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Researching Circumcision, Part 3: Common Concerns
Monday, March 1st, 2010
This article is the third in a series I am writing to help expectant parents get a jump start on their research about circumcision. Part one discussed the foreskin and its normal, necessary functions. Part two provided information on the procedure itself (what it removes, how it is performed, and some of the consequences). Part three presents information on many of the common concerns parents have when considering circumcision (including an examination of the research on STD’s, cancer, and other health issues).
Intact v. Cut: Common Concerns
There is an abundance of misinformation floating around about circumcision. Some of this is due to outdated (and subsequently proven untrue) “scientific” articles, some to current studies that were not conducted using scientifically acceptable methods, some simply to old wives’ tales. Thankfully, there are several trustworthy sources available that can help parents sift through the misinformation to discover the truth about circumcision and its consequences. Following are facts and links to more resources on the topics that often concern parents about intact v. cut penises.
1. Circumcision does not prevent HIV/AIDS: “Transmission of HIV infection is caused by risky behaviors, such as multiple sex partners, failure to use condoms, and contaminated instruments or needles.” Recent studies, however, claim that circumcised men in Africa have a lower chance of contracting the AIDS virus than men who are intact. Aside from the fact that scientists and scholars have questioned the methods and results of those studies, there are several compelling reasons that the African research is inapplicable when discussion routine infant circumcision. (1)
First, other studies provide evidence that the exact opposite is true: circumcised men in Africa are actually more likely to contract the AIDS virus than are intact men. (2) Second, it makes no scientific sense to compare the behavior of adult men in Africa to the behavior of infants in the United States. The populations “have too little in common . . . .”
Third, “the US has the highest rate of medically unnecessary, nontherapeutic infant circumcision in the world – about 56 percent of male babies today undergo the procedure, . . . and yet the HIV infection rate in North America is twice the rate in Europe, where circumcision rates are low.” If circumcision prevented HIV, it should logically follow that the United States would have some of the lowest rates of AIDS, since men have traditionally been circumcised here. That is not the case. (3) Fourth, the average sexually active heterosexual American male has a 0.03% chance of becoming infected with HIV in his lifetime. If that heterosexual male was high risk? He still only has a 0.3% chance of contracting HIV in his lifetime. Circumcision has no effect on that number, but the use of condoms will drastically decrease the risk. (4)
“Circumcision cannot prevent the spread of HIV; circumcised men contract HIV, transmit HIV, and die from AIDS. ” Moreover, circumcision does nothing to prevent the transmission of HIV to a female partner. (5) Circumcision is not an HIV vaccine. To protect your children from HIV and other STDs, educate them about safe sex practices and teach them how to use condoms.
2. Circumcision does not prevent STDs: Again, the United States “has the highest rate of circumcision of any Western nation (by FAR the highest as our rates are about 50% and the next closest is Canada with a rate around 10%). We also have the HIGHEST rate of all STDs of any Western nation (including HIV). Developed nations where 98-99% of their boys/men remain intact have the lowest rates of STDs (including HIV). If circumcision ‘protected’ against diseases[,] . . . we would NOT see these figures to such an extreme and obvious degree.” (6)
To be more specific, here is a collection of scientific research on circumcision and STDs:
Cook et al. (1994) were unable to show a definite benefit for circumcision—finding a slight tendency for non-circumcised men to have more syphilis and gonorrhea, but less tendency to have genital warts. Donovan et al. (1994) reported no significant difference between non-circumcised and circumcised men. Van Howe (1999) found circumcised men may be slightly more likely to have urethritis and uncircumcised males may be more prone to genital ulcer disease (GUD). Dickson et al. (2008) found more STD in circumcised men but the difference was not statistically significant. The Fetus and Newborn Committee of the Canadian Paediatric Society found that “circumcision had no significant effect on the incidence of common STDs.” The AAP Task Force (1999) reported that “behavior factors appear to be far more important than circumcision status.” The medical evidence does not support the practice of neonatal circumcision to prevent STDs. (7)
3. Circumcision does not prevent cancer: “Circumcision is ineffective for the prevention of penile cancer.” Scientific research has shown that it makes no difference whether a man is circumcised or intact – his risk of getting penile cancer is virtually unchanged.
What about cervical cancer? Same story. “The risk factors for cervical cancer are infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) and smoking. Risk of infection with HPV is increased by early onset of sexual intercourse and multiple sex partners. There is no clear evidence that male circumcision decreases the risk of infection.” (8)
The American Cancer Society has actually written a letter to combat the myth that circumcision prevents cancer in either men or women. The American Cancer Society’s purpose in writing the letter was “to discourage the American Academy of Pediatrics from promoting routine circumcision as a preventive measure for penile or cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society does not consider routine circumcision to be a valid or effective measure to prevent such cancers.” (9)
Do you still need to be convinced? Think of it this way: “Men have a higher chance of getting BREAST CANCER (0.7% likelihood) than they do of getting penile cancer (0.09%).” (10)
Cutting off an infant’s foreskin to “prevent cancer” is ludicrous.
4. Circumcision does not prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs): UTIs are very rare in boys, whether they are intact or circumcised. “[I]n the first six years of life, the incidence of UTI in boys [is] 1.8 percent[;] in girls it [is] 6.6 percent. . . . When UTI does occur, it is easily treated medically. . . . The consensus of medical opinion is that circumcision is of little, if any, value in reducing UTI.” (11)
The most effective way to combat UTIs in boys and girls? Breastfeeding. Studies have shown that “breastfed infants have only 38% as many UTIs as non-breastfed infants.” (12) The following sticker is incredibly apropos:
Get this sticker and more FREE (or leave a donation) at http://www.tlctugger.com/prodStickers.htm
5. Intact penises are actually cleaner: I love Dr. Dean Edell’s response to this argument:
The most common myth is that it’s cleaner to be circumcised. It’s hard to imagine how this has persisted in an era of soap and running water. But certainly it’s understandable that people do get upset with moist places in the body.
