Hi ladies,
I know this question is best directed to a doctor but I don’t know how to go about it without hurting my son’s feelings.
He is almost 9 years old and has a really small penis. It’s like a little button. Stretched out it’s probably 3cm at best. From what I’ve read on Dr Google this would be classified as a minipenis.
Does anyone have any experiences with this? Will it sort itself out one he hits puberty? Should I risk giving him a hang up about it and take him to a doctor to see if there’s hormone therapy or something that can help or will he just have to live with being smaller than all his mates? My husband doesn’t think anything needs to be done about it. I’m not so sure.
34 Replies
Honestly if you’re really that worried about the size of him penis book an appointment just for you and talk about it, then if the dr is in agreement and things don’t sound right book an appointment for your son so he can have a full ‘check up’. This way the focus is on a check up and not specifically his penis. I’m sure if then the dr recommends any intervention the dr can be responsible for having that delicate kind of conversation.
I'm kind of left with questions but none of them are really to do with your sons penis, more like why are you checking? Why are you googling? Did you ask him to stretch it out? Did you measure? Do you discuss his penis in front of him? I have not seen my son's penis since he was about 6! I mean I would if there was an injury or he asked me to check something but that's never happened. So I guess I find it strange that you are so concerned with his penis at 9 and know how big it is 'stretched out'.
Just for the record my partner has what would be considered a micro penis, you can't even see it because his pubic hair covers it. But when he has an erection it all comes out of nowhere and he has over 4 inches and good girth which is perfect for me as I'm very short, long penises don't suit me and they don't fit in there anyway. His teenage years might be embarrassing for him but once he's older it shouldn't be a problem.
My son is 9. He changes in front of me camping, walks naked through the house after his shower because he forgot his towel was in his room etc. If he's changing in the camper in the morning he often has a morning erection. I find it surprising a mum wouldn't know this to be honest. And giving a rough measurement would be a visual guess I'm assuming. Mum clearly wants to avoid having her son be self conscious or bullied when older and was googling to try and find information on whether this would resolve with maturation, require some kind of medical intervention or just be the cards he was dealt.
To the OP... you're being a caring mum by looking into this and being conscious of not impacting on his self image in the long term. I would suggest speaking with a GP privately and not bringing your son into it unless there is something he recommends. At this age, you could explain that a checkup is good because penises that are a little longer are easier to aim when peeing if need be and there is something that can be done. That would be logical and not demoralizing to a 9 yr old.
Ps... looking at this, I'd be seeking medical advice. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=micropenis-90-P03096
I would absolutely love to be a fly on the wall for that consult. The doctor is only going to want to discuss that child's penis if its not functioning as it should or needs medical attention. Even then he will need to see it before giving advice.
Last I checked, GPs consult regarding a wide variety of medical conditions and refer to specialists as required. A micropenis is a medical condition and can be due to underlying issues that can impact on a range of things, including fertility later in life if not treated as a child. I doubt a doctor would have any issue talking with a mum about her concerns before recommending a consult with the child present.
Maybe a maternity child health nurse is someone to ask? They know all this stuff and answer questions all day long without embarrassment or shame
Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
I don’t spend a lot of time looking at it to be honest, it’s just when I see him get undressed from time to time I notice it and as his mother it concerns me that he looks different! I’ve never mentioned it to him. I have discussed it with my husband and he said he’d check it without trying to bring attention to it so he helped show our son how to clean the foreskin etc in the shower and he was the one who checked the length.
A fly on the wall, how immature, doctors see a penis the same as an arm or leg.
I have a son with spinal cord issues, the things we have to discuss, you wouldn’t cope, you have no idea what doctors see/discuss all the time.
Anything abnormal, a mum is concerned about, be it penis, nose, finger.
I’m sure this mum noticed way before this it was on the small size and now at 9 she sees it hasn’t rectified and wants to do something about it. Your thinking is ridiculous and immature.
Us mums with special needs kids have to have some pretty uncomfortable convos with our kids/medical staff.
We also have to help bathe our teenage male kids when they’ve had operations, heaven forbid.
Doctors also know how to handle sensitive topics with kids, they’re professionals at this kind of stuff.
I was about 11 when I got a uti, they there brilliant, had to check things out, but were very discrete and sensitive.
Also, ask your husband this, I dare you.....if your parents could have taken you to the doctor early and got you hormone injections to lengthen your penis, would you have been happy with that? I guarantee the answer would be yes. Just because you’re happy with it, doesn’t mean he is and I’m sure it’s caused him a lot of psychological angst over the years and I’m sure it’s something he probably would rather not talk about.
He is happy with it 🤣 He has had no hormonal imbalances at all, he's actually huge (as in tall and stocky) and that would not have happened with a lack of hormones through puberty. This child is 9, I don't know I'm not a doctor but I would guess that a Dr would actually like to see what happens at puberty first.
Wow, you find this topic funny....a worried mum, medical issues, but because it’s a penis, it’s funny?!? Apparently early intervention is key, so you strike out again. Glad you find this mother’s angst so amusing.
I commented below regarding taking my son to a doctor about a micropenis. It's not a funny topic at all.. his dad has a VERY small penis also. He is extremely self conscious of it and is unhappy, it affects our s*x life. You know the saying about it's if they know to use it? Yeah that doesn't apply to people with micro ones. You literally need early intervention for them and not just sit and wait around for puberty and hope it magically grows.
I’m sorry for what you and your boys have been through, it sounds tough, some women are just brainless insensitive idiots.
A penis or a vagina is no different to an arm or a leg up to a healthcare professional.
