Ensuring DS's hygiene

[strangelybrave]

Not sure where to post but am looking for some advise and got pointed this way.
Background: We are middle eastern family, moved to britain 10 years ago.
have a 10 month old DS. Now having done my research i put my foot down and firmly refused to have him circumcised. He can decide for himself later.

DH has been supportive but ILs have very vocally not been. FIL has been scaring us with instances of urinary infections in uncircumcised boys. Now we are aware that good hygiene is the key to prevention but I am afraid as all the men in family have had the cut, no one is sure if you retract foreskin when you wash the boy and then pull it back or just leave it.
DH refuses to ask any of his mates, says too awkward. I am too shy to ask any of mine in RL. i don't want to google it as something unwanted or weird would come up.
I am too scared if the boy gets an infection, ILs would be like, we told you so and DH would be under a lot of pressure to circumcise him.
I know how silly I sound, but can anyone please help regards to the correct way to clean DS. Please.

You have to overcome shyness about bodily functions or you could put your own and your family's life in danger at some stage. 'Don't die of ignorance'. If you are ever unsure about a medical matter, make an appointment with your GP, HV or practice nurse and ask the question rather than worrying unnecessarily or allowing mediaeval scare-mongers like your ILs and DH to get the upper hand.

In the meantime, do not pull back foreskin. Simply gently wipe the penis when changing nappies or giving baths. Urinary infections can happen to anyone at all and the correct treatment is usually a course of antibiotics... not circumcision.

Caring for your baby's genitals

the only thing I will disagree about in that link is The foreskin will separate from his penis by the time he?s two as it can take several more years than that for some to retract.

Once it does retract then the child can pull it back and give it a swoosh about in the bath or shower. No other special hygiene methods are required.

"FIL has been scaring us with instances of urinary infections in uncircumcised boys".

My boys are both uncircumcised.

They are now teenagers and they have never had a single urinary infection.

They've always just had a daily bath or shower and washed with soap, or in bubble bath when they were little.

No special procedures. Just as Seona1973 says.

Well done for putting your foot down with regard to what you consider to be the best option for your child btw.

Thanks ladies. Much appreciated. HV or GP just never occurred to me. Will check.

Most of the men I know/have known are uncircumcised too and they have never had problems with infections. Definitely not even as much as women - most women I know have had cystitis at least once, men haven't.

Hygiene isn't a difficult issue - basically, leave it alone. Obviously wipe it if poo gets into it etc but it's extremely unlikely to retract by itself before your son is out of nappies, so just treat it like a (more sensitive) finger.

He will probably fiddle with it himself as a child anyway - it would be unusual if he didn't! - and he will find that gradually at some point between toddlerhood and puberty that the foreskin will detach itself from the glans and it can be pulled back. At this point it needs rinsing in the bath or shower, but it should still never be forced back further than it goes naturally. It will get there!

Something which sometimes happens with boys is that the penis can "balloon" when he pees, this should be checked out by a GP but is usually minor and temporary.

Not one of the boys I have ever known has been circumcised, and not one has ever had a urine infection. A regular bath or shower is all that is needed to maintain hygiene, and encourage him to wash his bits thoroughly with soap and water. Job done. Circumcision is NOT necessary.

No help to you at all I'm afraid, as we have girls but just wanted to say well done to you for standing up for your DS on this issue and to your DH for supporting uour decision