A woman’s reproductive tract is certainly moist and contains lots of bacteria, yet no one would suggest circumcising females to make them cleaner. Intact boys and children have nothing to ‘clean’ and a post-puberty man can rinse his penis just as he would wash any other part of his body, and just as a woman washes her genitals. (13)
The intact penis has special properties to keep itself cleaner than a cut penis. Both the immunological properties and the design of the foreskin help keep the penis properly rinsed and moisturized, much like the eyelid does for the eye. (14)
6. Intact penises do not require special care: The number one rule in raising an intact son? Only clean what is seen.
As mentioned in the last article in this series, the foreskin is actually attached to the glans of the penis at birth, much like your fingernail is attached to the bed of your finger. Parents should NEVER retract an intact penis, the foreskin will separate naturally over the course of years. Remember, the glans is meant to be an internal organ – you do not need to expose, touch, or clean it.
Retracting an intact child before he is ready is painful and can cause bleeding and infections. Parents must be vigilant that no one – not babysitters, doctors, or other well-meaning but ignorant individuals – retract their child’s foreskin. (15)
7. Fathers and sons are not identical – their penises do not have to “match”: We differ from our children in many ways, there is no reason that an infant should be circumcised to “match” his father. Many enlightened circumcised men are raising intact sons.
You do not need to repeat the cycle of ignorance.
Similarly, there is no merit in the “locker room argument,” or the belief that children should “match” their peers. Circumcision rates are falling: in the United States, your intact son has just about as much of a chance as “looking like” the boy in the neighboring locker as he does “looking different” – nationwide, only 56% of our boys are cut. (16)
The decision to physically alter your child’s genitals should never be based on aesthetics. It should be an informed decision based on your child’s lifelong heath and well-being, and it should only be made if there is a valid medically necessary reason.
What Are the Benefits of Circumcision?
Are there benefits to circumcision? Its advocates would have you believe there are, and for some men circumcision might be preferable to staying intact.
Whether there are benefits of circumcision, and more importantly whether those benefits outweigh the risks, is a question that each man should be able to consider himself. Circumcision should be an option for a fully informed individual; it should not be a routine, medically unnecessary procedure performed on infants.
More Resources on Circumcision
Are You Fully Informed? (a comprehensive list of articles and websites devoted to circumcision; the author of “peaceful parenting” holds a PhD in Human Sexuality – she works to educate the public on and put an end to this unnecessary medical procedure)
Circumcision: A Response to Skeptics
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers
Third Year Medical Student Describes His First Circumcision Surgery
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Please see the following sources and the citations within for more information:
(1) Fauntleroy, Gussie, “The Truth About Circumcision and HIV,” http://www.nocirc.org/2008-07_Mothering-Fauntleroy.pdf
(2) Okwemba, Arthur, “HIV Increases in Africa Where Most Men Circumcised,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/hiv-increases-in-africa-where-most-men.html
(3) The Truth About Circumcision and HIV
(4) Coias, Jennifer, “The Nuts and Bolts of HIV in the USA and Why Circumcision Won’t Protect Men,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/08/nuts-and-bolts-of-hiv-in-usa-and-why.html (The percentages given in the article are actually based on the risk of contracting HIV over a span of sixty years; I said “lifetime” for ease of discussion. Please read the article for clarity.)
(5) Preidt, Robert, “Circumcision Doesn’t Lessen HIV Transmission,” http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=8105119&page=1; The Truth About Circumcision and HIV
(6) “Circumcision: A Response to Skeptics,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/07/circumcision-response-to-skeptics.html
(7) “Doctors Opposing Circumcision Genital Integrity Policy Statement, Chapter 3: Alleged Medical Benefits of Circumcision,” http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/DOC/statement03.html#n18; see also “Circumcision and Sexually Transmitted Infections,” http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/STD/
(8) Doctors Opposing Circumcision Genital Integrity Policy Statement, Chapter 3: Alleged Medical Benefits of Circumcision
(9) “Letter from the American Cancer Society,” http://www.fathermag.com/health/circ/acs/
(10) “A Dad’s View of Circumcision,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/dads-view-of-circumcision.html
(11) Doctors Opposing Circumcision Genital Integrity Policy Statement, Chapter 3: Alleged Medical Benefits of Circumcision
(12) “Position Statement: The Effects of Circumcision on Breastfeeding,” http://www.nocirc.org/statements/breastfeeding.php; see also “How the Foreskin Protects Against UTI,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/how-foreskin-protects-against-uti.html
(13) Edell, Dean, M.D., “Dr. Dean Edell Statement on Circumcision,” http://www.drmomma.org/2010/02/dr-dean-edell-statement-on-circumcision.html
(14) “Functions of the Foreskin: Purposes of the Prepuce,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/functions-of-foreskin-purposes-of.html
(15) “Raising Intact Sons,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/raising-intact-sons.html; see also National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers, “Answers to Your Questions About Your Young Son’s Intact Penis,” http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf
(16) “United States Circumcision Incidence,” http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/
Posted in Breastfeeding, Circumcision, Intactivism, Parenting, Pregnancy & Birth | 3 Comments »
Researching Circumcision, Part 2: What Is Circumcision?
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
This article is the second in a series I am writing to help expectant parents get a jump start on their research about circumcision. Please check back next Monday for the final article in this series. Part one discussed the foreskin and its normal, necessary functions. Part two is on the circumcision procedure: what it removes, how it is performed, and what the short- and long-term consequences are. Part three will present information on many of the common concerns parents have when considering circumcision (including an examination of the research on STD’s, cancer, and other health issues).
Please take a moment now to subscribe to my RSS feed for free updates so that you will not miss the remaining article in this series.
What is Circumcision?
Before parents choose circumcision, they should take the time to learn exactly what this procedure entails.*
What Circumcision Removes
Circumcision removes up to 80% of the penis’s skin. “Careful anatomical investigations have shown that circumcision cuts off more than 3 feet of veins, arteries, and capillaries, 240 feet of nerves, and more than 20,000 nerve endings. The foreskin’s muscles, glands, mucous membrane, and epithelial tissue are destroyed, as well.” (1)
How Circumcision Removes the Foreskin
The following description of circumcision is extremely difficult to read (and the clickable images are hard to view), but it is easier to read and see than it is to experience. Again, before parents choose to circumcise their baby, they must know exactly what is going to happen.
