Worried about GP talking about circumcision...please tell me I don't have to

[Flight]

ds1 (4.9) has had what we think was balanitis once before - he had antibiotics and it was fine. (Just the end of his 'wuwee' was a bit red and sore)

He was complaining it was sore again at the weekend so I took him to Dr on Monday, she said it was prob the same thing and gave us an ointment to use - she said it was often caused by bubblebath, which we only just started using really, so I said we'll stop.

Anyway he was still sore yesterday and I thought it was a urine infection, however we've seen a different doctor and he said there's nothing odd in Ds's wee, that shows up now anyway (we're going to send some off in case) but he could refer us to a specialist if I wanted, as there was a note saying 'watch for possible tight foreskin' or something? and he had a look at Ds's and said it was a bit tight (I don't think so, it seems fine to me - I think he thought the other Dr thought so)

Anyway I said I was reluctant to circumcise and he said there was no point seeing the consultant then, as that's all he would do.

I was a bit {shocked] at the general attitude that Ds's foreskin is dispensable with, without a lot more investigation/attempts to establish what the actual problem is first.

I would see it as a total last resort and only if he was going to be in recurring pain or disabled by it not being done iyswim.

Two episodes of balanitis within a yer doesn't say 'cut it off' to me. Am I being sensible here?

Very sensible - they often loosen up with time anyway, and I thought they didn't usually circumcise until 6 or so to give it a chance anyway ?

Phew! I asked about anything I could do to help it loosen, and he said no.

I wondered about gently pulling it back etc...I've never bothered with it at all before. I read that you shouldn't touch it or clean it or try to do anything really but i it ^was6 tight, could you do anything?

I'm also pretty sure that at that age it's naturally still a bit tight and that it will loosen over time. I remember many many many years ago, when I was an au pair one of the little boys I looked after who was 3 at that time had some problems too and the paediatrician said that a circumcision wouldn't be necessary as at that age the foreskin is still tight and sometimes slightly attached.
My dp always teaches my ds to pull it back gently (as far as it goes obviously and without touching it himself) to give it a good clean in the bath. Dp says that's what he was tought as a little boy. I always thought that that wasn't really necessary, but dp says that's what's he's always done himself and being a woman and all that I don't know all that much about boy's things so I just leave them to it. But maybe it does help a bit even if it's just the cleaning that might prevent any further infection.

Thanks BC I read that little boys often loosen it themselves /detach it, by the usual mucking about they do at this age!!

circumcisions used to be performed much more than now. current idea is to leave alone. teaching ds to retract good, but he should do it, not the parent.

it is a controversial subject. old-fashioned drs may advise circ, but it doesn't sound necessary in this case. it is cultural too - in america nearly all boys have it done (an example of why their healthcare system isn't good imho)

flight, you are being sensible.

DS is 6 and has a very tight, completely unretractable foreskin. He's just been prescribed a steroid cream to soften the skin, and we've been advised to very, very gently try to retract it in the bath. Circumcision very much last resort according to our GP. It's all new to our GP BTW. He's from some Eastern European country and it would have gone already there according to him.

Our son's foreskin was completely fused to his penis so we had no other option,I'm slightly concerned at the scaring he was left with,hopefully he wont have issues with it when hes older.

Thanks for the reassurance, guys

The GP retracted it carefully, it was perfectly able to be retracted - I was so surprised at the attitude of 'we'll send you to see someone' perhaps they assumed I was overly worried about it in some way, I don't know.

Posh - I hope your son's 'little man' does not cause him trouble later on. I am told it is a very safe procedure and problems are rare - all the best to you x

All the men in my immediate family - my father, my partner, my stepsons - are circumcised (were just after birth) and it hasn't caused any problems at all