Post bris question - mohel not answering phone

amother

Vanilla

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 2:41 am

Definitely no bath!!
Bacitracin also draws out blood, so depending on the situation you might need to put on less or none
Your mohel should be sending a fellow mohel over who lives closer to check on the baby. Thats what our Mohel did.
I had a boy after 4 girls the Bris was traumatizing. Didn't use the same mohel for our second son. Recently had our first grandson and the bleeding sounds very similar to yours. I was so glad I could help my daughter out by dealing with it. She was really glad also.

amother

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 2:49 am

amother Lightyellow wrote:

OP another thought - could you go to bet hachlama for Shabbos? then the nurses will keep an eye on him and there is a doctor and a mohel on site twice a day. Also, you might get some rest!

Nice fantasy but not gonna happen in my reality.

amother

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 2:50 am

amother Vanilla wrote:

What did you do to help the daughter? Maybe I can follow...

amother

Vanilla

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 3:09 am

amother OP wrote:

What did you do to help the daughter? Maybe I can follow...

Mostly dealing with the Bris and bandages and diaper changes, but the Mohel was my brother and I did call him really late and his friend came over to check it out. Everything was OK in the end but there was bleeding for about 3 days. He told me to stop with Bacitracin at some point. I don't remember exactly when or what I used instead. I'm not being much help...but if you are worried and it's the middle of the night I'd suggest calling Hatzolah and asking them for advice. They probably have dealt with this many times and they can send someone over to check him out.

amother

Taupe

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 3:14 am

I never took off bandages myself but my mohel came to check after a few hours to see if bleeding stopped. If it didn’t he came back the next day and removed the bandage very slowly using lots of baby oil so it shouldn’t stick to the
wound.

amother

Freesia

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 3:14 am

Reading this brings me back traumatic memories!
Wishing you hugs and Hatzlacha
Now practically
Put lots of bacitracin on it and only remove it when it’s very wet and comes off easily
Otherwise the removing will cause bleeding
But really the mohel should come back or send somebody to come remove the bandaid
I think this is too traumatic for a young first time mom to have to do herself
Can your husband do it? Or an experienced friend or family member?
Mazel Tov to you

amother

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 3:25 am

My husband is more squeamish than I am! I have a strong stomach but also pp hormones!

I'm trying to see if I can find a mohel to provide reassurance come daytime. I guess if not I can try sending photos to our mohel or maybe see if the pediatrician knows this stuff.

A little later I'll try the oil strategy, it makes a lot of sense and anyway whoever checks up on it will need the bandage off to examine the wound so it would probably help if it's softened up.

amother

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 3:26 am

smss wrote:

Hi OP. I don't really have anything helpful to say, I wish I did. But I just felt like I wanted you to know another mommy out there is reading your posts and feeling your stress and anxiety. This really is hard on so many levels. ❤️

Thank you. That's surprisingly helpful even though we don't even know each other. Hug

imasinger

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 5:19 am

I remember panicking when something similar happened to me with my first boy. My mother was visiting, and I said, "help, Mom, what am I supposed to do?!", and she said, "how should I know, I only had girls?!"

You are not alone!

Leaving the bandage on is the most sensible suggestion until you reach someone. Nothing bad will happen if it stays on a little longer. The ointment you're (hopefully) applying to the area will keep it soft. I recently heard a mohel direct someone to only unwind a little of the bandage each day (2-3 times around), so the pressure eased gradually, and the bandage was completely removed after a few days.

notshanarishona

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 7:10 am

If you can’t get him to the mohel today I would see if you can go to the pediatrician. I would be concerned if you can’t get the bandage off without a lot of new bleeding . Others mentioned good ideals, warm bath, baby oil, etc

amother

Dill

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 7:22 am

I'm also wondering what did you do OP.
No bath until the bris is healed and the umbilical stump fell off and belly healed (usually happens same time). Definitely use baby oil. The mohel we used highly recommended using baby oil at every change when taking off the gauze. As for the bandage that the mohel put on, he came back to take it off. I couldn't be in the house because of the crying. It's the gauze with bacitracin that I put on at every diaper change. Before taking off that and putting on a new one, I soaked the gauze with baby oil.
Funny thing happened by my first boy, I had originally planned that my mom should do the diaper changes, so I moved into her house so I wouldn't have to deal with it and she ended up going to the hospital soon after the bris so I had to take care of the pamper changes. My husband was too squeamish. I only have boys after this baby so I automatically knew what to do when changing their pampers.

amother

Wandflower

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 7:30 am

amother OP wrote:

Do you live in a far out location? The mohel should have been the one to come back and remove the bandage that’s a standard part of their job. It’s not usually the job of the mother unless there’s no local mohel and he really can’t come back.
You really need to get someone experienced to make sure it looks normal and take it off without damaging anything. Some bleeding is expected but it’s hard to tell you everything is fine without seeing it. The pediatrician would be a great option if you can’t get a mohel or a pediatric urologist.

accountantmommy

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 8:10 am

Pediatrician will absolutely know what to do and you can probably call them middle of the night on emergency line if you really feel it may be an emergency.

care4u

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 8:51 am

I'm confused.

Which bandage? By all my boys there was one bandage that was actually tightly wrapped around the bris that we did not touch and then we were supposed to put a ton of ointment, switching between bacitration and A&D underneath a square gauze that we changed with every diaper change. Once in a blue I did not put enough ointment and if it was pretty quick after the bris it might have stuck because of dried blood so you just take it off carefully and it's okay to see blood the first day or two.

After a couple days the mohel would come back to check and unwrap the under bandage and at that point we were allowed to bathe him and he was considered healed

amother

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 9:13 am

So mine is the only mohel who says the bandage should come off the same day?! (Yes, the underneath one that's wrapped more tightly around the shaft)

He called me back and said to just take it off, a little bleeding is ok, and then send him a pic if I'm still nervous.

I think I'll call the pediatrician. I hope the one I like is in today, it's a group practice and they're not all equal.

amother

Dill

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 9:22 am

I don't want to be the one to say it, but why is the mohel not coming back himself to do it? Especially because you're nervous. It doesn't matter where you live and if he's close by or not, it's his responsibility to come back to take off the bandage and make sure all is well or at least send someone in his place. You should not be going to the doctor for that.
All mohalim know that the mothers can't handle that part.

amother

Lightyellow

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 10:02 am

amother OP wrote:

Yes, the only one I know of.
I would not be comfortable with his casual attitude. Is he extremely famously experienced? If not, I'd want another opinion asap.

Your pediatrician may not want to advise.
Can you get to another mohel? or maybe your Rav knows someone with experience who could help?

Mollie

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 10:46 am

It’s the Mohels job to take off the bandage. If he lives too far away then he should have informed you of this before the Bris. I would NOT do it myself, go to a pediatrician.

amother

Bluebonnet

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 10:58 am

Chiming in to say that I have 3 boys and the mohel always had me just put bacitracin around the gauze with each diaper change and never touch the gauze. It fell off within a few days by itself. I definitely would not take it off especially if there’s any resistance only one day post bris.
I’m pretty squeamish and never felt yucky taking care of the bris diapers with this method.
Mazal tov!

amother

Slateblue

Fri, Aug 18 2023, 11:06 am

So sorry you had to deal with this op.

Its stressful enough being postpartum.
How are you doing?

Did you find another mohel to call?

Both the mohelim I used always came back on day 1 to do the dressing, and said I can call anytime. Day or night.
The last one told me I shouldnt feel bad to phone him at night at all , hel leave it on discreet so just my number will ring.

So sorry, did you manage to sort?