[L]et’s examine how a typical medical circumcision is performed. First the child, after 9 months in the fetal position, is tied down spreadeagled and straight-backed in a circumstraint, a plastic board molded to the outline of an infant’s body, which is equipped with velcro straps. Next he is covered with a sheet which has a hole through which his penis is threaded. Then his penis is thoroughly swabbed with sterilizing solution. Naturally, this frequently provokes an erection. Some physicians deliberately provoke erections in order to judge the “cutoff line” and to aid in the surgery itself. In any case, in the infant’s brand new, wide-open, pre-verbal consciousness, this is his first sexual experience: a torturous nightmare.
Because the foreskin of an infant is attached to the head of the penis by the same tissue that bonds a fingernail to a finger, it must be skinned away before it can be cut off. So the doctor forces a metal probe between the foreskin and the head and tears apart this flesh (called synechia) which bonds them together. Next, the doctor has several options for the actual amputation. One commonly used device for this step is called a gomco clamp. This essentially functions as a thumbscrew for the foreskin. . . . Surgical scissors are used to cut a slit along the length of the foreskin in order to insert the metal “bell” which serves as one jaw of the clamp. The foreskin is pulled over the bell and the other jaw of the clamp is attached. Then, by tightening a screw, the foreskin, one of the most densely innervated tissues of the body, is audibly crushed along two lines (inner and outer foreskin) around its circumference. (Since all the nerves of the foreskin pass through this crush line, the pain perception may be similar to that of putting virtually the entire erogenous surface of the penis in a vise.) The clamp is left on for a few minutes to promote blood clotting, then the foreskin is cut off at the crush line. Afterwards, the raw, bleeding, formerly internal organ is wrapped in bandages and a diaper, and then repeatedly burned with urine and its breakdown product, ammonia, and exposed to infectious fecal matter while healing. . . .
It wasn’t until 1978 that researchers even suggested using anesthetic during circumcision, and [as late as 1999, the AMA reported that] most medical circumcisions are performed without anesthesia . . . . This is in stark contrast to what is known about infant pain perception and its profound and lasting effects on the victim, as well as the plainly obvious reaction of the infant boy, who forcefully communicates his torment to anyone who will look and listen. Choking and breathing problems arise due to the continuous screaming. Surges in adrenaline and cortisol and large increases in heart rate, all established physiological indicators of torture, have been measured. Some babies appear to go into shock. Later, problems with sleep, mother-child bonding and breastfeeding, and increased sensitivity to stress and pain are all commonly seen after [circumcision (also referred to as male genital mutilation or "MGM")]. To all appearances, the infant is left in a state of post-traumatic stress. (2)
The Short-Term Consequences of Circumcision
Circumcision is “an extremely painful, distressing, traumatic, and exhausting experience for a newborn male infant.” Because it is so emotionally and physically stressful, it has documented negative effects. These include:
1. Circumcision affects sleep: “Circumcision disrupts the baby’s normal sleep patterns.” (3) “Routine circumcision, done without anesthesia in the newborn nursery was usually followed by prolonged non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. . . . We consider its increase to be consistent with a theory of conservation-withdrawal in response to stressful stimulation.” (4)
2. Circumcision can affect bonding with caregivers: “Post-operatively, the circumcised infant is in pain and is in an exhausted, weakened, and debilitated condition.” Consequently, circumcised babies may withdraw, which interferes with the normal process of bonding with his mother, father, or other caregivers.
3. Circumcision interferes with the breastfeeding relationship: Because circumcised males are in such pain for an extended period after this stressful procedure, studies have shown that some babies are simply unable to suckle at their mother’s breast. Mothers who refuse to allow this procedure have a better chance at establishing a healthy breastfeeding relationship. (5)
4. Circumcision is painful: Circumcision leaves an open, raw wound for weeks. The newborn’s surgically exposed glans is re-injured by abrasion and contaminants because it is encased in diapers (including the baby’s own feces and urine, which breaks down into ammonia). Disposable diapers themselves are also often irritants, because they are laden with chemicals, dyes, and fragrances that cause further pain.
5. “Circumcision is always risky: Circumcision always carries the risk of serious, even tragic, consequences. Its surgical complication rate is one in 500. These complications include uncontrollable bleeding and fatal infections.” (6)
The Long-Term Consequences of Circumcision
Aside from the immediate psychological and physical effects on the traumatized newborn, there are also long-term consequences.
1. Circumcision desensitizes: The foreskin’s rich nerve network of more than 20,000 nerve endings provides incredible sensitivity – even more than the glans itself. Circumcision amputates these nerve endings, which not only takes away that pleasure source, but the constantly exposed glans becomes even more desensitized with time and constant exposure to diapers and clothing. The glans actually keratinizes (much like the fibrous tissue found in hair or fingernails).
2. “Circumcision disables: The amputation of so much penile skin permanently immobilizes whatever skin remains, preventing it from gliding freely over the shaft and glans. This loss of mobility destroys the mechanism by which the glans is normally stimulated. When the circumcised penis becomes erect, the immobilized remaining skin is stretched, sometimes so tightly that not enough skin is left to cover the erect shaft.” Additionally, the surgically exposed glans is left without “the protection and emollients of the foreskin,” which makes it dry and “susceptible to cracking and bleeding.”
3. “Circumcision disfigures: Circumcision alters the appearance of the penis drastically. It permanently externalizes the glans, normally an internal organ. Circumcision leaves a large circumferential surgical scar on the penile shaft” and often tears pieces of the glans itself off. “Depending on the amount of skin cut off and how the scar forms, the circumcised penis may be permanently twisted, or curve or bow during erection. The contraction of the scar tissue may pull the shaft into the abdomen, in effect shortening the penis or burying it completely.”
4. “Circumcision disrupts circulation: Circumcision interrupts the normal circulation of blood throughout the penile skin system and glans. The blood flowing into major penile arteries is obstructed by the line of scar tissue at the point of incision, creating backflow instead of feeding the branches and capillary networks beyond the scar.” This interruption of normal blood flow can ultimately obstruct the flow of urine.
5. “Circumcision harms the developing brain: [Scientific studies have demonstrated] that circumcision has long-lasting detrimental effects on the developing brain, adversely altering the brain’s perception centers. Circumcised boys have a lower pain threshold than girls or intact boys.” There is evidence “that circumcision can cause deeper and more disturbing levels of neurological damage, as well.”
