Should Circumcision Be A Topic Of Discussion At Baby Showers?
This topic might kill the mood.
unsplash / marcelo matarazzo After you have kids of your own, it's natural to want to reach out to your friends who are new to motherhood with some helpful tips and advice. But one woman took the matter of her friend's choice to circumcise her unborn son into her own hands, and it ended up being reposted in the spoof Facebook group, Sanctimommy. The theme in question? Anti-circumcision.
The post discusses the anonymous writer's feelings behind her idea and some of the plans she's come up with to make the afternoon memorable – and it's going over about as well as you'd expect.
The initial post reads:
Okay, ya'll! I need help my BFF is having a son and I offered to help plan her baby shower. She thinks she is going to circumcise so I'm planning to theme the party-ish around NOT circumcising her perfect boy. I found a little ankle bad that I can gift her that is for the hospital stating not to retract and not to circ. I'm also going to print off some resources for her to read and I bought a bunch of anti-circ bumper stickers I am going to wrap [around] Yankee candles for guest gifts. I need other ideas on how to subtly include this at her baby shower so it opens a dialogue with her family, too, and maybe she will actually think about it. Thank you so much! God bless!
While we understand that this woman may be coming from a good place, the response to the post, which has already amassed 1,500 reactions, might give you pause if you're thinking about going rogue when it comes to planning your friend's shower.
Some women had some practical concerns, giving the surprise nature of the situation. "I think that's super messed up . . . it's her decision. Why would you try to sabotage HER BABY SHOWER(something that is probably really special to her) because of how you feel? This baby shower isn't about you." Another woman who's against circumcision also chimed in saying, "As much as I disagree with routine infant circumcision, I also disagree with hijacking somebody's baby shower."
Others took a more, ahem, sarcastic approach, saying, "A real friend would show up at the hospital and kidnap the baby before the circumcision. That's really the only subtle way to do it. Her friend will thank her later. #knowbetterdobetter" And one reader offered some advice in the decorating department: "I suppose she could always go to a store that sells bachelorette supplies. I'm sure nobody will notice the penis straws, penis lollipops, and penis-themed games."
RELATED: The Unkindest Cut: Why Many Adult Men Resent Their Circumcision
And most readers — who no doubt have a bag of popcorn in hand while reading the comments — are simply just dying for an update as to how the party went: "Is there any way that we can get an update on how this baby shower goes? Does anyone know the mother to be? Can I get an invite? Can we get pictures? My life will never be complete until I find out what happens . . ."
Honestly, ours either.