DS' willy "balloons" when he wees

[MotheringShites]

Not sure whether to post here or in Health.

DS2 is doing well with his potty training. My concern is that now I can see him weeing I notice that his willy kind of balloons a bit before the wee comes out. It's like his willy fills up faster than the wee can escape.

This isn't something I ever noticed with DS1. Should I be concerned?

Noticeable with both of mine - more so with DS1.
Never done anything about it - be interesting to know if I should!

I've noticed this with DS. I never worried about it. I think it's perfectly normal.

it sounds like phimosis to me.

my ds has phimosis too and is being referred for a partial circumcision.

does your ds have any other trouble with his willy? balanitis?

Thanks Bamboo I don't think Balanitis, after googling it but think I will get him checked out by GP.

My DNephew suffered painful urination for years (not that even his mum was aware of) before a circumsicion when he was 9. It was rough for him.

My understanding is that ballooning can be a sign that a circumcision might be required. Worth asking the GP about it I think.

There was a really useful thread about this recently with some good info on, I'll see if I can find it (bookmarked on my other computer :()

You will get mixed views on this (explained why in more detail on other thread) but my interpretation is it's a normal phase in between the foreskin being attached and detached. Adult men retract their foreskins to urinate, but children don't often do this because when they first learn to wee standing up they are still of an age where the foreskin is attached to the end of the penis, it needs to detach before they can pull it back, but they may not realise.

As long as there is no pain/smell/redness (beyond the normal slight redness of this area) then it isn't usually considered a problem, but some doctors believe it to be so because of outdated training. HOWEVER if a doctor has advised that circumcision is necessary, it might not be because of outdated training, it might be that they have seen other symptoms of which this is just one. So don't go cancelling operations because of some stranger's opinion on the internet, but of course seek a second opinion if you are worried about this.

Sorry, this was way more easy to find than I expected or I'd have put it in the same post!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/1822708-Little-boys-willies

I agree, ballooning isn't a problem unless there are other symptoms..

In previous times mothers of DSs were taught to gently ease their sons foreskins back over time in the bath. Thankfully we don't these days..

I have to say, while a lot of consultants advise circumcision for tight foreskins in older boys, there is a steroid cream that does the trick just as well these days.

not always jellycat. we used the steroid cream on ds, which did work to begin with, but when we stopped using it the hole in his foreskin shrank back to how it was. as steroid cream cannot be used long term he is now being referred for dorsal slit(?) circumcision.

The other thing that we were advised was to let/ encourage fiddling with it - it tended to be on the potty, ds was very happy to comply with this and managed to stretch it to eye watering lengths. He is now 4 and it doesn't balloon - not sure if this is coincidence or not. He also has calmed down with the fiddling too.

Thanks for all the additional advice.

I certainly don't need to encourage the "fiddling"! The arrival of Big Boy Pants is seemingly the best thing that has ever happened to him!