To blame everyone else for not warning me?

(129 Posts)
HerrenaHarridan Sun 07-Apr-13 22:26:15

Wtf. Why did no one warn me this can happen?

Today I was watching a friends little boy 18mo. I was changing his nappy which was a well spread, thoroughly glued monster poo.

I went through a lot of wipes and had to rub a fair amount to get poo off, especially round the creasy testicle area and once I'd got it all I pulled the final wipe away to discover his penis was standing up!

Surely that shouldn't be possible, he's just a baby?

Please mumsnet, please tell me this has happened to somebody else. Is it just something people don't talk about?

KayHunt Sun 07-Apr-13 22:27:21

all the time. Get a nappy on quick though, usually means a wee is coming! grin

HousewifeFromHeaven Sun 07-Apr-13 22:27:43


SirBoobAlot Sun 07-Apr-13 22:27:47


kotinka Sun 07-Apr-13 22:27:49

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Boys penis' ALWAYS stand up. Hth

HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform Sun 07-Apr-13 22:27:53

I retrained as a massage therapist and was giving my sister a massage. 5yo DN insisted on having one too, so I just rubbed his back a bit. When he got off the massage table he had a stiffy. From my massage. I felt like I'd molested him!

You are not alone.

YouTheCat Sun 07-Apr-13 22:27:58

My ds was constantly pointing at nappy time. It usually meant he was about to pee in my eye.

amiwhatorhow Sun 07-Apr-13 22:28:08

Jesus H. Christ.

I have 2 dc but they're both girls and I would have had no idea!

Wereonourway Sun 07-Apr-13 22:28:42

Ds gets it when he's just woken up, I just close the nappy til it disappears!

You do not want to be in the way when that wee comes

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:28:59

This is totally normal. In fact its so normal and unremarkable I'm wondering why you are shocked.

amiwhatorhow Sun 07-Apr-13 22:30:46

Oh, shove off flippinada.

Some of us haven't spent a single moment of our lives thinking about what happens to a baby boy's penis during a nappy change so it would come as a surprise.

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:30:56

Have I just wandered into a parallel universe or something?

HerrenaHarridan Sun 07-Apr-13 22:32:34

Thank fuck for that! I was mortified, I've never done the tabs up on a nappy so fast in all my life!

I had no idea, I thought that happened as part of puberty!

I was an only child and before having 1 dd had only changed a girl nappy.

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:34:02

No, I won't shove off thanks.

Why would you be offended or shocked by something entirely natural?

I am genuinely surprised as this sort of thing is standard in baby books.

WorraLiberty Sun 07-Apr-13 22:34:08

I have 3 boys and I must admit the first time it happened with DS1 (he was a few days old) it did make me wonder why I'd never heard of it happening before?!

It's totally natural though...just the blood rushing to it, especially with a change in temperature - ie a nappy being taken off.

A bit like how we get stiff nipples really.

kotinka Sun 07-Apr-13 22:34:31

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

flaminhoopsaloolah Sun 07-Apr-13 22:34:34

Lol, usually best to take cover before you get peed on!

OldLadyKnowsNothing Sun 07-Apr-13 22:35:18

How old is your dd, OP? Only the masturbatory habits of toddlers are often discussed here! grin

WorraLiberty Sun 07-Apr-13 22:35:37

flippinada the OP is shocked, not offended.

She's shocked because she had absolutely no idea this happens

And why would she, given that she's never experienced it or hear of it before?

WorraLiberty Sun 07-Apr-13 22:36:16


YouTheCat Sun 07-Apr-13 22:36:18

I read plenty of really crap baby books and not one mentioned baby boys having erections.

Not having had any experience of babies at all, ds's nappy changes were a bit of a surprise, as was the getting peed on.

kotinka Sun 07-Apr-13 22:36:22

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MaryMotherOfCheeses Sun 07-Apr-13 22:37:27

Baby books? Who reads those?

yyy OP, good job you got the nappy back on, sure sign he was about to pee at you.

amiwhatorhow Sun 07-Apr-13 22:37:43

Gosh you are very indignant flippinada.

'offended' 'parallel universe' if anyone is making a song and dance about it it's you, not the OP.

Or can't you recognise a pretty lighthearted thread when you see one?

<solemn face>

Shall I throw in a passive-aggressive 'genuinely puzzled' too?