6. “Circumcision is unhygienic and unhealthy: One of the most common myths about circumcision is that it makes the penis cleaner and easier to take care of. This is not true. Eyes without eyelids would not be cleaner; neither [is] a penis without its foreskin. The artificially externalized glans and meatus of the circumcised penis are constantly exposed to abrasion and dirt, making the circumcised penis, in fact, more unclean. The loss of the protective foreskin leaves the urinary tract vulnerable to invasion by bacterial and viral pathogens.
The circumcision wound is larger than most people imagine. It is not just the circular point of union between the outer and inner layers of the remaining skin. Before a baby is circumcised, his foreskin must be torn from his glans, literally skinning it alive. This creates a large open area of raw, bleeding flesh, covered at best with a layer of undeveloped proto-mucosa. Germs can easily enter the damaged tissue and bloodstream through the raw glans and, even more easily, through the incision itself.
Even after the wound has healed, the externalized glans and meatus are still forced into constant unnatural contact with urine, feces, chemically treated diapers, and other contaminants.”
7. Circumcision has other health consequences: As will be discussed in part three of this series, circumcision has other health consequences, and it “does not prevent acquisition or transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).” (7)
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There is no National or International Public Health Authority in the Western World Which Advocates for Routine Infant Circumcision (8)
If you or someone you know is considering circumcision for a newborn, please take time first to research. We owe it to our children to make thoughtful, ethical decisions for them. The links below lead to more information on this procedure.
10 Out of 10 Babies Agree (A “Scrubs” clip & related video; viewer discretion advised, but parents – please do not look away)
Birth as we Know it: Circumcision (Infant male circumcision video clip from the documentary film “Birth As We Know It” by Elena Tonetti-Vladimirova; viewer discretion advised)
Circumcision: A Photo Essay (this is tragic to look at, but parents who are considering this unnecessary medical procedure need to see what they would be subjecting their infants to)
Circumcision and the Old Testament
Circumcision: How Much Does it Hurt?
Cut v. Intact Outcome Statistics
The Day I Withdrew from Nursing School
The Effects of Circumcision on Breastfeeding
How Male Circumcision Impacts Your Love Life
Mothers’ Stories: I Regret Circumcising my Son
MRI Studies: The Brain is Permanently Altered from Circumcision
Penn & Teller on Circumcision (a series of videos by Penn & Teller on circumcision – I’m not sure how they managed to get a laugh out of me while I had tears streaming down my face, but they did)
Plastibell Infant Circumcision (an alternative to the Gomco Clamp described above)
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*Posts that describe circumcision may be particularly uncomfortable/painful to read if you are a parent of a circumcised boy. It is not my intention to make these parents feel judged, ostracized, or demonized. The sad fact is, circumcision has been the norm in our culture – parents have not been expected, nor do many even think about, seeking information on leaving their sons intact. If you are the parent of a circumcised boy and you regret the decision to circumcise, you can help bring about change for future generations. Speak out. Donate to organizations that spread the word about the benefits of staying intact. Forward this article on to expectant parents. Do not let ignorance result in more needless circumcisions. And thank you for reading this information with an open heart. It’s tough to have any parenting decision questioned, but reevaluating our decisions and beliefs is part of growing and maturing.
(1) Fleiss, Paul, M.D., “The Case Against Circumcision,” http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/fleiss.html
(2) Winkel, Rich, “Male Circumcision in the USA: A Human Rights Primer,” http://www.math.missouri.edu/~rich/MGM/primer.html#fn73
(3) “Position Statement: The Effects of Circumcision on Breastfeeding,” http://www.nocirc.org/statements/breastfeeding.php
(4) “Circumcision vs Breastfeeding,” http://www.circumstitions.com/Docs/nursing.pdf
(5) Position Statement: The Effects of Circumcision on Breastfeeding
(6) The Case Against Circumcision; see also “Doctors Opposing Circumcision Genital Integrity Policy Statement, Chapter 4: The Immediate Complications of Circumcision,” http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/DOC/statement04.html
(7) The Case Against Circumcision; see also Garcia, Francisco, “What Exactly is Circumcision and What is it Not?,” http://www.cirp.org/library/anatomy/garcia/; see also “Doctors Opposing Circumcision Genital Integrity Policy Statement, Chapter 6: Long-Term Adverse Effects of Circumcision,” http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/DOC/statement06.html
(8) “The Medical Basis for Child Circumcision,” http://www.fathermag.com/health/circ/
Posted in Breastfeeding, Circumcision, Diapering, Intactivism, Parenting, Pregnancy & Birth | 7 Comments »
Researching Circumcision, Part 1: What Is the Foreskin?
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Even though infant circumcision is still referred to as a “routine” aspect of newborn care, as many as 46% of expectant parents are not given any information on the procedure by their doctors. (1) What’s worse? Over 82% “of parents in the first six months of their baby boy’s life regretted the decision they made about circumcision.” (2)
This article is the first in a series I am writing to help expectant parents get a jump start on their research about circumcision. Please check back the next two Mondays for the follow-up articles in this series. Part one is on the foreskin and its normal, necessary functions. Part two will look at the circumcision procedure: what it removes, how it is performed, and what the short- and long-term consequences are. Part three will present information on many of the common concerns parents have when considering circumcision (including an examination of the research on STD’s, cancer, and other health issues).
Please take a moment now to subscribe to my RSS feed for free updates so that you will not miss the remaining articles in this series.
If you are an expectant parent, please read this series, the sources cited herein, and then continue to research information on your own. You owe it to your son to arm yourself with the facts before considering a procedure that will permanently alter his genitals.
If you have any questions, I would be happy to help answer them (or direct you to someone who can). As always, respectful comments are welcome.
What is the Foreskin?
