After the Procedure

  • After the procedure it is perfectly normal for the baby to cry. This should not persist for very long or be extremely intense.
  • The Mohel will check the baby for any bleeding within thirty minutes of the Brit Milah;
  • The Mohel will not leave until he has personally checked the baby and is absolutely satisfied that all bleeding has stopped.
  • The Mohel will give clear verbal and ideally written instructions to the parents on how to care for the baby after the Brit Milah.
  • The Mohel will give clear verbal and ideally written instructions to the parents about what to do if they become concerned and how to contact the Mohel if necessary.
  • The Mohel will not leave until he is satisfied that the parents have understood these instructions and have no further concerns or questions.
  • The Mohel will contact the parents within 6 hours of the procedure to enquire whether there have been any changes noted in the baby’s behaviour, and specifically enquire whether there has been any bleeding and whether the baby has passed urine.
  • The Mohel or a suitably qualified nominated deputy must be available to deal with any complications in the first two days after the Brit Milah and must also be available to respond at short notice if an urgent concern or emergency arises. If in an emergency, it is not possible to reach the baby in an appropriate time frame, he must refer the baby immediately to the nearest hospital and should consider advising the parents to use the local emergency services to transport the baby there.
  • The Mohel is trained to dress the wound and monitor its healing. Different Mohalim may use different dressings. All of these dressings work well and are used according to personal preference. The Mohel will discuss the dressing with you, and when it is safe to remove and/or change it. Generally, the pressure dressing should be removed within 24 hours. Any subsequent pressure dressings must also be removed within 24 hours by the Mohel or a nurse or a paramedically qualified person.

It is normal to have a little bleeding around the dressing soon after the Brit Milah. Once your baby starts to urinate, the urine will mix with the blood and form a pink fluid in the nappy. This is normal. If you feel that there is too much blood in the nappy (and that it is very red and not pink), then discuss this with your Mohel to ascertain if there is ongoing bleeding or not.

The nappy should be checked 2 hours after the Brit Milah for bleeding and for passage of urine. If there is fresh bleeding (dark blood, sticky in nature) then contact the Mohel. Similarly, if the baby has not passed urine after about 3 hours, inform the Mohel. The baby should definitely have passed urine by 6 hours. If not, the Mohel will need to come and re do the dressing.

During the healing process, a yellowish/whitish film may form over the wound and the end of the penis. This film cannot be easily removed by wiping it, and one should not attempt to remove it as this will hinder the healing process. This is normal and does not indicate a problem. It is sometimes called ‘exudate’ or ‘slough’.

Redness and swelling is normal initially, but should start getting better after 24 to 48 hours. If a brownish/yellowish film develops that can easily be wiped away and has a foul smell this may indicate a possible infection. Infection is usually associated with an increase in redness and swelling. The baby may also be generally unwell, not want to eat, have a fever, and be generally irritable.

General after-care

It is normal for the nappies to have a pink discolouration which is blood mixed with urine. This colour will get lighter each day until clear.

The Mohel will advise you on when he wants the initial dressing to be removed. Once removed, you can change the dressings, if the Mohel is satisfied. You should then apply a piece of gauze smeared with Vaseline over the tip of the penis whenever the previous dressing becomes wet or dirty. These gauze dressings should be used for about 2 weeks, but some Mohalim may suggest that only Vaseline is required after a time and not the gauze.

You can bath the baby normally from 3 days after the Brit Milah ensuring that you are especially gentle with the circumcised area. Some Mohalim advocate bathing the baby sooner and is best to check this with your Mohel.