BlackeyedSusan Sun 07-Apr-13 22:37:48

being a bloke, you would have thought that h knew that a stiff willy meant impending pee, he should also have heeded my warning to place something over the willy while cleaning the bottom of poo. after letting ds wee on himself, more than once, ds got revenge by peeing in his dads hair. still did not learn though.

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:39:23

Once again, I'm genuinely...well... surprised people are surprised by this.

I didn't imagine the OP was offended, I simply assumed this was something people who have babies or are around babies knew? I certainly remember reading about it in baby books.

HerrenaHarridan Sun 07-Apr-13 22:39:48

It was definitely not in any baby book I ever flicked through read

Someone was kind enough to warn me that breast fed girls can have blood spotting due to mothers hormones or that would have been an embarrassing trip to a and e!

My mum regularly reminds me about my toddler masturbation antics, there was a favourite teddy blush

CatsRule Sun 07-Apr-13 22:39:49

I didn't know about this either until dh told me it was just a reaction. I thought I'd done something jist didn't seem right!

Oh and yes I usually get quickly pee'd on afterwards...the boy has perfect timing, like when I'm trying to get to work! grin

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:39:54

Yes, I remember the delights of the projectile wee smile

intheshed Sun 07-Apr-13 22:40:05

First I've heard of it and I have 2 DDs! Don't think I've ever changed a boys nappy in my life so why would I know? All I've heard is they can pee in your ear grin

freddiefrog Sun 07-Apr-13 22:40:20

You learn something new every day!

I wouldn't have a clue either. I have 2 girls, I've never changed a baby boy's nappy in my life. It's not something I've ever really thought about, or discussed with friends with boys either

skratta Sun 07-Apr-13 22:40:22

Yeah, I was shocked, I had three girls then DS...

I mean, I'd been warned about peeing in the eye. But, tbh, it was a bit shocking the first time I saw it, I commented on it vaguely to a friend and she mentioned about blood rushing to it after the nappy comes off, making it go like that.

After a while, I'd see it and dive for cover. The smell of wee in hair is like a very strong, very disgusting shampoo.

hiddenhome Sun 07-Apr-13 22:40:23

I used to wheel ds1 round in a supermarket trolley when he was a toddler and one day he announced in a very loud voice "Mummy, my willy's gone hard again"! blush

VerySmallSqueak Sun 07-Apr-13 22:40:45

The ins and outs of changing a boys nappy are a mystery to me also OP as I only have daughters.

I only learn things on a need to know basis.

YouTheCat Sun 07-Apr-13 22:41:24

That would depend though. My kids are 18 now and the baby books I read said nothing of any use about it.

Plus if your kids are older you soon forget the nappy stage.

Not changed a nappy in 15 years grin

AmandaPayneAteTooMuchChocolate Sun 07-Apr-13 22:42:26

Nope, never heard of it either. Have two girls. I'd have been a might surprised too.

amiwhatorhow Sun 07-Apr-13 22:42:40

If you didn't imagine anyone would be offended by it then why did you ask why someone would be offended by it?

I'm genuinely puzzled by that <tilts head>

YY to the baby girl mini period thing. We had that with DD1 and phoned the hospital in a panic.



kotinka Sun 07-Apr-13 22:42:46

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SatsukiKusukabe Sun 07-Apr-13 22:43:03

flinada before you had children you were were totally aware of the erection habits of toddlers confused I wasn't shocked because I was a Cm before my own kids but can't see why anyone else would know about it.

usually means a pee is on is way op.

No, it is normal, and slightly unnerving I admit to finding it a bit weird when DS was a teeny tiny infant: 'Wah! What the hell... oh, he's doing a wee...'

DS (now 8yo) said to me recently 'Mum, my penis is really small, but sometimes there's a muscle in it that make it look like a finger, see?' Hmmm, yep, DS, thanks for that. 'My willy is really small, like really small, but do you know who's got a BIG willy? DADDY! His willy is MASSIVE, mummy, have you seen it?' Ahah, yes...'No, but Mum, it's massive! It's huge! Don't you think his willy is massive, Mum?' Ooh-kay, DS, let's move on..'No, but Mum, Daddy has got a MASSIVE WILLY! And sometimes it's REALLY MASSIVE! I saw him in the shower and it was HUGE!'

The lock on our bathroom door doesn't work.