My son started to develop pubic hair at the age of 5 so we went to the GP who then referred us to the specialists. They don't care or find it funny at all and are INCREDIBLY respectful of my son and his privacy. Always ask permission etc.
My son is now 9 and I still see him naked sometimes and yes, I keep an eye on his pubic hair/under arm hair for medical reasons - because I know at our regular check ups I will be asked these questions. There is NOTHING weird or wrong about this.
To the OP, speak you GP and go from there. Your son might need some blood tests etc but you are being a great and caring mum.
Not all shorter penises are the same. Your husband is over 4 inches with good girth. That's not a micropenis. My penis is over 4 inches aswell with skinny girth. About 3.9 inches around. I have a thin penis, with no movement in my shaft at all when erect. Comdoms are a issue. I'm in my 30's and if I could have gotten my willy checked back then I would have. A skinny willy causes problems in later life I know. A vaginas needs some friction, trust me good girth isn't a indication of a medical problem. My previous partners we're different sizes and they all ended it because of it. I have a micropenis because of girth. Why would you make excuses for not going to see your GP? and before puberty
Concerns regarding a very slim penis should be identifiable by sight alone at any age. It's really not possible for a doctor to measure girth until after puberty.
The shorter the peen the more chubbier it appears even when circumcised. Identifying very slim girth in that adult micropenis example is easy. Both my boys were noticeably thicker at 3-4 years and oddly enough had the same size scrotum from memory.
It would be interesting to know if theirs a correlation between no movement in stretched penile shaft and very slim girth. Penis girth is important in later life but isn't a concern unless it's very very slim. A micropenis is diagnosed by length NOT GIRTH.
I took my son to the doctor for his, there’s hormone treatments you can get but early intervention was really important.
Sooooo much more helpful than the mum's commenting why does the mum know it's small and thinking the GP wouldn't be interested in discussing this particular medical condition. So glad the OP got a real answer from another mother who had the same situation.
Agreed.
Maybe penis enlargement surgery later on in life could be an option too?
I know nothing about it, just putting it out there.
My 16yo son, had to have n operation to snip some ligaments holding his "growth" back. He had his op when he was 3. He's now, ruffly on the smaller side of average.
Wait till puberty. My son went from baby size to big fella in under a week. Just before his 12th birthday. He is going to make someone very happy one day.
Gross! What a disgusting way to speak about your son.
I once saw a man with this and he had no idea he wasn’t normal, my first thought was OMG why didn’t your mum take you to a dr!! Was my pinky at best but he’d convinced himself he was average.
Hugs mumma ignore the BS comments, have a chat to a couple of gps if the first brushes you off, your going to need a full hormonal blood work up and early intervention with testosterone ect. Once he’s through puberty it’s too late.
My son was exactly the same, we were really worried because it was so small. We asked our dr about it and he suggested to bring him in for a full body check that way he could look at it without embarrassing our son. He came back and said it was all totally fine and he would develop over time.
Last yr (age13) he asked his dad to took at it because he thought he had a lump (he didn’t all was ok) and my husband said it had definitely grown and looked normal. So I would say it’s nothing to worry about but it wouldn’t hurt to get the dr to check it out! 👍
I'd speak to a female doctor first before you mention ANYTHING in front of your son...discuss your concens and see what she advises
Male doctors will dismiss your concerns because you are a female...been there done that!!
But in saying all that I have had several male partners who's penis was non existent when not erect (lost 8n all the public hair 🤭)...but when erect all was fine 😉
I’m dealing with this exact issue right now with my 9yr old son, GP agreed it was small and we are on a wait list for a paediatrician. I was very worried about giving him a hang up about it too, but figured if there’s something that can be done I’d rather do it rather than him be teased for the rest of his life. Feel free to message me back.
Hi Mama, I just wanted to tell you not to take some of the less than helpful comments to heart (at 9 all my kids were still prancing around in front of me with no clothes on). I also implore you to ignore the comments that essentially suggest you do nothing, if something doesn't seem right ALWAYS get it checked out. More often than not it's nothing but if it's something that early intervention could prevent or help, you'll kick yourself for not getting it sorted earlier.
Most doctors are doing phone consultations at the moment due to covid, that would give you the perfect opportunity to discuss it with his doctor without him present.
Good luck xx
Penises come in a variety of sizes and shapes, all are "normal", including so called "micro penises".
Best advice I can give you, wait for puberty to start. A lot of changes happen then, even during the pre puberty stage, including to organs like the penis.
Mean time, if you're really worried, talk to your doctor. ❤
Generally with these things, they mimic size and shape etc (generally speaking) to that of thier dad. So I guess, assess dads and ask dad if he was similar as a little boy?
Does dad have any hang ups about his own?
Is dads on the smaller side?
There are two kinds from my knowledge... "grower" and a "shower", a grower generally has a smaller penis when flaccid (and then grows larger and in length and girth when errect) , and a shower generally has a longer more prominent penis when flaccid but doesn't grow much more when erect.
So I guess assess what dad is? And assume that he will be the same as he grows older.
I’m sorry but why are you stretching out your 9 year old sons penis?
I don’t even look at my sons and he’s 9!
Leave him be and if he has an issue he can see a Doctor.
The difference between a super-small peen and an actual micropenis can be hard to decipher on your own.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Medicalstock_micropenis.jpg SPL for nsfw adults. In an adult, the average stretched penile length is about 13.24 cm (5.21 in.). An adult micropenis is a stretched penile length of 9.32 cm (3.67 in.) or less.