Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Why are we so misinformed?

I am currently a community midwife and a student in AAMI. I am also a homebirth mom. I am constantly amazed at the amount of misinformation parents are given about medical procedures that are done to them or their babies. I must say that this experience that I am going to share is one that left me speechless in the moment but will certainly make me speak louder in the future.

I was at a prenatal of a mother than was going to have her first baby. We had been talking about nutrition and the baby. She was clearly very happy to be pregnant. Everything that she put in her mouth was of concern to her. She had started exercising to improve her health. She had found out that the baby was a boy (which I won't address just yet). The conversation came around to circumcision. She lit up like the most exciting thing was going to happen and said "Oh, I want one of those, can you do it?"

What was she thinking? Where was she getting information from? How can this fit in with a healthy, natural and  undrugged homebirth?  She might as well have said "Episiotomy wow I can't wait to have one of those!"

I could only believe that she had not been educated on what a circumcision was. My daughter has assured me that people can hear the truth about things having to do with there children, knowing full well what they are, and that those people, parents, will still choose what is clearly harmful to their babies.

This is doctors talking about what they have found in performing circumcision.



This is an actual procedure. Very hard to watch. Everyone should watch it to be informed and to know what the truth is.

This is only a small part of the truth about  circumcision please research it further.

We can hope that those that see the truth will act on it.

3 comments:

  1. The question is even if people are informed will they care?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tracey - where are you based? Is routine circumcision still common practice in the US (I am guessing this is where you are from?). In the UK it was only common practice amongst particular religions, not mainstream. In Australia it is not common practice but still carried out by a significant minority. Often because the baby's father had it done. I find it a difficult topic to discuss with parents who choose circumcision because even when provided with the info they will do it anyway - never managed to change anyone's mind by sharing the info.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Minnesota is where I am based. Most everyone here believes that circumcision is the norm and it is just what you do.

    ReplyDelete