Wheeler goes on to explain that the foreskin’s opening is incredibly tiny so doctors need to open it by inserting forceps. “This rips the baby’s synechia, the bit of skin that’s attached to the head of his penis and the inner lining of his foreskin,” he wrote. “This is also where the newborn’s screaming becomes so shrill and heart-wrenching, where he screams until his lungs have nothing more to offer so his mouth becomes stuck in a silent, breathless, crimson-faced gape of anguish.” More from CafeMom: This Mom Followed Car Seat ‘Requirements’ & Now Her Girl Is Internally Decapitated According to Wheeler, a clamp is then attached at the tip of the baby’s penis to stop the bleeding. The skin is then peeled back, “revealing the raw and bloody glans (head) of the baby’s penis,” and a cap is inserted under the foreskin. Then, the skin is stretched back over it. Lastly, a string is tightened around the skin-covered cap in order to reduce blood flow before the skin is sliced. Wheeler sees this as nothing short of barbaric. “O M G my heart is broken! This process is terrible " another user commented. “Jesus! My son is now 2 years old and his was done when he was 2 days old. I feel horrible because I never looked at how the procedure was done and the first thing I saw was this picture and I’m darn near to tears,” another user added. “I feel horrible but I will say after it was done he didn’t seem to be any different than prior to having it done and was fine thereafter. But if my next child is a boy (praying for a girl) then I will definitely have to rethink this or be in the room with him.” “When I was in nursing school I got to view a circumcision, it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as this post is making it out to be. The baby boy was properly medicated with Tylenol prior to the circumcising along with a topical numbing agent,” one person wrote. “He was also sucking this sugar water concoction from the nurse’s gloved finger … He looked perfectly content to me, minimal blood loss …” Although Wheeler’s description is mostly accurate for one of the circumcision methods a doctor might use, according to KidsHealth.org, babies feel little during the process. This is because of local anesthetic and the sucrose pacifier that helps reduce newborn distress. “There is very little bleeding after circumcision, no matter which technique is used,” the website states. “I decided not to have this procedure done to my son because I see it as unnecessary genital mutilation,” another parent wrote. “I saw this procedure done in nursing school and I couldn’t watch. In my opinion, it’s barbaric. Not only that, I researched and found it’s not medically necessary,” one parent wrote. “My son has not had one, I will not allow for him to be tortured. Neither have any of the men in my immediate family including my husband.” However, rare risks for circumcision include infection, incomplete removal of the skin, and damage to the penis. “When your child is having any kind of procedure or surgery, it’s understandable to be a little uneasy. But it helps to know that circumcisions are common procedures and complications are rare,” KidsHealth states. “A child who has a circumcision typically heals without any difficulty or health problems.” Ultimately, the decision is up to every parent, and it’s important to respect that person’s choice. “Shame on anyone who shames another parent for circumcision, it’s none of your business!” another user added.