Each baby boy is born with a normal, intact penis. Every normal, intact penis has a continuous skin system that begins at the base of the penis and ends at the tip of the foreskin or “prepuce.” The foreskin is actually two layers of skin: the penis’s skin system folds in on itself near the tip (the glans or “head”) of the penis and reattaches somewhere behind the glans. This fold is the foreskin. (3)
Some people mistakenly think that the foreskin is just an “extra flap,” unnecessary, separate. This could not be further from the truth. In reality, the foreskin is as much a part of the whole penis as the glans is. The penis is made up of an outer foreskin layer (the continuation of the skin of the penis’s shaft), an inner foreskin layer, a ridged band (the interface between the two layers), the glans, and the frenulum (a connecting membrane on the underside of the penis).
“The foreskin contains a rich concentration of blood vessels and nerve endings. It is lined with . . . a smooth muscle layer with longitudinal fibers.” This muscle layer protects the urinary tract from contaminants. The inner layer of the foreskin is packed with nerve endings that provide erogenous sensitivity later in life. The inner layer of the foreskin is actually more sensitive than the head of the penis. (4)
The Functions of the Foreskin
The foreskin provides many functions that are lost after circumcision. These functions include:
1. Protection: Just as the eyelids protect the eyes, the foreskin protects the glans and keeps its surface soft, moist, and sensitive. It also maintains optimal warmth, pH balance, and cleanliness. The glans itself contains no sebaceous glands-glands that produce the sebum, or oil, that moisturizes our skin. The foreskin produces the sebum that maintains proper health of the surface of the glans.
2. Immunological Defense: The mucous membranes that line all body orifices are the body’s first line of immunological defense. Glands in the foreskin produce antibacterial and antiviral proteins such as lysozyme. Lysozyme is also found in tears and mother’s milk. Specialized epithelial Langerhans cells, an immune system component, abound in the foreskin’s outer surface. Plasma cells in the foreskin’s mucosal lining secrete immunoglobulins, antibodies that defend against infection.
3. Antibacterial Function: To help fight harmful bacteria, the foreskin supports a rich flora of beneficial bacteria. . . . The good bacteria that live in the inside of the foreskin are similar to the bacteria found in the mouth, nose, the female genitals, and the skin in general. It must be stressed that this good bacteria is both harmless and highly beneficial. Without these friendly bacteria, the urethra would become an easy entry point for germs and harmful strains of bacteria, which could cause disease.
4. Erogenous Sensitivity: The foreskin is as sensitive as the fingertips or the lips of the mouth. It contains a richer variety and greater concentration of specialized nerve receptors than any other part of the penis. These specialized nerve endings can discern motion, subtle changes in temperature, and fine gradations of texture.
5. Coverage During Erection: As it becomes erect, the penile shaft becomes thicker and longer. The double-layered foreskin provides the skin necessary to accommodate the expanded organ and to allow the penile skin to glide freely, smoothly, and pleasurably over the shaft and glans.
6. Self-Stimulating Sexual Functions: The foreskin’s double-layered sheath enables the penile shaft skin to glide back and forth over the penile shaft. The foreskin can normally be slipped all the way, or almost all the way, back to the base of the penis, and also slipped forward beyond the glans. This wide range of motion is the mechanism by which the penis and the orgasmic triggers in the foreskin, frenulum, and glans are stimulated.
7. Sexual Functions in Intercourse: One of the foreskin’s functions is to facilitate smooth, gentle movement between the mucosal surfaces of the two partners during intercourse. The foreskin enables the penis to slip in and out of the vagina nonabrasively inside its own slick sheath of self-lubricating, movable skin. The female is thus stimulated by moving pressure rather than by friction only, as when the male’s foreskin is missing. (5)
Circumcision Removes a Healthy, Functioning Sexual Organ
The foreskin is a necessary part of a complete, functioning penis. These vital protections and benefits are stripped along with the foreskin in circumcision.
If you are considering circumcision for your newborn or you know someone who is expecting, please read the information found at some of the links below first and then pass the knowledge on to others. It is our responsibility as parents to make informed, ethical choices for our children.
Get this sticker and more FREE (or leave a donation) at http://www.tlctugger.com/prodStickers.htm
Resources and Information on the Foreskin and Circumcision
Are You Fully Informed? (includes an excellent list of books, articles, and websites dedicated to the subject of circumcision and the normal, intact foreskin)
Basic Care of the Intact Child (it’s easy: clean what you see and never retract)
Circumcision: What I Wish I’d Known
Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision (a documentary on circumcision)
Doctors Opposing Circumcision Genital Integrity Policy Statement, Chapter 2: The Prepuce
Functions of the Foreskin: Purposes of the Prepuce
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Please see the following sources (including the studies and material cited therein) for more information.
(1) One of Attachment Parenting International’s (API) eight principles of parenting is to prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. Part of that preparation is to “[r]esearch all aspects of ‘routine’ newborn care, such as bathing, circumcision, eye drops, blood samples, collecting cord blood, etc.” “Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting,” http://attachmentparenting.org/principles/prepare.php
(2) Fleiss, Paul, M.D., “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Circumcision” at xi, available in part at http://books.google.com/books?id=rQUqA-AftAQC&dq=fleiss+what+your+doctor+may+not+tell+you+about+circumcision&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=rXqG60HLo7&sig=6iNt8qLfkoOUuWylWWM51mLkO6M&hl=en&ei=oU7GSo2TBZLU8QbJqpBG&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false
(3) Garcia, Francisco, “What Exactly Is Circumcision and What Is It Not?,” http://www.cirp.org/library/anatomy/garcia/
(4) CIRP, “Anatomy of the Penis, Mechanics of Intercourse,” http://www.cirp.org/pages/anat/; Fleiss, Paul, M.D., “The Case Against Circumcision,” http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/fleiss.html; “Fine-touch Pressure Thresholds in the Adult Penis,” http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118508429/HTMLSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0; What Exactly Is Circumcision and What Is It Not?
(5) The Case Against Circumcision. Dr. Fleiss goes on to say: “The foreskin may have functions not yet recognized or understood. Scientists in Europe recently detected estrogen receptors in its basal epidermal cells. Researchers at the University of Manchester found that the human foreskin has apocrine glands. These specialized glands produce pheromones, nature’s chemical messengers. Further studies are needed to fully understand these features of the foreskin and the role they play.”; “Functions of the Foreskin: Purposes of the Precupuce,” http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/functions-of-foreskin-purposes-of.html
Posted in Circumcision, Intactivism, Parenting, Pregnancy & Birth | 23 Comments »
Healthy Birth Blog Carnival: Avoiding Unnecessary Interventions
Monday, February 1st, 2010
This post is part of the Lamaze Healthy Birth Blog Carnival. The topic of this month’s carnival is “avoiding interventions that are not medically necessary.”
