Your baby may, understandably, be a bit more irritable than usual for twenty four hours after the bris and may whimper when urinating, requiring extra comfort.
Don’t be afraid to hold him, feed him, and dress/undress him as usual. He should wear double diapers for the first three days after the bris to provide extra padding. (The outer diaper can of course be reused.)
After performing the bris, I use a special bandage which stops the bleeding and allows the wound to heal quickly and naturally and I remove that bandage a short while therafter. The baby will be left without any pressure bandage, allowing him to be as comfortable as possible, with nothing interfering with his ability to urinate freely, as well as reduced risk of infection.
Check the baby about two to three hours after the bris for fresh bleeding. I generally contact the family a few hours after the bris to check on the baby’s progress.
The site of the bris is covered by a square of gauze which should be replaced each time the diaper is changed. Before putting on the fresh gauze, cover it liberally with Vaseline (petroleum jelly), as this will continue to comfort the baby and aid in the healing process. Continue changing the gauze pads for three days.
It is normal to see some blood on the bandage and on the diaper itself. This blood will be a reddish-pink color, and will get lighter and lighter with each diaper change. However, if there is any fresh bleeding, contact me.
Beginning on the third day, you may bathe the baby as normal, taking extra care to be gentle around the area of the bris milah, especially when drying him.
Dear Rabbi Greer,
It was such an honor to have you be the mohel for our son's bris. It is a very emotional time (especially for mothers) and it was very helpful to have someone who I was totally comfortable trusting my baby to. As a nurse I'm familiar with wounds and he healed very quickly and easily. Thank you so much!