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Circumcision and Breastfeeding?

  1. Emsmems

    persimmon / 1331 posts

    As a nurse who has seen circs and babies after circs, I will tell you that in my experience, I don't think it matters.

    I have seen both ways. Babies who are tired from the stress and sleep more (but we are talking sleeping 4 hrs in between feedings instead of 3, nothing crazy) or babies who are stressed and want to suck more to cope.

    My point is, I don't think you really need to weigh this specific point too heavily when making your decision!

  2. Mrs. Yoyo

    blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts

    We've circ'd both our sons on Day 2. It didn't hurt BF for either one. On fact, my second LO cluster-fed like crazy after he was circ'd and brought my milk in super fast!

  3. KT326

    pomegranate / 3438 posts

    Didn't affect our breastfeeding relationship at all. It was done on day 3 before we went home. He also had his tongue tie clipped at the same time.

  4. Mrs. High Heels

    blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts

    @Danizaur: Our son got circumcised in the hospital the day after his birth. We had zero problems breastfeeding. He's 10 months now and going strong!

  5. yin

    honeydew / 7917 posts

    Didn't affect it at all. Procedure done on day 2, and my milk actually came in later that day. LO ate like a champ, and we're going strong at 6 weeks now. DS1 had complications with sucking and didn't take to the breast, before or after circumcision. I don't think there is any correlation between the two.

  6. ShootingStar

    coconut / 8472 posts

    DS was circumcised on day 3 in the hospital and it had no impact on breastfeeding. He was very tired afterwards and slept for about 5 hours I think. We spent that time with both DH and I doing skin to skin with him, and it was actually really nice bonding.

  7. lamariniere

    pineapple / 12566 posts

    My son was not circumcised and we had tons of bf issues. I don't think it really plays into the equation.

  8. Beyond2

    pear / 1517 posts

    My husband and I went back and forth on this for months and in the end choose not to circumcise our son. DH was circumcised for medical resons later in life and at an age where he remembers it. Neither of us were able to make it through a video of circumcision and based on those 2 factors (as well as reading the normal risks of procedure) we choose not to put our newborn through that. Just because he wouldn't remember as an adult we didn't we didn't feel a procedure that was unnecessary at the time was worth the risks. Our breastfeeding relationship has been great, still nursing at 15 months although I am currently pregnant again.

  9. Adira

    wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts

    Xander was circumcised on day 2 and we're still breastfeeding at 9.5 months!

  10. irene

    nectarine / 2964 posts

    I am late to the discussion and you probably made up your mind but here is what I think....

    I had the struggle with circumcision for the longest time too. It was our first baby and I have no clue with babies. My husband (he is circumcised) didn't want to circumcise LO because he thinks is unnatural or what not. I also talked to a friend and she has told me her friend ended up having to circumcise in the adulthood because of infections (And it REALLY HURTSSSS then). I was very very determined to breastfeed (I actually went to talks done by experts in the breastfeeding area) and I have never heard of any relationship between the two.

    AT the end I decided to get it done for my son and it was done the 2nd day (more like within the first 24 hours in his life actually). Now looking back, I will definitely do it again. As he grow older (22 months now), it is so difficult to keep his "wee-wee" clean because he twists and turns and doesn't let you do it (you have to pull down the skin to clean during bath time). I can not imagine how to keep an uncircumcised one clean. Also, we very successfully breastfed until 8.5 months. We had no problems in the beginning at all. He somehow started having nursing strikes at 4 months but it was due to teething. He'd have nursing strikes on and off until around 8 months he didn't want to breastfeed anymore period (which it was more because he was used to the bottle, and him getting more distracted. I also feel that he might start thinking it is weird to drink from a human breast. lol). So I don't know how would that relate to being circumcised.... you can be the judge....

  11. bushelandapeck

    pomelo / 5720 posts

    We circumcised DS while in the hospital and he had no trouble nursing right up to last week, at 16 months

  12. Alivoo01

    wonderful olive / 19353 posts

    DS was circumcised at the hospital. The NICU nurse said he might be a little sluggish/not eating as much because of the tylenol they gave him, but he ate just fine!

  13. Snowdrop

    pear / 1846 posts

    Just wondering but why would you circumcise? I live in England and here nobody does I unless they are Jewish or for medical reasons like having a tight foreskin but tbh I've never known anyone to need it for medical reasons?

  14. wonderstruck

    pomegranate / 3791 posts

    We did circumcise because my DH felt strongly about it, and I actually found the opposite to be true - when LO was in pain, nursing comforted him. It didn't cause any issues for us. I hated that my DH felt so strongly about it because I wasn't sure about it, but in the end he did have it done and it was fine.

  15. .twist.

    pineapple / 12802 posts

    @Snowdrop: I know a lot of Catholics do it, also just family preference. If dad is he wants babe to look the same. Obviously there are other reasons as well. But those are a few off the top of my head. I know it's a lot more common in North America than over in England.

  16. Navy_Mommy

    nectarine / 2458 posts

    DS1 was circed at 2 weeks. He had the topical numbing cream, barely shed a tear, and nursed as usual right after. I can't help but laugh when the SUPER "intactivists" in my natural parenting group try to argue this and the two with "intact" boys (most of the rest actually have girls) have had the MOST problems with breastfeeding. It's not funny that they've had issues with breastfeeding, but i truly believe that circ and breastfeeding aren't related at all.

    DS1 is still breastfeeding at 20 months (and I'm 34 weeks pregnant). I plan on circing this next baby as well.

  17. oscarthegoon

    cherry / 220 posts

    My son was circumsized in the hospital the day after birth and we nursed very successfully for 14 months. So it didn't seem to affect nursing in my experience. I wrestled with the decision (and continue to wrestle with it, as I'm expecting my 2nd son in February) but this was not one of my concerns the first time around and still isn't.

  18. wonderstruck

    pomegranate / 3791 posts

    @Snowdrop: It's incredibly common in North America and used to almost always be done for a variety of reasons that are difficult to get into without starting a debate, but typically they have to do with cleanliness. Then it was so common that people worried their LO might be picked on in the locker room and such if they were the only one who hadn't gotten it done. Now it's become a thing where the dad often wants the baby to be circumcised because they have been and want baby to be the same as them. But it really varies person to person.

  19. marionberry

    pomelo / 5041 posts

    We had our baby circumcised on day three at the hospital and he had absolutely no problem breast-feeding. In fact he was always a great eater!

  20. Arden

    honeydew / 7589 posts

    @Snowdrop: It's about a 50/50 split in the USA, and the reasons range from religious/traditional to cosmetic to "everybody in my family did it".

  21. Snowdrop

    pear / 1846 posts

    Ah so it's a tradition thing really. There are some massive differences between our two countries when you think we speak the same language and share so much media etc

  22. MrsSCB

    pomelo / 5257 posts

    @Snowdrop: yes, I would say it's largely a cultural and/or religious thing here. I know my H's first instinct is to circ because he is, but I plan to do plenty of research before we make a final decision. The rates have been changing, with the most recent percentage I've seen being 58 percent circ vs. 65 a few decades ago, though it hasn't been a totally steady decline. Here's the AAP stance on it, though there is a LOT of debate about it here. It is pretty interesting how many things differ between our two countries! http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Newborn-Male-Circumcision.aspx

  23. lilyann

    nectarine / 2878 posts

    @Danizaur: Our son got circumcised the day after he was born at the hospital. We breastfed for 13 months with no issues.

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