Festive Milestone or Barbaric Abuse? - A Gray-Area Guide to the Circumcision Debate
July, 2011, Rabbi Shira Shazeer
Page 5
Page 5
Know the differences between the Jewish procedure and the medical one
It’s worth keeping in mind that the public debate over circumcision is centered around the procedure as done in hospitals. There are a few key differences between what’s typically done in the hospital and what’s typically done at home.
Probably the biggest difference is time. The hospital procedure, not including preparation and anesthesia, can take from five to ten minutes, while a brit milah at home should take about thirty seconds.
During a hospital circumcision, the baby is strapped to a restraining board, while at home, he is held on a pillow by a loved one, often a grandfather. To me, that human contact seems significant. At home, in addition to being held throughout the ceremony and procedure, the baby will be surrounded by people who care about him, and often by soothing music, a familiar setting, and the smell of his mother. And he’ll be able to nurse as soon after as his parents choose, even as the ceremony finishes up. At a hospital, the circumcision is typically done without even the parents present, in a sterile, unfamiliar atmosphere.
Back on the issue of time and timing, hospital circumcisions are usually done before discharge, meaning in the first few days of the baby’s life, when the breastfeeding relationship is being established and many mothers’ milk has not yet come in. There is reason to suspect that in the first three days, circumcision can interfere with establishing a breastfeeding relationship. By the eighth day of life, most babies have started nursing and should be able to use it for comfort after the procedure. (See themilkmama.com for a discussion of available research on early circumcision and breastfeeding.)
Incidentally, babies’ blood clotting factors reach peak levels about a week after birth, making ritual brit milah somewhat safer in terms of timing, though the vitamin K shot routinely given in hospitals generally mitigates the small chance that even an early circumcision will lead to bleeding problems.
Probably the biggest difference is time. The hospital procedure, not including preparation and anesthesia, can take from five to ten minutes, while a brit milah at home should take about thirty seconds.
During a hospital circumcision, the baby is strapped to a restraining board, while at home, he is held on a pillow by a loved one, often a grandfather. To me, that human contact seems significant. At home, in addition to being held throughout the ceremony and procedure, the baby will be surrounded by people who care about him, and often by soothing music, a familiar setting, and the smell of his mother. And he’ll be able to nurse as soon after as his parents choose, even as the ceremony finishes up. At a hospital, the circumcision is typically done without even the parents present, in a sterile, unfamiliar atmosphere.
Back on the issue of time and timing, hospital circumcisions are usually done before discharge, meaning in the first few days of the baby’s life, when the breastfeeding relationship is being established and many mothers’ milk has not yet come in. There is reason to suspect that in the first three days, circumcision can interfere with establishing a breastfeeding relationship. By the eighth day of life, most babies have started nursing and should be able to use it for comfort after the procedure. (See themilkmama.com for a discussion of available research on early circumcision and breastfeeding.)
Incidentally, babies’ blood clotting factors reach peak levels about a week after birth, making ritual brit milah somewhat safer in terms of timing, though the vitamin K shot routinely given in hospitals generally mitigates the small chance that even an early circumcision will lead to bleeding problems.