Baby care:Penis care

Your baby boy's penis is made up of the cylindrical shaft with a rounded end called the glans. The shaft and the glans are separated by a groove called the sulcus. At the tip of the glans is an opening where the urine comes out. The entire penis is covered by a continuous layer of skin, called the foreskin. The foreskin has two layers-the outer skin and a lining that is similar to a mucus membrane. When your baby boy is born, the foreskin is firmly attached to the glans. In uncircumcised boys, around the age of 9 or 10 the foreskin and glans become fully separated. At that point, the foreskin can be pulled back for thorough cleanings.

If your baby boy is not circumcised, the only care it will require during infancy is soap and water as the rest of the body is being washed. It is unnecessary, painful and dangerous to try to forcibly retract the foreskin or clean under it with cotton swabs. You should only do this once the boy is old enough and the foreskin has separated from the glans.

In a circumcised baby, the penis will only ever need to be washed with soap and water. However, as the baby's circumcision heals, you need to take special care of his penis. While the circumcision is healing, it may be sore to touch and bleed some. It may also ooze slightly at the site of the surgery. Try to make your baby as comfortable as possible during this healing time. You can put two diapers on your baby boy for extra cushioning and to keep his thighs from pressing against it. Usually the penis is wrapped in gauze after the circumcision has been performed. You need to put a fresh gauze pad with petroleum jelly on the penis with each diaper change. Do not immerse your baby's penis in water during this healing time. If you notice a foul odor or colored discharge, other than blood, during the healing process, you should call your child's doctor.

Comments: Baby care - Penis-care

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sweetlady32 - 580 days ago.
I had my son circumcised, he was perfectly fine..and the little ring fell off. It is a painful procedure..u just need to give your baby a lot of love. My son is now 8yrs. old and he has never had any problems at all. I believe I'm pregnant with another boy, and yes I would do it again.

emilyloubabynumber2 - 952 days ago.
ckofron- I have 2 sons, both cercumsized. i wouldnt do it if I were you, wait until they are older. my first son's got really bad and regrew, so now he has a surgeon redo it when he is older. its really upsetting, because he peditrian says that we can't do it now, since its a major surgery and also because if we do it now, the surgeon might take too much off and then he would have erections that hurt.

ckofron - 952 days ago.
I'm due anytime now with my first boy (I have two girls)and iam so nervous about my son getting circumcized and the aftercare...my husband and everyother male I speak with says to do it...I told hubby he's taking care of it after...was anyone elsereally nervous about this with a first son?

JLea - 973 days ago.
My son just had the plastibell done and it appears to be falling off now. But the head of his penis seems to have a white (maybe pus filled) ring on one side of it? Is this just a part of the healing or maybe infection? I have talked to a nurse and she said it sounds normal, but I can't help but be worried. Also, did anyone use any type of wound care after the plastibell fell off?

sandes-ma - 1004 days ago.
Hi ladies. My son is 18wks. I am Swazi, and (dont laugh, I know it sounds crazy) culturally, brest milk must be squeezed into his penis every day. Preferably once a day. Apparently it helps in the separation of the foreskin. I'll admit, when my mom told me to do it, I thought she was going coockoo, but this being my first son, I wasn't about to question a woman who had 5 kids. Anyway, I must say it has worked wonders as I have noticed the foreskin on my nunu's is more flexibke. Initially the drops would literally just sit on the tip but now I can actually see the milk flowing down into his penis (if that makes sense). So, I donno, thought maybe those of you with foreskin concerns could try it. DONT pull the foreskin back, just drop a few drops onto the penis tip daily. On weekends when am ot at work I try do it at every nappy change.

AmandaC5 - 1121 days ago.
Hello ladies, my son was born with Hypospadius (his pee hole isn't at the tip but a little on the side) and will probably have to have surgery to correct it, we go to a urologist in a month but was just curious if anyone has had to go through this or knows anyone who did? I've been doing alot of reading on the issue but would like to hear a personal story about it. Also because of the hypospadius he was not circumcised even though becaue of the hypo he looks like he was partially circed which will be something they have to do when he has the surgery.

Bri - 1186 days ago.
sweetpea143 - I wouldn't worry. Some cords fall off at three days and others take three weeks. I just had my second son six weeks ago. His plastibell fell off around 10days and his cord took over two weeks. I think 10 days is normal for a plastibell but I'm sure it could be longer or shorter. It was actually funny. I went to change his diaper and it was gone. After noticing I went looking for it. It was in the diaper but under poo. HAHA!

sweetpea143 - 1186 days ago.
It's good to read about other babies that had the 'plastibell' done. My son had that done too. He is 8 days old now, so it was done a week ago. It still hasn't fallen off yet. However, his umbilical cord fell off last last which has me a little worried bc I thought the umbilical cord would take longer? Do you guys think that's okay?