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:44:04

I'm not making a song and dance, ami, I just thought people knew this happened?

SundaysGirl Sun 07-Apr-13 22:44:21

Eh when I was in hospital after having my son and changing his nappy I called a nurse over to ask why that was happening.

She laughed her ass off at me, but I had no idea baby boys got erections blush

SatsukiKusukabe Sun 07-Apr-13 22:45:50

wink stealth boast sad

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:46:13

I can't remember kotinka it was a long time ago. A Miriam Stopppard one, I think?

SatsukiKusukabe Sun 07-Apr-13 22:47:22

but why would you know if you haven't git a boy or haven't read a baby book for years? you only remember what's relevant to yiu

See, I wasn't bothered or surprised when I saw DS's for the first time. I just shrugged. Maybe I had read a book though grin

amiwhatorhow Sun 07-Apr-13 22:48:09

grin satsuki

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:48:45

Oh, X posts ami, so I did.

Herrena, I apologise if I caused you any offence.

ChairmanWow Sun 07-Apr-13 22:48:51

Nope, I didn't see it in any of our baby books either. My 2 y o gets morning glory every morning, and likes to have a bit of a grab at it. Doesn't bother me in the slightest now but it is something of a surprise when it first happens. Baby with a stiffy looks somewhat incongruous. One of the many joys of getting used to having a boy.

McNewPants2013 Sun 07-Apr-13 22:49:57

You would of thought having 2 nephews and 2 brothers you would of thought at least my mum or my sisters would have warned me.

As someone who hasn't changed a boy's nappy, I didn't know this. How can you stop yourself getting peed on, apart from being quick?

HerrenaHarridan Sun 07-Apr-13 22:50:47

I am in blushing hysterics at the idea of a little boy going "but mum, have you seen it dads willy is huge!"

It a healthy, normal observation by an innocent child coming to understand the world around them. But it's also hysterical!

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:51:08

Yes that's true satsuki

What can I say, I've been well and truly told! smile

bigbuttons Sun 07-Apr-13 22:52:18

yes, it's perfectly normal and doesn't always mean an impending pee either.

Myliferocks Sun 07-Apr-13 22:53:11

I had 3 girls followed by 2 boys. I'll never forget the looks on my girls faces when they first saw DS1 have an erection during a nappy change. grin

I never got wee'd on by my boys but my girls constantly did it.
I never realised that girls could hit you in the eye with wee when they were laid on their backs having their nappy changed!

Wait til he's about 3 or 4. I remember my son saying "look at this mummy - I can make it go big all over. It's like magic"

Mmm yeah son thanks for sharing....

EggsEggSplat Sun 07-Apr-13 22:53:38

DS, aged about three, once greeted DH at the door with the question, "Daddy, when you do a poo do you get a pointy willy too?"

It was of course one of the rare evenings when he'd brought a visiting colleague from overseas home for supper.

I'm not sure if DS ever got an answer...

kotinka Sun 07-Apr-13 22:53:51

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HerrenaHarridan Sun 07-Apr-13 22:54:54

No worries flipinada, there were reassuring responses first so I didn't immediately feel like some weird pervert who had magically brought puberty forward by ten years.

Just ignorant! grin

There are something's that amaze me other people don't already know ( like washing the cleanest stuff first and the greasy stuff last)

bigbuttons Sun 07-Apr-13 22:55:34

Oh and I quickly leaned to hold the front part of the nappy over the willy just in case!

StickEmWithThePointyEnd Sun 07-Apr-13 22:57:23

I have a brother and my mum told me about it before I had ds. She also told me about the mini period thing in baby girls and that she took me to a&e in a panic when she saw blood in my nappy as a newborn.

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 22:58:56

Oh blimey I wasn't meaning that at all! Sorry. I can see why people reacted so strongly now.

I do see it would be a bit alarming if you weren't expecting it.

CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs Sun 07-Apr-13 22:59:29

I had DD at 16. 4 years later I had DS1. Nobody had told me about this, no books I had read said it in - but the books I had were all quite old when I read them, secondhand, 15+ years ago when I was pg with DD.

Not one of them mentioned it - that sort of thing wasn't put in baby books back then!

I soon learnt to put a wipe over it while changing a nappy though!!

erowid Sun 07-Apr-13 23:00:53

Whaaat?? Mini periods and baby erections? shock

Geez you can tell I haven't had kids.

