What if the baby is born prematurely?
The doctor will determine if the baby can have a bris. While there may be other health concerns, most parents want to know how much the baby should weigh before he can have a bris. While there is no minimum weight, many doctors prefer that the baby’s weight be at least five pounds. I have done many brisses on babies under five pounds but it depends on the doctor and the comfort level of the parents. When boy/girl twins are born prematurely, if the boy is healthy but the girl must remain in the hospital, the boy should have his bris on time, i.e. the eighth day. If twin boys are born and one is healthy and one is not, the one who is healthy should have his bris on time and when the other boy is healthy, he can have his bris. One can make two small parties after each bris. What should not be done is delay the bris of the healthy twin until the other baby is healthy just so both can have their brisses at the same time. Brisses should not be scheduled for convenience.