A Birth Story
I was 37 ½ weeks pregnant when my water started leaking around 12:00p.m. What a cacophony of feelings that brought! The two strongest were fear that I was having our baby too early and excitement that we would finally get to meet him or her. I called my doctor and she advised me to come to her office to make sure everything was ok. After checking dilation (2) and vital signs (everything was fine), she told me to go home and get a bag packed – we were going to have this baby within the next 24 hours! My doctor pointed out that once my water had broken, I was on a 24 hour timer. She wanted me to come in sooner rather than later so that they could monitor me and baby.
Nervous, I drove home and ate lunch with my husband before we packed and headed to the hospital. Even though I wasn’t having strong or regular contractions, the nurses started their standard procedure: I was hooked up to a monitor, an IV, and told not to eat anything but ice chips. Good thing I just had lunch!
Forty-five minutes later, they let me off of the monitor to walk around. And walk we did – for hours! Around 10:00p.m., my contractions were mildly uncomfortable and regular, but they would die down every hour or two when the nurses would hook me back up to the monitor.
And I was hungry. Walking had worn me out, but all I had to sustain me was the IV drip of sugar water.
5:00a.m. rolled around and I hadn’t slept a wink. My contractions were strong and extremely painful – it was full blown back labor. After another dilation check, my doctor confirmed my suspicions: the baby was sunny side up and I was still not fully dilated.
The doctor started me on pitocin and made sure my bag of waters was broken. Holy night. They aren’t kidding when they say that pitocin amplifies contractions, they were a nightmare!
I was beyond exhausted, and around 7:00a.m. I begged for an epidural. So much for my natural birth! The epidural eased my contractions, but now I couldn’t move – there was no way this baby was going to flip over.
Disappointed, we consented to a cesarean section around 10:00a.m. My doctor said I was close enough to the 24 hour deadline that it just made sense.
How and Why to Avoid Unnecessary Interventions
Does that story sound familiar? It is a perfect example of the “cascade of interventions” that is likely to begin the moment a laboring woman is hooked up to unnecessary medical equipment at the hospital.
And it was almost my story. Thankfully, I found a midwife who believed in the power of my body and did not push unnecessary medical interventions. Instead of the above scenario, my birth story included fewer interventions and ended in a vaginal delivery (sunny side up!).
I know firsthand the value of refusing unnecessary medical interventions. But my birth story was only possible because I took time to educate myself and enlist a wonderful support team. Women need to learn why unnecessary interventions can be dangerous and how to avoid them. Below is information and resources on the seven interventions Lamaze addresses in their Healthy Birth Practice Paper: intravenous lines, restrictions on food and drink, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, artificial rupture of the membranes, pharmacologic augmentation of labor, epidural analgesia, and episiotomy.
If you know of other great resources on these topics, please leave a comment so I can add the link to the list.
1. Intravenous Lines
Doctors have traditionally required laboring women to submit to an IV “to compensate for the food and drink she is denied during her four- to thirty-hour labor, to correct or prevent the occurrence of ketosis, to facilitate the administration of analgesics and pitocin, and to prepare for epidural analgesia.” (1) IV’s can hamper labor in a number of ways. The IV needle and the cold fluid drip can be painful, the pole limits movement, excess fluid can cause the mother to urinate frequently (at best) or her lungs to fill with fluid (at worst). IV fluids can also disrupt the balance of the baby’s blood, causing severe hypoglycemia. (2)
Women should discuss their desire to avoid an IV before they go into labor. Most doctors and midwives will agree to either wait on an IV unless it is needed or to use a hep-lock instead of the full IV. (3) Be prepared to share information with your medical profession that explains why IV’s do not provide balanced nutrition for laboring women, the dangers of water intoxication, and the evidence that IV’s slow labor and increase the occurrence of more medical interventions. (4)
IV’s (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
2. Restrictions on Food and Drink
Laboring women are often denied food and drink due to a mistaken belief that they may later vomit and choke during an anesthetized cesarean section. But this practice became routine decades ago when laboring women were regularly heavily medicated “and often gave birth under general anesthesia without their airway protected.” Research has shown that the chance of aspiration today is rare – 1 in every 200,000 women – and can be avoided by using regional rather than general anesthesia. (5)
The best practice is to encourage laboring mothers to eat healthy foods to keep their strength and energy up, much like if they were running a marathon. If your doctor or midwife is hesitant to allow food during labor, show her the evidence that eating and drinking during labor is safe: “food intake in labor [does] not increase the incidence of vomiting, medical interventions during labor, or adverse birth outcomes . . . .” (6)
Birthing at a non-hospital setting (a birth center or at home) is another way to avoid the first two interventions. Most midwives have no problem with a mother refusing an IV and eating and drinking at will. If you choose to birth in a hospital, try to stay home as long as possible after you go into labor. You will labor more comfortably and efficiently in familiar, safe surroundings, and there will be no one there to hook you up to machines or feed you ice chips.
