Anyone know about foreskins???

[shimmy21]

Serious question actually - at what age is it normal for a foreskin to be flexible enough to go over the head of the willy?

Poor ds1 has had a lot of willy problems and looked set for a circumscision but the doc said leave it for a while and hopefully it would 'stretch' naturally. He's 8 now and it doesn't look to me as if it will ever stretch like that. No idea what's normal!

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[shimmy21]

Oh Happy Mum that's exactly what ds has had. A very bad attack of the balanitis left a bit of scarring on the foreskin which is why they decided that he was up for the chop. Before going down that route we tried the hydrocortisone with seemingly miraculous effect and a completely retractable foreskin which lasted exactly as long as the tube of cream. A second try and the same effect -the forskin now seems tighter than ever. The consultant basically told us to go away and wait and it would get better with time but I just don't know how long we should be waiting!

[Danni05]

my mum advised me to pull my sons back every day a couple of times (she's had to boys), but i heard on telly, or read somewhere, that it should be left alone, i dont no which is correct, nothing is wrong with my brothers, so do you take the old ways as right, or what the doc's say???

[shimmy21]

Our consultant told us to do a bit of a wash and stretch in the bath each night (like happymum too) but personally don't think it's made any difference except the washing part has possibly helped prevent recurring infection?

[jabberwocky]

Dannie05 - I have read the child should be the first one to retract i.e. if he is too young to be doing it, neither should anyone else. I don't know about age where it definitely should retract. It seems as if I read somewhere that some children could be in their teens?

[Twiglett]

Danni .. your baby is 6 weeks old (from your other thread) please, please ignore your mother you should not be pulling back the foreskin ever not to clean under it or anything .. leave it alone honestly

[paolosgirl]

We've just been to the GP with ds aged 7, with his first case of balanitis. We were told to wait until it was better, and then get ds to pull the foreskin back and then push it foward - and to do this once a day. By the age of 7 he should be able to do this, according to GP.
I think (from seeing the fiddling that goes on!) that this is perfectly possible for ds to do already - I would suggest that if it doesn't go back at all that it might be worth going back to GP?

[jabberwocky]

EEk, yes at 6 weeks Do NOT TOUCH it. Your mum means well, but that is absolutely not the thing to do. You can cause problems for later down the road quite easily by doing this.

[CrazyandConfused]

Hey there my 'helpful' midwife tore my first childs foreskin when I asked her to show me 'what to do' please don't try to clean underneath!

[Danni05]

Well i'm glad i havent been doing it then, i'll have to make sure when she changes his nappy she doesnt go to do it too.