Congrats, congrats, congrats on the soon to arrive new sweetie. Sniff his neck for me when he gets here - I love the smell of babies.
As to the big snip. I didn't have sons, so this just comes from opinion, rather than experience.
There are those who choose to do it for religious reasons and it holds great symbolism as such - I can understand and respect that. If that's not your undergirding reason, then I would consider going unsnipped. I can say that had I been blessed with a son, I would not have had him circumsized.
Science used to say that babies don't feel pain. Then it was said that they don't feel pain the way we do. Then it was said that they feel pain, but they don't remember it so it doesn't count.
There are two camps on this issue, and the topic can get really heated. There are adult men who are dealing emotionally with having had a part of them removed without their input. There are some men who equate it with female genital mutilation. Then there's the camp of "but what about keeping it clean". That one honestly gets me, because I know how I would feel if the reciprocal was being said about girls.
The other boys will make fun issue. I know back in the cave days when I attended school the only time groups of girls saw me fully naked was during gym class. Most schools don't have gym class anymore, so how often do little boys see each other naked in groups? Being group naked can be hard on any child, and maybe guys feel differently about it, but I think kids should be able to retain the integrity and privacy of their own body and that the adults should make that happen.
There's also the ongoing it does/it doesn't impact cancer causing issues. There's the "but it looks so different". My 60/70s back to nature background, finds it disturbing that we leave men with the idea that their natural penile status is ugly.
Then there are the horror stories of too much skin being taken causing real problems later when erections are painful because there isn't enough skin to stretch over.
The American circ tends to be much more aggressive than some alternatives. We tend to take it back far enough back that some shaft skin is included. Other circs are more of a tip snip. So, be aware that there are some alternatives even among the circumcisions.
So, there's my input/info. Some men opt to get circ after reaching adulthood, some men join support groups and activist groups because they're pissed that the procedure was done.
Ah, another one of the decisions parents have to suffer through! Good wishes on you and little one.
