How to Trim Baby Nails
The first time you have to trim baby nails its scary business. For the first few months John’s nails would start to peel off and it was easy and painless to trim back. Well last week I got a note home from his school that said he had scratched his face and to please trim his nails. I’d heard horror stories about the first time someone had trimmed baby nails and struggle that often results in clipped skin.
I was truly dreading this moment and came home with a look of terror on my face. Daddy asked me what was wrong and I said we had to trim baby nails! Surely, I am not the first mom to be fearful of this. It’s like a right of passage, you know it’s right up there with sleepless nights and blow out diapers, learning how to trim baby nails.
#1 Gather your equipment: We weren’t entirely sure what to use, so we got everything out. Emery boards, baby clips and nail trimming scissors. We ended up using the clippers.
#2 Give baby a bath: This will help soften the nails as well as calm baby and mommy down before the big event.
#3 Enlist a helper: This is really a two person job. Someone to hold baby and someone to focus on the clipping.
#4 Place baby in your lap facing outward and try to gently un-clench that tiny fist for prime nail exposure.
#5 Using your index finger gently pull back the skin under the nail to expose nail length. This really helps the person clipping.
#6 Gently trim baby’s nails. Carefully not to go too close to the skin, Boo Boos will happen.
We made it successfully through 9 nails! On the last nail the skin got clipped. I’m not sure which of the 3 of us was more upset. After some snuggles and nursing all was okay.
It was definitely nerve wracking the first couple of times we did this!
How helpful! Thanks for the tips!
I remember those days VERY well! It is SO hard to get the gumption to just do it!
It’s hard enough clipping our dog’s nails – I can’t imagine how tough it would be for babies!
Oh man… I remember those terrifying baby nail clipping days too well! I always dreaded it and tried to get Hubs to do it. LOL. Great tips!
This seems too scary! Yet another reason I’m scared to have a child.
I’ve never thought about having to trim a baby’s nails, but I guess it’s needed. I’ll have to come back to this!
My hubby has always been in charge of the nail cutting. Actually 🙂 even my friends’ babies! Ha…
This is a great post. I showed it to him and he was thrilled about it. Go you!
The first few times are always scary. I learned it was easier to trim my babies nails when they were sleeping. I would rock them to sleep and before laying them down I would trim their nails. A lot less resistance.
Thanks! This is very helpful 🙂
Thanks for sharing, I remember those days and you gave some wonderful tips.
Very helpful. Expecting baby #2 soon and I remember being terrified about this with my first. Thanks for posting this!
UGH. I still HATE clipping my sons nails! Thanks for the tips! Pinned this 😀
PS: You should check out the link party I’m cohosting called Ladies Collective Linkup. It went live for it’s very first week today!
Isnt it amazing how fast those little nails grow!!
Thanks for sharing on The Oh My Heartsie Girls WW this week!!!
Have a great weekend, Karren
Poor little guy scratches both of use all the time. I feel like I do it every other day.
I used to do it WHILE I was nursing. She was so focused on eating that she didn’t pay any attention to me unfolding her hands, and there was no wiggling. I actually took clippers to the hospital with me, because I was overdue and had heard their nails could be pretty long at that point, and hers definitely were. I trimmed them day 1 instead of doing baby mittens, and she hardly ever had scratches on her face. The first time I did it, I did get a tiny bit of skin on her pinkie finger, but since she was nursing she didn’t even notice and there were no tears. It’s a lot harder to trim her nails now that she’s two years old