Adoption and circumcision question...

[Green Decals]

Please do not start a debate here :-) Thanks!

I have a friend who, after many, many bumps in the road to parenthood, is welcoming a baby boy in a few months through open adoption. I would like to send her some information on keeping her son natural, but I do not know by whom that decision is made - birth parents, or adoptive parents? Either way, I will be sending her information, but if anyone has personal experience in the open adoption process, please fill me in. Thanks!

[NaplesMom]

Our son's birthmother left it up to us to make the decision but had we opted to have him circed in the hospital (we didn't) she would have had to sign the consent for it.

I know 2 other couples who adopted sons and had them circed because that is what their birthmoms wanted.

I guess it really just depends on the people involved.

[Green Decals]

So does it depend on when parental rights are signed over?

[NaplesMom]

I am not sure.
In our case, all of the paperwork was done away from the hospital a few hours after discharge so legally we were not his parents during the hospital stay.
I just know that had we opted for circumcision, she would have had to sign the form because when she checked in there was a stack of paperwork/consents for her to sign and that was among them.

[Green Decals]

Gotcha, thanks.

[CaliRoll]

De-lurking to say our local hospitals don't circ anymore. If you want it done, the pediatrician does it at the first well check but not after two weeks old. After that age, you have to find a urologist to do it, and some make you wait until baby is 6mo or even 12mo before they'll do it. One urologist said even then, only if medically necessary.

All that to say, if the adoptive parents want the circ, they need to find out ahead of time if the hospital will do it and if not, what the protocol is for getting it done.

Again, that's just the local hospitals here in central California. I can't speak for any other area.

[Mack]

Originally Posted by CaliRoll After that age, you have to find a urologist to do it, and some make you wait until baby is 6mo or even 12mo before they'll do it.

This is the law in some states.

[Msheidiann]

Originally Posted by CaliRoll De-lurking to say our local hospitals don't circ anymore. If you want it done, the pediatrician does it at the first well check but not after two weeks old. After that age, you have to find a urologist to do it, and some make you wait until baby is 6mo or even 12mo before they'll do it. One urologist said even then, only if medically necessary. All that to say, if the adoptive parents want the circ, they need to find out ahead of time if the hospital will do it and if not, what the protocol is for getting it done. Again, that's just the local hospitals here in central California. I can't speak for any other area.

Same in my central ca town. We were not allowed to because first and second little men were fosters. But, our pedi won't do it after 3 weeks old regardless. And hospitals don't do them here anymore.

[Beth.]

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[Green Decals]

Wow, um, can just say how awesome that is? We are on the east coast and the rate is still pretty high here. In fact, our hospital dropped the price from $500 to $250 to entice more people to do it, because nobody could afford it. Thanks for the info, I am guessing every agency is different but at least now I have a little understanding of how it might work.