If you've given birth to a boy, you've definitely been faced with the question of whether or not you should circumcise your child.
This surgical procedure, which involves removing the foreskin from the penis, is recommended to be conducted between 24 hours to 72 hours after the infant is born.
Many experts argue that male circumcision is not only hygienic, but it also reduces the risk of some sexually transmitted diseases in men, UTIs, and peline cancer.
On the other hand, others believe it's an unnecessary surgery that may do more harm than good.
While circumcision rates are declining in America, there's still a huge percent of the male population that are circumcised.
Some doctors are calling out this "ancient practice," and some mothers say it's one of their biggest regrets.
The website Doctors Opposing Circumcision argues that the "foreskin is perfectly normal, healthy tissue that plays an important role in sexuality."
They even go as far as to say that "circumcision has no justifiable benefits and is in fact harmful, medically unnecessary and unethical."
And that's exactly why some mothers have difficulty circumcising their child.
"I permanently altered his genitals without his consent," Brittany Barna shared to CafeMom about agreeing to have her baby boy circumcised.
"They told me 'this is normal,' but its not. I will never forget the way his little penis looked, so bloody and raw like a giant wound at his first diaper change. And thank God he healed quickly because I cringed at every diaper change. It broke my heart every time he flinched and cried when I'd wipe him or put ointment on, as instructed."
On the pregnancy and parenting discussion page, What To Expect, a woman shared how her husband and brother-in-laws were left without sensation in some spots on their genitals after the procedure.
"My husband's parents regret it as my husband has had pain his entire life where the scar is and has nerve damage from it. His two brothers also have pain and no sensation in spots too."
But that's not the only health complication that can occur.
Joni Edelman, a mother of three boys, shared on Ravishly her regret circumcising her first two boys after the skin on the underside of her eldest son's penis grew back.
"Seeing your teenage son in tears hurts even worse when it could have been prevented "” and even worse still when it's your fault. Owen was in the hospital getting jabbed in his valvey veins six times because he was about to be circumcised. Sort of. He was circumcised as a baby, same as his older brother. But he had a complication I didn't know was a complication. The skin on the underside of his penis grew back together."
Other possible risks of circumcision include risk of bleeding and infection, irritation of the glands, and risk of injury to the penis.
But not everyone agrees with this point of view...
Circumcision is a controversial issue for both parents and doctors, and for some, it seems like a no-brainer to get the procedure over and done with.
In a 2012 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers say the benefits of newborn circumcision exceed the risks by a considerable amount.
And there's been various other studies with similar findings.
Some people on What To Expect wrote that they don't see anything wrong with circumcision, and don't regret making the decision for one second.
"I had my son circumcised & no regrets at all. No infections it heals within about 4 or 5 days. Nurses say at 1st it looks a lot worse than it feel to them."
"I had my first sons done and he healed very quickly and the only time he cried was when they walked him across the hall and back into my arms ... I'm having another boy and I will get his done as well ... [N]o regrets!!"
