uncircumsized toddler penis question - please help

M

MilkMonster

Registered User
our 18mth old son in uncircumsized and up until now we have not paid any special attention in terms of cleaning. we wash it like the rest of his body and we don't retract the foreskin. yesterday when I attempted to wash it as usual, he said "ouch" and backed away and didn't want me to touch it so today i took him to the dr. to get it checked out because it was the same thing this morning, it seems tender to the touch. he left a urine sample to check for infection but the dr. said he looks normal. she retracted the tip portion of his foreskin to check the head of his penis (it seemed to retract easily but my son was crying the whole time. not sure if he was just scared or if it was painful...) which looked slightly red so she prescribed bactroban ointment. has anyone used this? my question to all of you who have uncut boys, how do you clean your son's penis? when do i have to (or don't at all) retract the foreskin to clean the head? hubby is circumsized so not able to help. in this link http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=513 it says "When the foreskin has separated from the glans, the foreskin can easily be retracted, or pulled back, to leave the glans exposed." does this mean at some point I will notice his penis exposed from the foreskin? sorry i have no idea what I am doing, and hope i haven't done something wrong or neglected to do the proper thing. please someone fill me in. thanks for the help!!
 
MM,

Our Dr told us to retract the foreskin and rinse with water. We've been doing it since he was around 1 or so. We haven't had any infections so can't help with the ointment. Hope MM feels better soon.
 
My son is also uncircumsized and he is 3-1/2 years old and the foreskin has not yet separated. We have done what you have done and wash thoroughly and occasionally we check to see if the foreskin can be retracted to clean underneath. Our Dr. told us that it will happen on its own and once it does we can clean underneath, but not to force it.
I hope this helps.
 
my son is 3.5 and to be honest, i haven't done anything special, nor have i even checked to see if it has retracted... i don't think it has as when he has an erection, the glans is still fully covered...you can unobtrusively check for erections in the night time when changing a nappy... whenever i've changed my son's nappy at night (since he was about 14 months old) he'd have an erection.
 
thanks so much for all your quick replies!!

when my son's penis is erect, the glans is fully covered. does that mean it's not ready to be retracted? the doctor today pulled it back to expose only the tip portion of the glans. Rani, when you retract the foreskin to clean, does your son show any discomfort? when you wash, do you just retract and spray with water, or do you use your finger to wipe?

just to clarify, when the foreskin is retractable, does it just slide down, exposing the whole penis? only when it's erect right? or is it flaccid when you do that?

sorry i am reading my post and realizing that i sound like a complete moron with my questions but i really have no clue.

I guess what i am trying to find out is, when they say it happens naturally and not to force it, how do i know it's ready to be retracted and what is considered force? i.e how easy should it be to retract?

again, many many thanks for all your help!!
 
Hi MM, The Dr retracted it first at one of his well baby appts. Only the tip was exposed initially and we rinse with water only (no fingers). Only in the last year (he's now 6) does it retract fully. No, there's no discomfort. He does it on his own. Its flaccid when he retracts it.

HTH
 
they are not silly questions as you and we are all women and are not as intimately acquainted with the penis as our husbands are... and if your hubby is cut then he wouldn't know either...

perfectly legit questions if you ask me....and i, for one, am eager to hear some answers!

PS> last month there was an article on here about penis care.
 
Thanks so much for the responses!! after putting on the cream for one day, my son seems to feel better. As Rani suggested, i have started to pull back the skin and spray his penis with the shower, without touching the glans. I am now wondering if he didn't have an infection at all and was just sensitive of me touching it? "ouch" is a new word he has learned...seems everything is "ouch", even putting on his shoes...haha i feel so paranoid now, should i still be putting on the cream? Anyway, i guess i will just have to wait for his urine analysis report to come back to see if there is any bacteria. thanks again for everyone's input. I don't think I've said the word "penis" so many times in my entire life as often as I have these past few days!! xx
 
Haha it's me again, i just read that article which says i don't have to and shouldn't retract the foreskin...

today when i washed him, there were no signs of discomfort...

i'm so worried I will damage his penis somehow...
 
Hi MilkMonster,
I have two boys and I often ask my husband about penis issues. Funny how they get around with those things! I have been assured by husband that nothing extra ordinary has to be done to a penis. I was much like you and often worried that I was doing damage something.
Mica
 
MilkMonster,

I have to admit I am so glad you have been asking all these questions about penis care. I am pregnant with a boy and due in December and since my hubby has not been "cut" he is adament our son won't be either... which frankly bugs me b/c I am so scared to take care of his penis for the exact same reasons as you... afraid I will break it?! Like carang said, there are no silly questions here, we are all learning as we go along. Look at how many people have looked at your thread. And seriously, the best advice you are going to get are from others on this forum.

Cheers!
 
Thanks Canucker! So as it turns out, my son didn't have an infection at all! the results came back negative. The dr. said he probably bumped it while playing or tugged on it too hard himself. We are back to just washing the outside, no special care. the few times i tried to gently pull back the skin he didn't like it, so i've stopped doing that. i think when the time comes, the skin will retract easily without discomfort especially when he has an erection...this is my understanding anyway!!
 
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