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[norwegian_wood]

What psychic trauma would be inflicted upon your son if his father had black pubic hair, a pot belly, an apendectomy scar, and his right testicle hung lower than the left? And your son's pubic hair was brown and he had a nice flat abdomen without a surgical scar, and his left testicle hung lower than the right

Comments

[nyterhaven]

Ya know, I'm about to have to take you off my friends list ;) I spend all these years making peace about my son's circumcision and I truly am convinced that it isn't quite as big a deal as the majoirty makes it out to be, and then I have you, with at least weekly anti-circ posts that set me back years in my healing process. *groansigh*

I wouldn't take you off though, just so you know, I really was kidding about that part :)

[norwegian_wood]

i feel so strongly about this issue...
partially because of the doula's role in providing information, partially because of sexual issues i've seen in men i've known, and because i know it is still happening, every day in this country, and it makes me really sad for these babies :(
i know that i can't change the world, but if i can share information with 30 or so lj parents and future parents, maybe someone can change a mind here or there, you know?
i think it is wonderful that you left baby intact...some people think that if one is circumcised, they may as well circ the lot of them (very stupid thinking!). you are a good example to other mothers who can learn from your experience!

[nyterhaven]

It is a doula's job to help eduate, but remember it's not our job to judge or throw our opinions onto other people. In fact, if you plan to be DONA certified, you'll get into that in your first hours of training. It won't be hard for me to keep my thoughts to myself, but I know that for a lot of people, it will be very hard. I have a friend who was considering being a doula and I told her she'd have a rough time because as a (certified)doula, she'd have to support her clients in full, even if their wishes were the exact opposite of what she thought was "right

[norwegian_wood]

re:doula's role, that's how i came to learn so much about circumcision...educating myself on the facts, so that i can educate others beyond saying, "it's wrong! don't do it!"
one girl i'm working with changed her mind about circumcising her baby if it's a boy after reading literature i gave her, and that makes me feel really good :) the position i will continue to take on this topic when it concerns clients is just presenting them with information, answering questions, but leaving my opinions out of it. it has worked really well so far :)

[lemonly]

i was not asked if i wanted my son circumcised...but i was also giving him up for adoption...and uneducated - the process however was to put basically a rubber band around the foreskin till it died and fell off - no idea how traumatic this was for him as he was in the care of foster parents transitioning to adoptive parents at the time...

[norwegian_wood]

i think the effect circumcision can have on men as adults is just as bad/worse than the process itself :( i've been reading a lot about it lately, and it seems that many of my past partners suffered negative effects from their circumcisons, as far as performance goes. the whole thing is really sad :(