I had no idea about this before I had my PFB DS (but then I'd never held a new baby until I had my own) I'd held babies but not tiny.

Yes, you learn to put the nappy on quick.
And to make sure he's pointing downwards (after experiencing that they can pee over the top ) blush

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 23:01:54

Sorry that was to Herrena

I'd be the first to admit there's a lot I don't know when it comes to childcare grin

kotinka Sun 07-Apr-13 23:02:39

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GreenEggsAndNichts Sun 07-Apr-13 23:02:55

oh the head tilting has already been done, good.

When you have a boy, you learn to get that nappy front up quick smart. smile I'd read about it (so have passed the test, I guess) but DH was the one caught out by it- more than once.

Oh and if you're wondering, or new to it, remember to point the willy in a generally downward direction when putting a new nappy on. Otherwise his next wee will just go out the top, if you're very unfortunate.

AuntLucyInPeru Sun 07-Apr-13 23:04:26

Best ever quote from DS, sitting quietly in the back of the car.

[dh] what cha thinking 'bout, son?
[ds aged 2] I'm just rubbing my willie and thinking about you.
[dh] ... Stunned silence...

SatsukiKusukabe Sun 07-Apr-13 23:04:41

flipinada, I don't think I've ever seen anyone admit they were wrong on aibu. shock
<brain explodes> grin

wittyliteraryname Sun 07-Apr-13 23:07:41

I remember sitting innocently watching TV when DS (then around 3, now 9) calmly announced that watching the pretty lady made his willy go big. I was mortified, XH was so proud of his boy though.

I am storing this up for the future as the pretty lady was Lorraine Kelly! how his future girlfriends will laugh.

Nonetheless, since starting school he has been pretty anti-girls and thinks "kissing and stuff is disgusting"

I am also a mum to 3 boys, willys a'go go in this house! I'm forever saying things like "please on't play with your willy in the front room DS.."

The older 2 also had a hilarious hmm game of poking theirs out the top of their trousers and seeing how long it would take before I'd notice ...

And yes we have the conversation about Daddies willy bring giant AND hairy and how side splittingly funny it is.

I'm oblivious to anything penis related now tbh.

SatsukiKusukabe Sun 07-Apr-13 23:09:00

oh and babies get boobs too! and DD lactated!

RubyrooUK Sun 07-Apr-13 23:09:46

Nobody told me that my two year old would spend his whole time fiddling with his willy in public either. smile

I try to make it no big deal so some time ago, developed the strategy of saying "let's not fiddle here" in a brisk voice and then moving on to distracting him.

Except that recently he says loudly while sticking his hands down his pants: "Mummy, I am not fiddling. Oh I am fiddling. Look, mummy, can you hear me? LOOK MUMMY AT ME FIDDLING."

I wish I'd just ignored it totally now.

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 23:09:51

What can I say, I really did think this was something people knew about, but obviously I was wrong!

HerrenaHarridan Sun 07-Apr-13 23:11:13

That was my first reaction, shit what have I done that's not supposed to happen.

2) quick cover it up
3) did that really happen
4) I'm never changing his nappy ever again
5) hold on a min I can't have just brought on puberty, can I? That is ridiculous woman it must be normal, surely?
6) thank fuck I've got a girl!

Fortunately it was right before he went home so I didn't have to get my head round another nappy change till talking to you lot.
Now I know it's no big deal, fine I can just get on with it and I won't be scarring him for life!
I'm not shy about cleaning dds vulva when it's caked in shit! I've always been meticulous about it because a single dad friend was shy about cleaning his dd properly and she kept getting urine infections until the Doc figured out why sad

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 23:11:27

I remember reading about baby girls leaking milk from their nipples, do boys not get that too sometimes?

I am sure it was Miriam Stoppard...

LetsFaceTheMusicAndDance Sun 07-Apr-13 23:13:06

RubyRoo LMAO!!!

kotinka Sun 07-Apr-13 23:13:17

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

flippinada Sun 07-Apr-13 23:13:22

That is sad Herrena, thank goodness it got sorted out.

