For the Parents-Caring for your Baby
1. Please feed and settle the baby before the Bris.
2. The primary bandage is a roll of Kaltostat (a haemostatic cotton-wool like substance). Around this is Coban, a self-seal bandage. There may be cotton wool wrapped around as padding.
3. Half-hourly checks should be done by opening his nappy to check for the presence of bleeding. A cotton swab saturated with vaseline should be used as a marker. Pink or small blood stains are quite common and are not cause for concern. No other observations are necessary.
4. If there is some ooze when the bandage is falls off or is removed, a gauze dressing with Vaseline can be wrapped around for a short period. After all bandages are off the wound can be left open.
5. Over the 24 hours after the bandage has come off a white-yellow plaque may form over the “cut line” and even over the head of the penis. This is harmless and will flake off over several days.
6. The baby may be bathed normally once the bandage has come off.
7. Well-meaning midwives or nurses may occasionally be unfamiliar with traditional methods of circumcision and may express concern about the healing process or aesthetic ‘look’ of the penis. Do not hesitate to contact Rabbi Greenbaum with any concerns you may have.