This site discusses Phimosis, Frenulum Breve and the Epithelium, and their relationship to Male Initiation and Identity.
Much modern medical information on circumcision (from popular literature to reports in medical journals), recommends that the best care for a foreskin is to leave it alone. These reports are all based on Øster's misinterpreted study. Øster made his report following 7 years of education and monitoring. Such care and attention obviously results in less problems.

NATURE'S WAY
OF RELEASING ADHESIONS

Extracts from Conversations with the Mother of Two Intact Sons.

Releasing the adhesions by pulling *forward* helps the overall elasticity of the foreskin, ... manipulation in this way is nature's way of providing the safest (and most pleasurable) way of separating the foreskin from the glans.

The male discovers his first erections, as an infant. (something that astounded me the first time I saw my baby with one at about 9 days old.).

These infant erections are not necessarily in conjunction with a full bladder. There have been times where they have JUST voided their bladder and voila! a few minutes later...an erection. Nothing about their foreskin has ever impeded their ability to get an erection.

My understanding is that it is the *forward* pulling of the foreskin that aids in the natural separation of foreskin from the glans. Releasing the adhesions by pulling *forward* helps the overall elasticity of the foreskin, it does not change the length of the foreskin.

My pediatrician had told me that pulling the foreskin forward gently during diapering, and/or alternating that with taking the foreskin between thumb and finger and "rolling it" back an forth (like if you had a pencil and were rolling it between your fingers) and also gently pulling the foreskin forward in a sort of very gentle milking action, would help in the natural separation. Once the boys discovered this themselves, self manipulation would do the trick. Masturbation or manipulation in this way is nature's way of providing the safest (and most pleasurable) way of separating the foreskin from the glans. So...slapping the hands away is a detriment. That is why there is nothing "evil" about masturbation. It's natural. It feels good.

If memory serves, it was at about 7 - 9 months when either of my sons actually would consciously "handle" their penises. During toddler stages, both of my boys would gleefully say, "Hey Mommy! Lookit what I kin do!" and I'd look and they'd pull their foreskins practically to their knees! [that's what it looked like anyway] While I would wince thinking at first, "Gads! Doesn't that hurt??", their looks of sheer pleasure assured me otherwise.

During bathing, they were instructed to pull back "only as far as it would go". This was also done by me while diapering. At first, that meant nothing really happened at all. Meaning that the glans was never even seen. Slowly...that changes and the foreskin widens and you start to see the glans crown. As soon as you start teaching the child to wash himself, you can teach him to wash himself "down there" by just saying, "Ok...gently pull the skin back, wash, rinse. OK! You're done!"

Then one day, while they are retracting as they've always done, the glans seems to "pop" out. This happened when I was still supervising their bathing so I saw it happen. No pain was experienced.

I've asked to check to see if they can "make the head come out all the way". So...they show me. Sometimes I ask after noticing that they are erect. In either case, with both boys, the foreskin glides freely and easily over the glans. I do notice on my 8 year old, that the foreskin isn't *completely* off the "edge/rim" of the glans. That is to say, that in most areas around the rim/edge of the glans, the foreskin is completely off the glans. A small portion is still "stuck" on the glans. I have told him, "Ok...see this part here? It's not completely off like it is on this side. You need to help it to come off very carefully by pulling on it a little bit...but always gently. Never do it if it hurts. Also...continue to pull forward to help it that way, too." He's fine with the instructions...and I have seen progress.

They most often obtain erections by manipulation of the foreskin only...but not always. Sometimes they stroke the shaft; sometimes they only tug/twirl their foreskins. Once they are erect, the foreskin still glides freely over the glans...fully exposing the glans. Nature provided pleasure during such manipulation as a *natural* avenue to aid in the separation of the foreskin from the glans.

Little boys, erections and self manipulation is NORMAL, NATURAL and NECESSARY.