Myliferocks Sun 07-Apr-13 23:16:30

I regularly used to hear DD1,2 and 3 shouting through from the living room that DS2 had his willy out again.
DS1 was more of a sit quietly with his hands inside his pants type of boy.
DS2 was forever whipping his willy out and waving it in his sister's faces or sitting on the sofa with his legs akimbo playing with it!
DS's are 9 and 8 now and tend to do it in the privacy of their bedroom.
Boys are great creatures! grin

willyoulistentome Sun 07-Apr-13 23:17:20

I read about it in baby books while I was PG so it was no surpise at all to me that my DSs had tiny little wee shooting stiffies in their nappies. It is a bit surprising to me however that they swagger around the bathroom with proudly displayed stiffies 7 and 9 years later with no embarrasment whatsoever.

sjupes Sun 07-Apr-13 23:18:32

Ds doesn't really get erections thank god but he does love playing with his tinky whenever it's out!

Dd had a mini hormone period at 4 days old i thank god for the midwife who warned me or i'd have been at a and e asap..

My nephews balls were really tiny and used to move about a lot i was always asking my sister to make him stop!

Anytime something 'weird' happened on ds willy/balls poor dp had to listen to me asking him questions, in detail, because he has a willy too grin

HerrenaHarridan Sun 07-Apr-13 23:24:02

Wow. It's a whole new world!

"Look mum I'm fiddling"
" mum ds2 has got his willy out again"
" dad does your willy go pointy when you have a poo"

Teeny tiny newborn erections. Strategically placing willy to avoid peeing out of the top of the nappy.
Lactating babies

This is what baby books should be for, not all this rubbish about enforcing idealistic sleep routines and feeding patterns and other impossible ideals to make you feel like a failure.

Wallison Sun 07-Apr-13 23:31:02

I never read about it in baby books, but soon became accustomed to my ds's willy bravely waving in the air right before he pissed all over my face (and over himself as well, incidentally). I have since heard that baby boys very often get erections while breast-feeding. Now, how do you like those onions?

SatsukiKusukabe Sun 07-Apr-13 23:32:46

Ds had boobs too.. but don't think he lactated that I noticed. dds looked really hard and painful a bit like when your milk comes in. it was actually kind of upsetting.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Szeli Sun 07-Apr-13 23:33:51

My son had an erection in each of his scans.

He was affectionately known as the perve.

Tbf I did google to see if it was normal


MsVestibule Sun 07-Apr-13 23:35:27

AuntLucyInPeru Sun 07-Apr-13 23:04:26

I can honestly say that is the only thing I have ever read on MN that has actually made me cry with laughter grin.

SatsukiKusukabe Sun 07-Apr-13 23:36:56

oh just remembered, was still in hospital with Ds and I noticed something weird in his nappy area (don't remember what) so I call a nurse in and leave my his nappy open to show her. She comes in and looks at him and looks at me and says he has peed on his head. blush don't even know how he did it

foreverondiet Sun 07-Apr-13 23:37:08


Generally means he is about to wee.

Good that you got the nappy on quickly or you would have had wee in your face, which would probably have mortified you even more.

I was surprised the first time I saw it with DS1 (DC1 is a DD) but now with 2 DS am used to it!

Wallison Sun 07-Apr-13 23:39:06

Thankfully, and perhaps due to me repeating ad infinitum the phrase "This is a private thing and not something you need to be telling people about", my ds now no longer subjects me to the monologues on the state of his willy that he used to regale me with when he was a toddler eg "It's sticking out forward and it's a bit waggy like a dog's tail" or "It's all pointing up like a elephant's trunk" etc.

Altinkum Sun 07-Apr-13 23:39:11

Ds1 (7) even now says his willy is strong, and just like daddies ???

Ds2 3 thinks its hillarious to wop it out and put in on your body, when he goes "strong" he runs to the bathroom and then comes back saying its little again

AudrinaAdare Sun 07-Apr-13 23:42:28

grin at this thread. DS nearly drowned as a baby sitting up in the bath so fascinated was he by his willy sans nappy. He was absolutely mesmerised. His head got closer and closer to it until his mouth and nose were under water and I had to yank him back.

I've never found that a stiffy meant an imminent wee. The only person he ever got full in the eye was a doctor who refused to let us home when he was newborn because he didn't believe that breast milk was giving a full term baby enogh fluids. He was showing me how to wrap poor dehydrated DS' willy in cotton wool as I was obviously incompetent and he let rip all over him.

willyoulistentome Sun 07-Apr-13 23:42:52

'spikey' is how DS2 describes it.

