To cut or not to cut

This week, CNN.com had an article detailing why a woman and her husband decided not to circumcise their son, which made me think back to when we made the choice for our sons...

Of course we've all heard for decades about the health benefits of circumcision: it's been thought to be more sanitary and help prevent the spread of infections and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS.

But right before we had Thing 1 and Thing 2, the medical opinion pendulum started swinging, and some doctors were speaking out that there aren't any clear medical benefits to circumcision.  How confusing for soon-to-be-parents.  Do you believe the old research?  Or the new research?

As I've pointed out before, just because someone wears scrubs to work does not mean they know what is best for your child.  So, Superman and I decided to ignore the conflicting medical data all together and weigh our own personal thoughts and opinions on whether to cut or not.

1. Like father, like son.  A few weeks back, Thing 1 and Thing 2 were in the bathtub with Superman, and Thing 1 was particularly interested in daddy's pee-pee.  From the other room, I could hear Superman saying things like ""Don't touch daddy's pee-pee please."  When he got out of the bath, Thing 1 ran into my bedroom and said "mommy, daddy has a big pee-pee."  Yes, honey.  "Mommy, I want a big pee-pee like daddy."  Superman, without missing a beat says "you'll get yours one day, kid."

It is normal for kids to want to be like their parents.  And I think it is natural for kids to be curious about their parents' bodies.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 don't care about having a big pee-pee to impress future lovers, they just want to look like their daddy.  Superman is circumcised, so it seemed to us that it would make the most sense if they boys were circumcised, too.

2. Boys will be boys.  Whether you like it or not, the majority of boys in this country are circumcised.  which means during gym class, the boys will be undressing with other boys, most of whom will be circumcised.  Superman said he vividly remembers the one kid in his class who wasn't circumcised being teased, and he didn't want the same future for our boys

Now, this is a pretty liberal college town, so I honestly think that wouldn't have been a factor.  In fact, one of their good friends isn't circumcised, and he is the one who asked them what happened to their skin!

So here is the naked truth.  Here is my main reason for circumcising the boys...

3. Hoods are ugly.  Okay, let's face it.  The one-eyed snake monster is not the prettiest piece of human anatomy in the first place, but put a turtleneck on it and it's down right science fiction looking.  The woman in the article had never seen one in person before, but I've dated my share of European men, and I can say with confidence that as a woman I much prefer the naked version.  (Sorry dad if you are reading this)

I've heard people talk about decreased sensitivity, blah, blah, blah.  But like I said, I have had partners on both sides of the aisle, and they all seemed to have similar experiences.  I certainly wouldn't say uncircumcised men were more sexual or experienced heightened sexual experiences.  So yes, I did it for cosmetic reasons.

I will say, I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing part of the circumcision.  The doctor was performing the procedure in the nursery while I happened to be coming in to store my pumped milk, and I heard one of my babies crying.  It was the first time I'd heard them cry really hard.  And of course it made me cry, too.  But I never regretted my decision.  They were over the pain quickly.  They healed nicely.  And now they have perfect little pee-pees!