It is understandable that new parents would have anxiety about surgery on their newborn son. Please be assured that your son will probably feel very little pain. I take every precaution to minimize discomfort at each step of the ceremony. Also, your son’s memory of this event, including pain, will be minimal.
I will arrive 15-30 minutes before the ceremony so that we can go over the service and I can prepare for the circumcision. Once we are ready to begin, your son is restrained gently onto a special board and given a sugar solution. Sugar has been shown to dramatically decrease pain in infants. I then inject a buffered anesthetic through a very narrow needle around the penis. Most babies cry less during this than they do at being restrained, or having their diaper removed!
The preliminary steps for circumcision (such as placement of the clamp) are performed before the ceremony. I do not use a circumcision board or table for the ceremony itself, but swaddle babies so that the circumcision can be safely done with the least amount of restraint. I use a Mogen clamp, which allows a rapid procedure with a good cosmetic result. The actual procedure during the ceremony, in which the foreskin is cut and the clamp removed, takes less than a minute. I have found that the anesthetic block lasts at least through the ceremony, and often for longer. Most babies do not cry or fuss during the ceremony, and if they do, most are easily calmed with a pacifier or more sugar solution.
After the ceremony, your baby can be fed or just cuddled for a while. I will check his penis afterwards and instruct you on aftercare. I will be available by pager for 24 hours after the ceremony in case you have any concerns. And, of course, I am happy to talk to you later if you have questions about your son’s healing.