Bunnyjo Sun 07-Apr-13 23:43:42

Haha! Reminds me when DH changed our DS's nappy (about 18mth at the time) when DS was half asleep. DH had changed DS's nappy many times, but never first thing when DS was barely awake...

DH: 'Yikes, better be quick. It looks like he (DS) is about to pee...'
Me: 'No, he's just half asleep. Nothing to do with needing a pee...'
DH: 'But surely he needs a pee? It's very, erm, erect...'
Me: Nope, he's like that any morning I need to change him when he's half asleep.'
DH: 'Oh, OH... It's a...'
Me: 'Yes darling, it's an erection. You'd think you hadn't seen one before!'

Poor DH was shell shocked and DS was oblivious!

nailak Sun 07-Apr-13 23:43:58

i didn't know, but i wasn't shocked either, just assumed it was one of those things...

ThatVikRinA22 Sun 07-Apr-13 23:47:28

i have a boy and girl.

my mate once told me her son was complained about at school for fiddling with his willy....

her deadpan response was "you clearly dont have boys. Once they discover it, its their favourite toy"

i love her so much....grin

babies get erections. yep. it starts young.....

MummytoKatie Mon 08-Apr-13 00:06:49

Sooo glad I found this thread.

(One dd and 33 weeks pregnant with a boy.)

I still remember dh's horror when dd "discovered" herself in the bath one time "daddy - I have a hole here - look"

Wallison Mon 08-Apr-13 00:21:14

grin MummytoKatie. My ds found his willy at around 3 1/2 months. He couldn't sit up on his own - hell, he could barely roll over. Didn't meet any of his milestones but boy could he tug on that thing. grin Such an advanced little boy!

MammaTJ Mon 08-Apr-13 00:36:21

I posted recently about my 6 year old DS and lack of solid poos. What I didn't mention was on one occasion I had to take him back in to school to clean him up when he pooed himself as I picked him up. Stood there in the bathroom, cleaning him best I could (and it was everywhere) he suddenly said 'the blood is going to my willy mummy, ooo my willy is getting hard'. TBH, I was more impressed that he made the association than bothered by it.

LooseyMy Mon 08-Apr-13 00:59:23

Seven year old ds tells me that when people are kissing on tv his willy gets hard and feels funny! That was a surprise at 7!

FairPhyllis Mon 08-Apr-13 01:08:45

I knew this but only because it is common in Renaissance art to see the Christ child with an erection. <kills thread>

fuckwittery Mon 08-Apr-13 01:20:18

Well I'm glad I've read this thread as I would have had no idea either (2 girls) and I bet baby no 3 on the way is a boy. I wasn't planning to read any baby books third time round so I would have got a shock!

pollywollydoodle Mon 08-Apr-13 01:22:49

well if it's good enough for the Christ child... grin

FairPhyllis Mon 08-Apr-13 01:36:30

Well in art it is mostly there to make a theological point about the full humanity of Christ. But yes, I was all 'wtf does that actually happen?'

three boys and no surprise for me. I don't actually class that as an erection. It's a pre-wee thing. Adult males cannot do a wee when their penises are erect, ergo, it's not an erection imo. Did nobody have little brothers here.....

Morloth Mon 08-Apr-13 01:59:18

My two often had erections at nappy change.

I assume they do it to increase their range...

I have 2 ds's so I can assure you it is normal, but the first time it happened I was shock . It was totally unexpected, nobody ever tells you these things smile

In fact I honestly believed boys didn't get erections until they hit puberty grin

sparkle101 Mon 08-Apr-13 08:03:40

Thank you so much for this thread op. am expecting a boy this time and was finding this really difficult (avoided the word hard) to get my head round and once again the wise world of mumsnetters are there to put their own spin on it! Feel infinitely happier about it now!

jamdonut Mon 08-Apr-13 08:18:07

It is definitely no something that I knew of beforehand. I was a bit aghast. I had no experience of boys in our family so it came as a bit of a shock! It took DH to tell me it was normal.blush

RubyGates Mon 08-Apr-13 08:38:55

It's such a common thing that they make these:


DreamingOfTheMaldives Mon 08-Apr-13 08:43:42

I had no idea that this happens either! I thought erections only happened from puberty onwards. And Flippinada, not having any children yet I've had no reason whatsoever to read a baby book although being 19 weeks pregnant it might be worth me doing so (better try and get through this pregnancy book first!)