Bri - 1252 days ago.
Max1214 - Yup, it's actually great. The care is really easy. With our son you just needed to keep it clean and dry. We didn't need guaze or vaseline to care for it. The plasti-ball actualy fell off before my son's cord stub did which was less then a week after it was done. Very easy!

Max1214 - 1252 days ago.
my son was circumcised a day after he was born.. he had a plastibell... anyone elses son have this ?

lizbabes - 1353 days ago.
Thanks 2babys! That does make a lot of sense because he is a very chubby baby (3 months 2 weeks old and 18 pounds) lol but we're going to ask his doctor about it when we see him later this month :)

lizbabes - 1354 days ago.
Ok ladies I have kind of a weird question...we had my son circumcised at the hospital when he was born (now he's 3 1/2 month old) and we went to a doctor visit last week and our doctor was out so we saw another one and she said that our son is not circumcised!?!?! I mean we watched the doctor do it so I know he was and for about two weeks after he was born it looked like he was circumcised but now it doesn't?? Has anyone else ever had this situation happen to their baby :)

JJmommy! - 1393 days ago.
My baby's healed really fast by keeping it dry with the alcohol then putting a glob of vaseline around the wound. However, he got a small infection from a small amount of desatin in the fold. We didnt notice and it got infected. If your baby is circd make sure you wipe around the head to get any access desatin that might have gotten stuck.

lissie *team blue* - 1418 days ago.
My son's healed in about 2 weeks.

peppy29 - 1469 days ago.
My 11 day old son just was circumcised yesterday. He screamed so much that I'm not sure that area was entirely numb. I don't entirely trust this doctor because he missed the delivery because he was eating and when I called because the stitches were hurting worse instead of getting better, he blew me off, but....Is it possible he didn't wait long enough and my son felt it? It was a hard procedure to see...I hate seeing my baby that unhappy.

GavinsMum - 1474 days ago.
So my Little man is circumcised but he has so much pudge above his penis that he has an innie. When i push/pulled it out one day i noticed a hole around where the cut was made. He is 5 months old now!! It has puss that comes out of it. The doctor said it is a tear and that it will go away on its on as long as we clean it and daily. which we do every time we change him. Its been like 2 maybe 3 months since i first found it. If your baby boy had this problem how long did it take to heal?

DiandClover - 1526 days ago.
lyfe - it's ok - a very simple little procedure to allow the testicle to come down from the abdomen. My son will need the same surgery for his right testicle some time this fall. He'll be fine, and go on to have no problems later in life.

pygmalin - 1526 days ago.
lyfe-oh goodness.. I am sorry I hope everything works out...my sons' testicals were not descended at birth but happend shortly after..no surgery needed..but I am sure your little guy will be fine..it's better now than waiting. HUGS

Mama-of-2boys - 1526 days ago.
lyfe - I didnt have that happen to my son, and I understand what you must be going through. But it is something that has to be done, and I'm sure that your little one will be ok. Good luck

RobinG - 1527 days ago.
My hubby had it and another I know did and they did perfectly fine ~ big hugs (((()))) I know how scary it is, my 2nd son had to have surgery when he was 2 and it was scary but he did wonderfully (())

chanelle - 1534 days ago.
puntoblk Im not sure about the warm water thing but I do know of 4 guys that had issuse like that till they were older and endd up having to b circumcised when they were older ( 12 years 20's 30 and one when he was 40) So if he has issues when he is older they can do somthing to fix it. Sorry to hear that you are having issues. My Brother in law had issuse till he was 12 then and had to be circumcied and has had no issues since and he is in his mid 20s.

Pinkexecutioner - 1534 days ago.
Tink what was it that made you decide?

happyforest - 1535 days ago.
good for you tink

tink21 - 1535 days ago.
We decided not to circumcise :)

puntoblk - 1541 days ago.
my 4 year old boy gets ballonitis at least once a month, his penis becomes sore and swallen and a yellow discharge comes out from between the glan and the foreskin, my doctor says that I should treat him every time it happens with dactakort ointment (which actually works) and that I shouldn't pull back his foreskin to clean his penis till he is 5 years old. I am worried that these infections could build up to something really serious, can anyone help please? I was also told to pull his foreskin back gently and wash his penis in warm water everyday. Is that helpful?

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