Eating During Labor Has No Effect on Delivery
Fasting (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
3. Continuous Electronic Fetal Monitoring
“When EFM was first introduced, the initial goal was to identify fetal distress during labor and, subsequently, allow timely intervention that would improve birth outcomes.” However, the use of early EFM does not lead to increased positive birth outcomes. (7) In fact, research suggests that the use of electronic monitoring actually increases the risk of cesarean sections, instrumental delivery, augmentation of labor, and epidurals. (8) And while expert panels in both the United States and Canada have recommended against the use of EFM for low-risk mothers, hospitals continue to routinely employ electronic monitoring for all laboring women. (9) And it is not only low-risk mothers that may be harmed by routine EFM. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force states that “[t]here is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against EFM” even for high-risk mothers. (10)
If you do not wish to be monitored continuously during labor, talk to your midwife or OB. Let her know that you would like to be monitored intermittently or even with Doppler (a handheld device with a speaker). Show her the research that continuous and admission EFM increases the risk of further medical interventions. Tell her that you do not want to have your movement restricted, that you wish to avoid the anxiety that comes from being tethered to a piece of medical equipment, and that there is no evidence that your baby will be born healthier by being monitored electronically. (11)
External Electronic Fetal Monitor (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
Internal Electronic Fetal Monitor
Understanding Fetal Monitoring
4. Artificial Rupture of the Membranes
When a medical attendant artificially ruptures the membranes, he inserts an instrument that resembles “a crochet hook through the cervix, [then] snags and breaks the amniotic sac.” This procedure “increases the danger of fetal infection from vaginal exams and/or inserted instruments” and invokes the 24 hour rule (which again will result in a cascade of more interventions). Worse still, “without the protective cushion of the amniotic fluid the baby’s head is subject to greater pressure during contractions, and the umbilical cord is more likely to become compressed, resulting in oxygen deprivation and consequent respiratory distress.” (12)
Make sure your care provider knows that the most recent research demonstrates that artificially rupturing the membranes does not speed up labor, as was once thought. Instead, the procedure only increases the chance of infection in both mother and baby and ultimately the risk of cesarean section. (13)
Artificial Rupture of the Membranes (Amniotomy) (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
5. Pharmacologic Augmentation of Labor
When labor is allowed to occur naturally, the mother’s brain produces oxytocin, a hormone that stimulates uterine contractions. Pitocin is a drug that is a synthetic version of oxytocin. (14) While pitocin is only indicated in cases of “hypotonic uterine dysfunction” (a rare “condition in which the contractions become ineffective at producing cervical dilation”), pitocin is actually the most common drug given in hospital births: 81% of women who birth in hospitals receive pitocin. (15)
Pitocin shortens labor, but it does so at significant risk. Pitocin-induced contractions are considerably longer and stronger than naturally occurring contractions with less of a break in between contractions. The result of this increased intensity is more pressure on the baby, which often leads to a compressed umbilical cord, decreased oxygen supply, stressed fetal heart rate, and ultimately a higher percentage of cesarean sections and even uterine rupture. (16)
To avoid pharmacologic augmentation of labor, it is vital to select a caregiver who allows women to labor in their own time – even if that means they go several weeks past their “due date.” Once you are in labor, nipple stimulation helps your body release oxytocin.
Pitocin (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
Pitocin Induction and Augmentation
6. Epidural Analgesia
Epidurals carry significant risks to both mothers and newborns. Epidurals interfere with the natural progression of labor and can lead to many more medical interventions.
For mothers, “epidurals are associated with a lower rate of spontaneous vaginal birth, a higher rate of instrumental birth (vacuum or forceps), and longer labors, particularly for women having their first babies. Studies also show that women with epidurals have a higher rate of fever during labor and, as a result, their babies may need to be tested and treated for possible infections, necessitating separation of mothers from their babies after birth.” Finally, epidurals are associated with an increased risk of cesarean section. (17)
There can also be detrimental consequences for babies. As noted previously, epidurals often cause laboring mothers to have a fever. Babies are affected by these epidural-induced fevers. “In one large study of first-time mothers, babies born to febrile mothers, 97 percent of whom had received epidurals, were more likely at birth to be in poor condition . . .; to have poor tone; to require resuscitation . . .; and to have seizures in the newborn period, compared to babies born to” mothers without fevers. One researcher has noted a tenfold increase in risk of newborn encephalopathy (signs of brain damage) in babies born to febrile mothers.” “Babies born to febrile mothers are almost always evaluated for infections (sepsis).” Painful and often risky septic workups include multiple blood draws and spinal taps. (18)
Finally, epidurals can negatively affect the breastfeeding relationship for hours, days, even weeks. This may be due to the fact that every drug the mother is exposed to during labor crosses over the placenta to the baby “who is more vulnerable to toxic effects.” The drugs present in epidurals have been shown to cause breathing problems, neurobehavioral abnormalities, and weight loss – all of which can be detrimental to a successful latch and breastfeeding relationship. (19)
To avoid an epidural, educate yourself and trust your body. Look into methods of finding peace and managing your reaction to the process of labor: the Bradley Method, Hypnobabies, and Lamaze are all popular choices. Having a professional doula present will also reduce your chances of unnecessary medical interventions.
Epidural/Caudal Analgesia/Anesthesia (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
Epidurals: Risks and Concerns for Mother and Baby
Why Won’t this Newborn Be Breastfed?
7. Episiotomy
An episiotomy is the process wherein a doctor uses “scissors [to] snip the stretching skin of the perineum downward toward the anus (median episiotomy) or downward and sideways (mediolateral episiotomy) to enlarge the vaginal opening and make it easier for the head to emerge.” The danger of an episiotomy may not be intuitive: an episiotomy makes the chance of severe (third and fourth degree) perineal tears nine times as likely as a birth without the procedure. (20)
To avoid an episiotomy, make sure that your caregiver knows that “[t]here is no evidence that an episiotomy reduces the risk of perineal injury, improves perineal healing, prevents birth injury in babies, or reduces the risk of future incontinence (involuntary loss of urine or feces)—all reasons that were given for the routine use of episiotomy in the United States.” (21)
Episiotomy (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
Routine Episiotomy Harms and Offers No Benefits to Women
Avoiding Unnecessary Medical Interventions
Education is key to avoid routine interventions. Take charge of your birth – become knowledgeable, surround yourself with caregivers and a support team who make you comfortable, and trust your body.
Here are a few more sites that can help you in your journey to prepare for a safe, natural childbirth:
Preparing for Natural Childbirth
On Code Name: Mama, I share information, resources, and my thoughts on natural parenting and life with a toddler. Please take a moment to subscribe to my RSS feed for free updates.
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All of these interventions are addressed by Judith A. Lothian, RN, PhD, LCCE, FACCE in “Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions,” http://www.lamaze.org/ChildbirthEducators/ResourcesforEducators/CarePracticePapers/NoRoutineInterventions/tabid/483/Default.aspx
I have written on several of these topics previously and have used excerpts from those posts here. Please click on the following links to read more about induction and EFM, epidurals, and avoiding unnecessary interventions.