BergholtStuttleyJohnson Mon 08-Apr-13 08:50:07

This happens to DS1 pretty much every nappy change but I've never noticed it with DS2. It often meant he was about to pee but not always.
Both my boys were born with boobs (only one boob in the case of ds1) from my hormones, they went away after a couple of weeks. DH was a bit freaked out by that!
A few days ago 2 year old DS1 was sitting willy fiddling and suddenly announced "I got a big rocket!" Me and DH looked at him and he was sitting there with a massive erection.

wonderingsoul Mon 08-Apr-13 08:59:21

iv never read it in a baby book.. and i remember being a bit taken back the first time it happened.

i have a friend who had alittle girl who born 3 almost 4 years after my first ds. ( i say this as it wasnt like i was a first time and mum and even i was worried) i was changing her (she was days old) nappy and found blood. we both panicked. she was getting packed up to take her to hospital and you could see the fear on her face till her mum popped round and told her it was natural.

they dont warn you about these things and they should.

OxfordBags Mon 08-Apr-13 10:01:58

My Ds (2) likes to strum his like a guitar. And the things he does to it in the bath make my eyes water. Puppetry of The Penis have got nothing on most toddler boys grin

The first time it happened when he was tiny, I rang my Mum to check it was normal (I have a brother) and she was all, oh yeah, should've warned you about that, bwahahahaha! Now, when friends know they're having a boy, or just after they have a boy, I warn them it'll happen and not to worry.

countrykitten Mon 08-Apr-13 10:06:01

I thought that the OP was a wind up and then I read on. Pretty shocked at people on here who are amazed by erections in little's normal,natural and healthy so why all the flapping about it FGS?

ShowOfHands Mon 08-Apr-13 10:42:28

countrykitten, it's a normal reaction to a surprising event. If you didn't know that baby boys had erections, you'd be surprised by it. I'm genuinely puzzled that people are genuinely puzzled by other people's experiences not being identical to their own.

I was well prepared for ds weeing in my face at nappy changes and knew about baby erections thanks to MN. He has NEVER done it. He won't wee al fresco. At 5 months old we needed to collect a urine sample and it was impossible. He wees with a nappy on and never otherwise. Potty training is around the corner and I don't quite know how he's going to manage.

sparkle101 Mon 08-Apr-13 12:24:17

Country kitten- I don't think we're doubting its normal and healthy just I always thought erections happened at puberty, I'm not saying its wrong or anything I just didn't expect it in ones so young but having read people's replies I can see the reasons why it happens.

I remember finding ds 2 aged 2 with his Willy stretched out horizontally by one hand while with the other hand he was marching a playmobile figure up and down it. It was christened the widge bridge that day.

BlackholesAndRevelations Tue 09-Apr-13 08:39:04

LOL at "I've got a big rocket!" grin

HerrenaHarridan Tue 09-Apr-13 09:17:21

Antenatal erections! Bloody hell, who'd of thunk it!

Thank goodness I know now, I may have displayed my embarrassing ignorance on here and won't be forced to do it on the maternity ward like a pp describes!blush

Thanks for sharing everyone smile

HerrenaHarridan Tue 09-Apr-13 09:17:45

Especially those who said they didn't know either! grin

forbetterorworsted Tue 09-Apr-13 11:03:24

Haha, I remember DH changing week old DS' s nappy and saying to me that his willy looked "different".

I said that would be his erection.

DH didn't believe me! He had to google it!

MsJupiterJones Tue 09-Apr-13 11:51:50

I didn't know either until having DS 5 months ago. Like others I often find it's pre-wee but not always. I knew toddler age boys tend to get a but fiddley (I remember my little brother being discouraged) but somehow hadn't realised they'd actually have erections.

DS also had breast buds and lactated, it was never actually wet but he would have bits of dried milk on his chest. Thank goodness for Dr Google.

There's lots they don't cover in baby books or antenatal classes!

Crinkle77 Tue 09-Apr-13 11:52:13

This has come as a surprise to me but then all our family are girls

OxfordBags Tue 09-Apr-13 13:45:15

The very worst thing about tiny boy erections is that you sometimes can't help but notice a certain familiarity... Now THAT'S when you need the brain bleach confused

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