Helpful Tips - FAQs

The mitzvah is to have a Brit Milah on the 8th day. If that is not possible due to medical reasons, then the Bris must take place as soon as possible afterwards.

A Mohel may use a form of local anaesthetic cream or spray if requested to do by the baby’s parents. Please discuss this with your Mohel to find out the details of his preferred method.

Ensure you finish feeding your baby one hour before the ceremony

The full procedure takes 3-5 minutes in total. If there are complications, it may take a few minutes more. The actual circumcision takes less than a minute.

• Even if you do not use disposable nappies, you should nonetheless purchase a week’s supply for after the procedure.
• Keep your son swaddled securely for 24 hours to avoid discomfort.
• For the first 24 hours, change your son’s nappy after every bowel movement, or every 4 hours if no bowel movement has occurred. Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly, and change the bandaging in accordance with the instructions from your Mohel.
• Feed and burp your son as usual, but avoid burping the baby in the sitting position.
• Encourage your son to sleep on his back.
• Avoid using pre-moistened toilettes (baby wipes) around the penis area for a few days, as they can irritate the area. Instead, use a towel and warm water.
• You may  bath your baby after 72 hours depending on the advice of your Mohel, as some Mohalim recommend bathing the baby the day after the Bris Milah.
  

From day 2-7 after the procedure, ensure that you apply any recommended ointments on each nappy change after washing your hands thoroughly.

The foreskin is the skin that sheaths the head of the penis. The Mohel will  pulling it forward and through a slit in the shield  (the Magen). Then the  the foreskin will be  removed with a scalpel. Depending on his preference, the Mohel may also use an Izmel (a special circumcision knife), that has been sterilised.

It’s a Mohel’s responsibility to ensure the baby is in good health before the procedure is done and The Regulatory Board’s duty to ensure it is done in compliance with the highest standards of health and safety. Working together, we are raising the standards and safety of the procedure to ensure a positive outcome for every Brit Milah

It is important to note that ill-health will cause the Mohel to postpone your baby’s Brit Milah, and any congenital conditions or illnesses will need to be highlighted and assessed by the Mohel to ensure the safety of the procedure.

With all the health and safety checks conducted by the Mohel, the Brit Milah is a very low-risk, simple procedure. Excessive bleeding or infection are rare.

Each Mohel may use his own dressing. Generally a gauze bandage will be wrapped around your son’s penis. This bandage should fall off on its own during the first 24 hours.

Infection is very rare. However, common signs include a pus-like discharge from the wound, a foul smell from the groin area, excessive swelling or redness, and fever. If you see any of these signs, call your Mohel in the first instance.

Bleeding is rare, but is the most frequent complication experienced. In the case of fresh bleeding, consult the Mohel in the first instance. While you wait, apply pressure over the gauze on the penis using your thumb, index finger and forefinger for 2 minutes. If the bleeding persists, repeat.

For the most part, babies tolerate the 1 minute procedure very well. They will cry according to their personality, but the procedure and bandaging are usually handled well and they are consoled easily. Time for the pain to subside depends on the baby, but your son may be irritable for the first day.

Each child heals differently, and a circumcision is no different to any other cut. After the first day, the penis should no longer be tender, and the wound should have healed in a week. It takes roughly a month to take on a ‘normal’ appearance