Once your son is born, your pediatrician will probably ask you whether you want him circumcised. While circumcision is a rather uncommon thing to expect in daily life, it is something that you must think of once you give birth to a baby boy.
But what is circumcision, and should babies be circumcised? As much as these questions might seem daunting to deal with, you will be surprised at how simple the entire procedure is.
Basically, circumcision is a simple surgical procedure where the foreskin of your baby is removed by a doctor.
More often, depending on different cultures and locality, this procedure is usually done 2 to 3 days after birth and before the baby leaves the hospital.
What To Expect During Circumcision
Before delving into the actual circumcision process, it’s of utmost importance to, first of all, consult with your pediatrician or doctor. If your baby was born premature, it would probably be advisable to wait until your baby is mature enough.
Just like any other simple surgical procedure, your son will be awake during the entire circumcision process. Whether the process is done in a hospital or at home, your baby will be restrained to ensure that both his legs and arms remain still entirely.
Once your baby has been comfortably restrained, the doctor will then clean the entire penis area and administer an anesthetic. This is to relieve any form of pain once an incision on the foreskin is made.
In some instances, your doctor might recommend that you cover the baby with a blanket or have your son suck on a pacifier. This is to ensure that he remains calm and comfortable as much as possible.
Once the anesthesia has been administered, your doctor will then remove the forehead surgically. You can expect this procedure to last less than 15-20 minutes.
What to Expect After the Process
You can expect your baby to be fussy, uncomfortable, and irritable after the procedure. This is always expected but it lasts only for a few hours.
Due to the sensitive nature of the procedure, you should ensure to hold your son with absolute care after the procedure. Remember that the tip of the penis will be sore. So avoid applying pressure to the penis region.
Other common features to expect include swelling around the penis. The penis might look red as well.
Another common thing that you may see is a yellow crust at the tip of the penis. You shouldn’t be alarmed by this as it is quite normal and should disappear after days.
Overall, you can expect your son’s penis to heal fully after ten days.
Post Circumcision Care
Just like the whole process is simple, post circumcision care is fairly simple. However, you’ll need a nurse or doctor to accomplish holistic care.
As mentioned before, it will take close to 10 days for your son’s penis to heal. During this period, you need to:
1. Keep the Area Clean
Ensuring that the penis is clean is one of the most important things to do in post circumcision care. When it comes to a baby, keeping the penis clean is especially more critical.
But how can you do this successfully? To ensure optimum cleanliness, it’s of utmost importance to gently clean any poop on the penis area every time you change the diaper.
2. Keep the Area Covered and Protected
Normally, your doctor will cover your son’s penis with a bandage after the surgical process. This bandage often comes off once your son pees.
While different pediatricians have conflicted feelings as to whether you should add another bandage or not, it’s important to always ensure to consult your doctor first.
Even so, depending on your doctor’s advice, it’s important that you always cover the penis to avoid any infection.
However, before doing this, you should ensure to apply a layer of petroleum jelly on the penis first. Then go ahead to wrap the penis gently using a soft gauze.
3. Ensure to Always Keep an Eye
As stated above, you can always expect your son’s penis to swell while the tip reddens after the circumcision. You can also expect a yellowish discharge from the penis.
While all this might be normal, it’s crucial to be on the lookout for any danger signs. This includes bleeding (even the tiniest form of bleeding), rashes, and continuous pain. If your baby displays any of these signs, ensure to contact your pediatrician or doctor immediately. Never ignore these signs as they could be an indication of infection.
