Are you on your way to trim baby nails? Maybe wondering how to do it without hurting your baby?
Trimming your baby’s nails can seem like a really scary thing to do. And baby nails grow fast!
And as infants can’t really control their movements during their first few months, they tend to scratch themselves all the time, especially in the face.
With a newborn, the baby nails are not too difficult to trim, because the infant is usually quite still. But in the beginning, your baby’s nails shouldn’t be cut at all.
Later on, it is much harder, but must be done often.
Here you’ll find advice on when and how to trim your baby’s nails, and how NOT to trim them. You’ll also find an instructive video at the bottom of the article.
How to Trim Baby Nails Safely
1. Wait – It is very tempting to try to cut the nails to help the baby. Wait a few weeks though. The skin on the fingertips is delicate and there is a risk to cause infections if you trim the nails too early.
2. Peel them off – You can, however, peel off the ends of the nail already from the beginning. Do this as soon as you see any loose ends. Babies’ nails tend to “break” now and then – a good opportunity to peel them off. But be careful, so you don’t peel off too much and hurt your baby!
3. Regular trimming – After the first few weeks, you might have to trim the nails several times a week. Use a pair of scissors that are aimed for trimming baby nails. Adult scissors are way too sharp. A baby nail clipper is a great choice.
4. Light & pace – Make sure you have a lot of light when you cut the nails to prevent accidents. Also, take your time to trim the baby’s nails slowly. Take breaks if your baby protests!
5. While asleep – If your baby gets too interested in the scissors, it might be a good idea to trim the baby’s nails while your baby is asleep. Or have someone else distract him/her.
6. Don’t bite! – I know some people recommend biting off the baby’s nails. Don’t do it! As you can’t feel what you’re doing, you might bite your baby. Not worth a try, in my view! You might also bite off more of the nails than you actually want to.
7. How to cut – Cut fingernails following the curve of the fingertip. Toenails should be cut straight across.
You’ll find a video explaining the process of trimming your baby’s nails below.
How do you trim baby nails? Any additional tips? Please share by leaving a comment below!
Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