(1) “IV’s,” http://www.birthingnaturally.net/barp/iv.html (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
(2) IV’s; “Labor and Birth Interventions,” http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/birth-interventions.html
(3) “Heplock or IV?,” http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/interventions/interventions14.htm
(4) “Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions” and citations therein
(5) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions; “Fasting,” http://www.birthingnaturally.net/barp/fasting.html (Excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
(6) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions and citations therein
(7) Moore, Mary Lou, “Recent Research Questions the Values of Routine Intervention,” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595164/; see also Kripke, Clarissa, M.D., “Why Are We Using EFM?,” http://onyx-ii.com/birthsong/page.cfm?efm
(8) McCusker, J. et. al, “Association of electronic fetal monitoring during labor with cesarean section rate and with neonatal morbidity and mortality,” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1349387/;”Electronic Fetal Monitoring,” http://www.changesurfer.com/Hlth/EFM.html; see also Thacker, Stephen & Stroup, Donna, “Revisiting the Use of EFM,” http://sanantoniomidwife.org/Revisiting%20the%20use%20of%20the%20electronic%20fetal%20monitor.pdf (“Revisiting the Use of EFM”)
(9) Revisiting the Use of EFM
(10) Why Are We Using EFM?
(11) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions and citations therein
(12) “Artificial Rupture of the Membranes (Amniotomy),” http://www.birthingnaturally.net/barp/membranes.html (excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
(13) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions
(14) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions; “Pitocin Induction and Augmentation,” http://www.natural-pregnancy-mentor.com/pitocin-induction.html
(15) “Pitocin,” http://www.birthingnaturally.net/barp/pitocin.html (excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage); Pitocin Induction and Augmentation
(16) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions and citations therein; Pitocin
(17) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions and citations therein
(18) Buckley, Sarah, M.D., “Epidurals: Risks and Concerns for Mother and Baby,” http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/epidural-risks.htm; see also Arms, Suzanne, Immaculate Deception II: Myth, Magic and Birth at 98-99, available at http://books.google.com/books?id=r0CvyFZuVxYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false
(19) Epidurals: Risks and Concerns for Mother and Baby (citations in article); see also “Why Won’t This Newborn Be Breastfed?,” http://www.nursingcenter.com/pdf.asp?AID=810926; Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions
(20) “Episiotomy,” http://www.birthingnaturally.net/barp/episiotomy.html (excerpt from Birth as an American Rite of Passage)
(21) Lamaze’s Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions and citations therein
Posted in Pregnancy & Birth | 15 Comments »
Kieran’s Second Year
Friday, December 11th, 2009
I started to suspect that my water was leaking on the morning of December 10, 2007. I met Tom for an early lunch, and we gaped at one another – astonished by the fact that the previous 37 weeks was going to culminate in a baby – over plates overflowing with Mexican food. We must have thought that a baby conceived in the green chile capital deserved to have one last spicy in utero sendoff.
My midwife confirmed that I was in labor at 3:00p.m., and I headed home to pack a bag. We also had to get power of attorney paperwork notarized so that Tom could make medical decisions in an emergency. At that point in the afternoon the midwife was unsure of whether we’d be able to birth at the Birth Center, since an ice storm was scheduled to hit the city by nightfall. (She later relented under duress – my tears might have had something to do with that.)
Because of the storm, Tom and I decided to spend the night at the Birth Center. The Center is thirty minutes away from our house on a good day, and we didn’t want to get stuck birthing in a hospital because the roads were too bad to drive.
Our midwife demanded pizza as part of her payment for staying at the Center all night. While sitting in the car and waiting for Tom to pick up dinner, I finally felt a contraction that gave me pause. I don’t remember what it felt like, but I do remember laughing nervously: “so this is what I’ve gotten myself in to.”
My birth coach stopped by for a bit to walk, laugh, and pray that I would progress. She left at 10:00p.m., and then it was just me. The midwife had gone to bed, and Tom was under the influence of cold medicine. I watched the minutes tick by, rocking with the blossoming pain and staring out the window at the ice accumulating.
The power blinked off at some point, and I felt incredibly isolated without the normal whir of heaters and appliances and the glow of the bathroom light. Due to Kieran’s posterior position, the contractions finally started to take my breath away around 2:30a.m. and I woke Tom. He held me, half asleep and fully loopy, and we rocked together in the pre-dawn darkness.
All I kept thinking as we listened to transformers blow all over the neighborhood was, “please let the power come back on soon so I can climb into the birthing tub!” Thankfully, we got power back and I was in the tub by 8:00a.m., not too long after active labor started.
After that, my memory is blurry. Although I’d been trying to stay hydrated, my midwife began to get very concerned about dehydration and exhaustion on Tuesday afternoon. She talked to us about an IV several times and suggested Stadol to help me get some rest. Out of exhaustion and fear, we decided to try it sometimes after 3:00p.m. It was a worthless gesture – the half dose of Stadol did nothing except make me groggy for about thirty minutes.
Both before and after the Stadol, my midwife had me push. In retrospect, I don’t think I was ready to push much before 6:00p.m., but my midwife was nervous and had been contemplating a hospital transfer.
The little I remember from that afternoon is summed up in this: Tom laughing because I sounded like Louis Armstrong passing a kidney stone, and Tammy laughing because the midwife asked her to do some nipple stimulation to strengthen my contractions (Tom slept on and off, otherwise I’m sure he would have jumped at the chance. Lord knows it would have been the last time he saw those babies – he and my nipples wave a friendly hello every once in awhile, but Kieran has since staked his claim).
After what seemed like a small eternity, Kieran crowned, and I got to feel his head. I was woefully unimpressed.
I finally delivered our stubborn son face up, looking right at us – it was the first of many times since that he has looked at Tom and I with an expression of “what the #(%*?”
And so began our journey as parents. We’ve practiced now for two years, and judging from the way Kieran wakes up every day and smiles at us, he seems to think we’re doing an ok job.
Posted in Kieran, Pregnancy & Birth | 6 Comments »
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Since becoming a mama, my life has changed dramatically. I went from clerking for a federal judge to staying at home with our son, Kieran. My intense love of education and the law has morphed into a fascination with researching and writing about parenting. I am blessed with a partner (Tom) who feels as passionately as I do about raising a son who is loved and respected.
