boys and whatever it was I read helped me to solidify my decision to not cut if I had a son. And, I did indeed have a son...and he was not cut.

I would like to add, however, that my BIL, who is also intact, at age 14 had to have his penis retracted by the doctor. For whatever reason, his foreskin never came away from the tip. In my readings I found that this is rare but not uncommon. Maybe this is the case with your son Kya and he just needs to have the doctor go in with a little q-tip. When my son was 3 and still not retracting I began to tell him that he had a turtle in his penis. When he was in the bathtub he would play to try to find it and this helped to bring the skin down. Because he was not a tugger...and just a patter...it took a little longer for the "turtle" head to appear. :o)

Marcus still has a hard time retracting his skin. I think it is just because the skin is tighter at the top and his penis is little and he probably isn't pulling back like an adult would. Maybe this is also something that is going on with your oldest?

As for vaccines...we do not anymore. However, both have had some...my oldest more than my son. However, we do not anymore...and won't unless we travel out of the country or if I choose to do one or the other. But, really, it's a non issue for us.

Love the sites you provided.
--
Kachina K'ang, CLD
Birth Waters Labor Tub Services
www.birthwaters.com
Birth Year Network
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Officer
www.BirthYear.net
Visit us on MYSPACE
www.myspace.com/birthyearnetwork

---- Kya <k...@kyarose.com> wrote:

=============

Hi all,

Seeing as this is the topic generating the most interest on the "old"
waterbirth group right now, I thought it might be fun to discuss it
here too.

Personally, I have two sons, neither one circumcised, no regrets. The
only thing I'd change is that no one bothered to tell me not to retract
my oldest son's foreskin, so now that he's older and it refuses to
retract, I blame myself.

I wish I'd seen this page about 10 years ago:
http://www.circumstitions.com/Care.html

Also, I read Walene James's book, Immunization: The Reality Behind the
Myth, during my very first childbirth class (it was part of my
instructor's lending library) decided never to vaccinate my children
and have never regretted that decision either. 14 years later we've
seen both Chicken Pox and Whooping Cough go through the family, neither
of them caused us much concern and my children rarely get the various
colds and infections that their fully vaccinated cousins and peers seem
to get every season.

My favorite vaccination website is here:
http://www.whale.to/vaccines.html
Especially this article:
http://www.whale.to/b/hoax1.html

Anyone else want to weigh in on these controversial subjects?

Be Blessed,
Kya

[Kya]

Kachina K'ang, CLD wrote:
> I would like to add, however, that my BIL, who is also intact, at age 14 had to have his penis retracted by the doctor.
> For whatever reason, his foreskin never came away from the tip. In my readings I found that this is rare but not uncommon.
>Maybe this is the case with your son Kya and he just needs to have the doctor go in with a little q-tip.

Maybe, though I guess we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

My first instinct would be to try something more along the lines of the
device I found here:
http://www.glansie.com

DIY has always been more my style anyway. :)

Be Blessed,
Kya

[zuki lavin]

I don't know about a doctor doing this, that sounds a bit traumatic. But he can do it himself by just masturbating. Gently pulling down and up as does every young man I suppose. I have never heard of it getting stuck so that a doctor would have to do something. Maybe the sticky stuff is like glue in there, but it can be managed with oil and massage by himself. This usually happens at around age 2 or 3 when little boys start to play with themselves, this should be accepted and encouraged to slowly retract the foreskin by the one it belongs too!

 

Zuki

Kya <k...@kyarose.com> wrote:

---

Get your own web address for just $1.99/1st yr. We'll help. Yahoo! Small Business.

[Kachina K'ang, CLD]

Well, you could always go in with the q-tip. LOL! That metal thing kinda freaks me out. But, interesting.

--
Kachina K'ang, CLD
Birth Waters Labor Tub Services
www.birthwaters.com
Birth Year Network
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Officer
www.BirthYear.net
Visit us on MYSPACE
www.myspace.com/birthyearnetwork

---- Kya <k...@kyarose.com> wrote:

=============

[Kachina K'ang, CLD]

Traumatic....nah, I think circumcision is far worse, don't you? It was actually a very simple procedure according to my BIL who is so happy to finally be able to get an erection without pain. Masturbation and simple tugging did not work...which is why they went to the doctor. Anyway, it was my BIL...and I don't live with him...and he is now 20 so, I don't know the exact details nor am I going to ask. LOL. But, what makes me sad is that my FIL passed away before this was done and my FIL always regretted not circumcising his boy because of the pain my BIL would feel when he had an erection. But, all was taken care of.

--
Kachina K'ang, CLD
Birth Waters Labor Tub Services
www.birthwaters.com
Birth Year Network
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Officer
www.BirthYear.net
Visit us on MYSPACE
www.myspace.com/birthyearnetwork

---- zuki lavin <zuky4...@yahoo.com> wrote:

=============

[zuki lavin]

I agree that circ is defiantly more traumatic for a newborn then later having this dilemma. But I just envisioned my own son at that age, he is 17 now, and his father had him circed without my consent. I divorced him soon after. But I just kept thinking about him going in to a doctor, which he wouldn't do, and having him stretch and dig into that foreskin with some metal tool, it just makes me cringe. I am just glad to be a women! I am glad though that none of the babies I have seen intact have had that happen.

 

Zuki

"Kachina K'ang, CLD" <kach...@cox.net> wrote:

Traumatic....nah, I think circumcision is far worse, don't you? It was actually a very simple procedure according to my BIL who is so happy to finally be able to get an erection without pain. Masturbation and simple tugging did not work...which is why they went to the doctor. Anyway, it was my BIL...and I don't live with him...and he is now 20 so, I don't know the exact details nor am I going to ask. LOL. But, what makes me sad is that my FIL passed away before this was done and my FIL always regretted not circumcising his boy because of the pain my BIL would feel when he had an erection. But, all was taken care of.
--
Kachina K'ang, CLD
Birth Waters Labor Tub Services
www.birthwaters.com
Birth Year Network
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Officer
www.BirthYear.net
Visit us on MYSPACE
www.myspace.com/birthyearnetwork

---- zuki lavin wrote:

=============
I don't know about a doctor doing this, that sounds a bit traumatic. But he can do it himself by just masturbating. Gently pulling down and up as does every young man I suppose. I have never heard of it getting stuck so that a doctor would have to do something. Maybe the sticky stuff is like glue in there, but it can be managed with oil and massage by himself. This usually happens at around age 2 or 3 when little boys start to play with themselves, this should be accepted and encouraged to slowly retract the foreskin by the one it belongs too!

---

Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail.

[Kachina K'ang, CLD (BYN/CAPPA)]

From what I read it was rare.  But just got nervous when my sons hadn't retracted at almost 3 y/o...maybe 3.5.  My BIL said the doctor used a q-tip in his case...nothing metal and was really quick.  Hurt a bit ( would imagine).

 

I, however, often wish I was a man.  But then I come to my senses.  :o)

 

Kachina K'ang, CLD

www.myspace.com/KachinaK

Birth Waters Doula and Labor Tub Services

www.BirthWaters.com

Birth Year Network--Co-Founder/Co-Executive Officer

www.BirthYear.net

www.myspace.com/birthyearnetwork

 

"It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices."--Albus Dumbledore

 

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From: water...@googlegroups.com [mailto:water...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of zuki lavin
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 7:32 PM
To: water...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {waterbirth} Re: Circumcision and vaccinations