Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Small Note

After the proper consent was obtained from the parents, the child was taken to the circumcision room.
Plastibell


Anesthesia was obtained utilizing 0.5cc of 1% lidocaine  After proper anesthesia was obtained, the foreskin was grasped at the two o'clock and ten o'clock position using small clamps.  A third clamp was then inserted under the foreskin and the foreskin was bluntly dissected away from the head of the penis.  A dorsal clamp mark was made and a dorsal slit was cut.  No bleeding was encountered.  The foreskin was then retracted and the head of the penis freed of all adhesions and the coronal sulcus freed of all debris.  A 1.1 Plastibell was then inserted and the foreskin was brought back up over that bell and tied in place with a string.  The distal excess foreskin was then trimmed off with the scissors.  No bleeding was encountered.  The child was returned to mother in excellent condition. 

Dear Mother,

Your baby son cried.  A lot.  He was sweaty, and screaming, and struggling...

He cried until he lost his voice.

I tried to comfort him by allowing him to suckle on my gloved pinky that was first dipped in a sucrose solution.  But, he did not want this.  He wanted your arms, your nipple, your warm-sweet milk.
   
I tried to comfort him as much as was allowed while he was restrained via hard plastic and Velcro  while still maintaining the integrity of the "sterile field."

Dear Mother, bleeding was encountered.

Dear Mother, even your pediatrician doesn't agree with routine infant circumcision.

Dear Mother, please don't think for a minute that this sleeping baby I have just wheeled into your room is "just fine."

 Signed,
Regretful RN


10 comments:

Happy Mama (Lisa Gonzalez) said...

Ugh. That makes me sick. I can't imagine. Poor, brand-new, fresh from the womb, wants his mama, Baby.

:(

Karen said...

Beautifully written. ellen, you are just so...wonderful is not a strong enough word. Are you still required to participate in these? I often think of that day you called me crying over one...

Anonymous said...

So sad that it almost brings tears to my eyes as I am reminded of the one experience I had during nursing school. My experience was similar to the one you described that I vowed to never do this to my own child. Luckily, I had a girl.

Lisa said...

:( tears streaming.

Anonymous said...

I love you more & more...

Anonymous said...

@ October 28, 2010 6:48 PM

"I vowed to never do this to my own child. Luckily, I had a girl."

If you vowed never to do it what would it matter if the baby were a boy or girl? Were you afraid to stand up if it were a boy and tell people circumcision is wrong? Mothers need to protect their babes regardless.

Becca said...

I made the decision to have this done, when I was still 21 years old. My stupid ass ex-husband wanted his son to look like him, and I went along. It is something that has bothered me for years. :(

Rexie said...

Barbaric. People say boys don't remember the pain, but that doesn't appease me one bit. I don't care they can't remember. I do care so much that a innocent, helpless little thing, who has no say in the matter, is forced to endure what must surely be incredible monstrous agony. Genital mutilation is what is amounts to and has no place or reason in modern times. People cite hygiene as a reason, but that doesn't hold water anymore. With baths and showers available anywhere, a child can be taught to keep himself clean. Sorry if this offends anyone, I don't mean to, but this is my opinion on the matter.

Anonymous said...

Sorry- let me just clarify my comment about having a girl. Being a parent usually requires a partnership of two people. It becomes a conflicting topic if one person, like myself, is against circumcision and my partner believes that it is completely acceptable. The fact of the matter is that there are two schools of thought on circumcision and both have very strong arguments.

AtYourCervix said...

I witnessed a circumcision one time as a new RN.

Once was enough. I am thoroughly disgusted by the procedure.

And yet I was one of the mothers who circ'd her newborn son, 18 yrs ago, so he could "look like his dad" -- it was what his dad wanted. Not me.