Most parents in the U.S. have three realistic options for a newborn circumcision: in the hospital before going home, at a pediatrician's or urologist's office in the first weeks, or at home with a mohel. All three are done every day by experienced people. The right choice depends on what matters most to your family, so here's an honest look at how they differ. Yes, we provide the home option, and we've tried to be fair to the other two.

Who performs it

  • Hospital: usually an obstetrician or pediatrician, sometimes whichever physician is on that day.
  • Office: a pediatrician, family physician or pediatric urologist, often one you already know.
  • Home: a mohel, a specialist trained in newborn circumcision, who is not a physician (see doctor vs. mohel).

Timing

Hospital circumcisions usually happen in the first day or two, before discharge. Office and home procedures happen after you're home, typically in the first few weeks. We generally see babies between one and four weeks old, and in most cases up to six months. If you miss the hospital window, you haven't missed your chance.

Being with your baby

In a hospital, the procedure is often done in a separate procedure room, and policies about parents attending vary. Ask your hospital if this matters to you. At home, you're in your own living room, you can stay in the room, and you can hold and feed your baby right away.

Comfort and pain relief

The American Academy of Pediatrics says newborns should receive pain relief for circumcision. In hospitals and offices this is usually a local anesthetic injection (a nerve block) or a numbing cream, often with sugar water. At home, we apply a numbing agent and use sugar water and holding to soothe your baby. Whoever you choose, ask exactly what they use for pain relief, before and after.

Method

The three common newborn methods are the Gomco clamp, the Mogen clamp and the Plastibell. Hospitals and offices use all three. Rabbi Levy primarily uses the Mogen clamp. Each method has trade-offs; our guide to circumcision methods explains them.

Vitamin K

Most newborns receive a Vitamin K injection at birth, which the AAP and CDC recommend to prevent a rare but serious bleeding disorder. Many hospitals and pediatric offices require it before a circumcision. We don't require it. That's a difference in practice, not advice to decline the shot, and it's a decision to make with your pediatrician. Our Vitamin K page explains our policy.

Cost

Hospital and office circumcisions are often billed to insurance, so what you pay depends on your plan. Home circumcision with us is private-pay, a flat $1,850 that includes everything. Many families submit our itemized receipt to their insurer for possible reimbursement. See what in-home circumcision costs.

When home isn't the right choice

Some babies should be evaluated by a pediatrician or pediatric urologist before any circumcision, and some shouldn't be circumcised as newborns at all. This includes certain differences in how the penis or urethra formed (such as hypospadias), a family history of bleeding disorders, prematurity, or a baby who is unwell. We review your baby's history at the consultation, and if anything suggests a doctor should take a look first, we'll tell you and refer you.

A quick way to decide

  • Choose the hospital if you'd like it done before you go home and covered by insurance.
  • Choose an office if you'd like a physician you know, a few weeks after birth.
  • Choose home if being together in a calm, familiar place matters most, or you'd like a specialist who does only newborn circumcision.

Whichever you choose, a good provider will answer every question before you commit. If you'd like to talk the home option through, call us at (773) 217-0073. There's no pressure.