Like many parents, one mom was faced with a major choice when she found out that she was having a baby boy: whether or not she would have him circumcised. Although this is an extremely personal decision — and one that many have strong opinions on — this mom decided to share what happened to her baby after she had him go through with the procedure. Although she's now decided to stay anonymous, her post quickly went viral as a warning and parents are getting heated while discussing her terrifying experience.
This baby boy was circumcised four years ago and it turned into the most horrific day of his mom's life.
The anonymous mom shared on Facebook that after doctors took her infant back to be circumcised, she and her partner were told to wait in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. Once the procedure was done, their little one was brought out in a blanket and they were allowed to leave.
"Upon getting home and proceeding to take him out of his car seat, we noticed the car seat had blood all over the bottom, and all over his blanket," she wrote in a post shared by Amy Wimberly-Kincaid. "Immediately, we got him out to look, only to find blood coming out of his diaper, all over his legs. We removed his diaper, and he was full of blood, with continuous bleeding from his penis."
In a panic, they put another diaper on him and took him immediately to another hospital. "The doctor entered in to find that a blood [vein] had been cut during circumcision. By this time he has went through three diapers of blood, and was running a 101 degree fever, and he was not very alert," she wrote. "The doctor tried five times before finally getting the blood [vein] to clot and quit bleeding, only then to notice the circumcision wasn't even 'complete' or done properly."
According to a different doctor they saw, this is what happens when your baby's circumcision is "botched."
The anonymous mom shared that the new doctor called the original hospital where her child's circumcision was performed and demanded that someone come to see what had been done to an infant at their facility. "My son ended up needing the circumcision completed and three stitches on the top of his penis to fix what was 'botched,'" she wrote. "I will never forget the doctor telling the other doctor from the hospital where my son was circumcised, 'Whoever did this, botched this baby…' I was so angry, upset and confused."
Her son now has a permanent scar on his penis and she wrote that nobody has been held accountable for what happened. "Please consider this when making a decision," she wrote. "Daily we struggle with wonder about whether this will cause him insecurity, or if he will have trouble with erections later in life…"
The story quickly went viral with other moms sharing similar experiences.
"Same happened to my boy 18yrs ago. On top of that the so called Dr said they couldn't find a vein for sedation or pain control," one parent wrote. "So they did the whole procedure without meds on board. He was 7months old ."
"Every time I see this post I cry. Folks, my godson died due to acute hemorrhage directly after his circumcision," another user commented. "It's NOT worth the risk. He'd be SEVEN this year… he didn't even get to be a month old. It's not fucking fair."
For many, this is proof enough for why circumcision should be banned.
And are bringing the important topics of consent and ear piercing into it.
Others are reminding parents to do their own research and not let one account pressure them.
"It's fear mongering especially for those who don't understand much of how procedures are done," one user commented.
"Post like this makes a lot of people confused and scared …[doctors] don’t make you do it…" another person wrote. "They tell you what might happen and it’s not 100 percent accurate accidents happen…"
But no matter what you decide, it's important to know the risks and respect others who make their own choices.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks. In addition to religious or culture reasons, many parents opt to circumcise their baby boys to decrease the risk of infections, to prevent future penile problems, and to help with hygiene. However despite these benefits, it's still an incredibly personal decision for parents and babies. Both sides have risks and no matter your stance, nobody should be shamed for doing what they believe is best for their child.
