Those with toddler boys, do you wash under the foreskin?

[MegBusset]

Since DS was very little, my GP advised that I should be gently pulling back his foreskin in the bath -- with doom-laden warnings of needing circumcision later on if I didn't do this.

More recently (6 months or so ago) the foreskin seemed to retract a bit of its own accord and was a bit gungy underneath so again I was advised to pull back and wash in the bath.

This was fine til recently but now DS (22mo) has started not liking it being touched in the bath -- he wriggles away and says "No". Is it OK not to wash under it? or do I need to do it anyway?

Ds is 3 have never toughed his foreskin and current medical advice is to leave well alone until it retracts by itself.

Only need to see GP if red and inflammed or foreskin balloons when DS pees

FGS,leave his willy alone!
I'd wriggle and say 'Nooooooo' too.

I have never washed or touched ds' foreskin or been advised to. He is nearly 5 and not had any problems.

I asked this a while ago and was told to leave it alone. Apparently you can damage it by pulling it back too early and until ds starts doing it himself, to leave it alone

Would like to clarify that I have never forced the issue, so to speak! I have left it alone since it's started bothering him.

I don't think I'd touch it or anything either. I read ages ago that that area is self cleaning for the first few years anyway. Although you obviously want to keep it clean to avoid infection in first place, but don't think I'd do anything until I had to. Maybe get a second opinion from hv or something?

'until ds starts doing it himself, to leave it alone'
By Mercy on Tue 06-Jan-09 18:50:08

Aye, because very soon it will never be left in peace!

I don't and never have. It can't be a nice experience for them.

goodness no - my nan said I should but I never do cleaning DS's willie consists of soap on hand and a quick rub down as it were.

never had any probs so far.

My Gp and HV had very different ideas on this subject.
Ds used to do it himself, but it was tight and used to tear. He was circumcised when he was almost 8. His fathers mother didn't bother with such things and he had to have it done(circumcision)when he was in his mid 30's...he was not a happy chap!

When my DS2 had balinitis last summer we saw various GPs and they all had different views. One made me feel like a dirty unhygienic mother as we'd never gone there, whereas another (male) was horrified that we had tried to clean underneath (following his colleague's advice) ....

Bloody willies

Yes, there does seem to be a lot of conflicting advice. When DS was little I was told in the space of one week "Pull the foreskin back or he'll need circumcising" by GP, and "Don't pull the foreskin back or he'll need circumcising" by HV.

I didn't start washing under it until his foreskin retracted a bit and you could see it was gungy underneath, and I didn't want to leave it so it could get infected. But I will leave alone now!

I was told never too and so never we never have with any of them (three boys) no problems and DSS is 12 now.

Leave alone, I'm sure we (they) evolved with foreskin unwashed and in tact!!

Having attended paediatric clinics, the advice from consultants is that it is normal for boys up to the age of at least 7 to not be able to retract the foreskin and to try to force it risks tears or scarring.

Noooo, never touched it. DS however pulls on it to nearly double it's length without batting an eyelid

Spottyshoes - mines does that too and pushes it right back inside himself!

i was advised under no circumstances to pull back the foreskin ds can do it when old enough you can cause sores and if using soap can get thrush under foreskin if not washed and dried properly

try here

Thanks bubblagirl that's really useful.

xx