Complete Guide to Cutting Newborn Baby’s Nails
After you’ve been accidentally swiped in the face for the first time by the little razor blades on the ends of your baby’s fingers, you’re probably wondering, “When can I start clipping my newborn’s nails?”.
You might not know where to start, but don’t worry - it’s intimidating for everyone when they first start out! With our comprehensive guide, you’ll be able to give your little one a manicure without issue! Let’s jump right in!
What is The Easiest Way to Cut a Baby’s Nails?
Every baby is different, so what another parent recommends may not be ideal for you and your bundle of joy. Generally speaking, however, these tips have come in handy for us and we think you’ll find them helpful, too!
Use Baby Nail Clippers: These are made specifically for the purpose of cutting baby nails. They have rounded tips to ensure everyone stays safe if they get scared or surprised. Many even come with little magnifying glasses built-in, so you can cut more accurately.
Ideal Environment: Make sure you have more than enough light, first of all. Your baby should be held safely in your arms, in a highchair, or another secure place while you clip the nails.
Use Proper Technique: Try holding each finger separately when clipping the nail. Press the pad of their fingertip down and away from the nail gently, to help avoid touching any skin.
Follow the Natural Curve: You’ll be able to see where the fingernail curves. Try and go with it, making sure you never cut too low.
Straight Across for Toenails: When it comes to the toenails, cut straight across. Toenails won’t need to be trimmed as often as they grow slower.
A serious game-changer for us was to trim their nails while they are sleeping. Keep a pair of clippers handy so if they fall asleep you can whip them out and get to work.
If that’s not feasible, try to do so when you have someone else who can help you. The helper can keep them distracted with toys, funny faces, picture books, songs, and other ways to entertain a newborn.
If not when they’re sleeping, try to attempt clipping when they’re at least calm or drowsy. Right after a bath is another optimal time, because the water will make their nails even softer and they’ll be nice and relaxed.
When Can I Start Clipping My Newborn’s Nails?
You may be wondering, “Can I cut my 3-week-old baby’s nails?”. The answer is, “probably”. Newborns have very soft and flexible nails, but they can grow extremely fast and become surprisingly sharp. This can become a hazard not only to you, but to themselves, so keeping them maintained is very important.
At around the 1-month mark, they’ll become a bit harder and easier to cut with clippers. Use your discretion here, though - if you think they’re too long, just go ahead and clip them before that point.
Do I Need to Cut My Baby’s Nails?
That brings us to our next point. Is it absolutely necessary to cut your little one’s nails? For the first few months, it likely isn’t necessary. As we just mentioned, newborn fingernails are quite soft and bendy, and will likely wear down against their clothing and from simply moving around.
For their first 6 weeks or so of life, it’s hard for babies to control their movements. That means that if their nails are sharp, they could very easily scratch themselves or others. Smoothing them out can avoid this and keep everyone happy.
Fingernails grow super fast, so keep an eye on them. You’ll likely have to trim them more than once a week.
Should I File or Clip My Newborn’s Nails?
You can do a combination of both, if you’d like! Some people prefer using a file to smooth and shorten the nails, as it’s much less “dangerous” with less room for error. However, clipping them is generally much faster. When it comes to babies, “faster” can be a lifesaver. When some babies really start taking notice of what you’re doing, they can become irritated and start crying, which makes trimming fingernails nearly impossible.
If you are going to use a nail file in your baby’s hygiene routine, make sure not to file too far, too. Regardless of the method you use, make sure to keep the nails nice and straight, and avoid cutting around the curve of the finger and down the sides of the toenails.
Things to Avoid When Cutting a Baby’s Nails
We’ve covered the main techniques here, so you probably already have a good idea of how to properly cut your baby’s nails. However, here are a couple of other best practices to keep in mind:
Never Bite Baby Nails: This may sound weird, but trust us, sometimes you just get desperate! The germs from your mouth could get into little cuts on their fingers, which could potentially cause an infection. On top of that, their nails are so tiny, it would be very difficult to keep track of what you’re doing. More than all of that, it’s just unsanitary and we don’t recommend it for either one of you!
Use Mittens or Socks: If you find your baby is scratching themselves or others and can’t seem to stop, you could try putting some scratch mittens or socks on their hands and feet. While they may not stay on for very long, they can still make a difference.
Track Progress: Using a tracking app like Baby Connect can track all progress they’ve made, which techniques work best, if the mitts or gloves are working for them, and so much more!
