Nip, Tuck

Zayd got circumcised today. The whole experience wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be....Zayd might disagree with this statement. We took him back to the birthing center where he was born. It was our first time back since we had him. It made me smile to see the picture of us up on the New Arrival wall.

Zayd was very fussy because he wanted to eat. I was told not to feed him an hour before the procedure, so I spent my time in the lobby trying every trick in the book to get his mind off of milk. He settled for a rocking bounce accompanied by an impromptu made up song.

I originally planned to not be in the room during the procedure. Some how I ended up being the one to give him sugar water during the whole ordeal. For a second before the procedure, I really thought I was going to faint. The nurse asked me if I wanted to sit down, but I got it together on my own.

I think I was so freaked out about the procedure since I recently completed a book called 'Middlesex,' which was all about a boy raised as a girl due to a botched circumcision procedure. The thought of my baby boy losing such a vital piece of his anatomy sent chills down my spine. I was comforted by the fact that Zayd's procedure was taking place during the holy month of Ramadan. I figured since I was following Allah's commandment, all I could do was put my trust in Him.

The whole procedure lasted a total of 20 minutes. The sugar water finger helped a lot, but Zayd still cried. I won't go into the procedure in detail, but seeing a doctor cut your child's foreskin with a scalpel does leave a lasting impression. I'm happy that we got it over with.

Alhamdullilah, Zayd wasn't maimed and he seems to be healing well. We spent the rest of the day in the bed together nursing and resting. Zayd seems to be a little fussier than normal, but he hasn't exhibited signs that he's in excruciating pain. He spent the evening in his Moby Wrap while I prepared dinner. He seems to be comforted by being close to me. I wonder how he'll act tomorrow.