I don’t know about you, but I was terrified to cut my baby’s nails. What if I lopped off part of his finger?! What if I clipped them too short?! I finally figured out how to cut them while I was breastfeeding – the way I contorted myself would have put Cirque du Soleil to shame.
So I asked Melissa from CloudMom if I could post her nail cutting tutorial video here. She said, “yes” because she’s awesome.
– Amy
Hello, moms and dads!
So thrilled to be guest posting for Amy at Pregnant Chicken today! Today’s topic is something I absolutely dreaded doing for all my babies, especially with my first; clipping their nails! It was totally intimidating and I had to have other parents show me how before I even tried on my own kids. I’m sure I’m not the only parent around here with those same fears. That’s why I decided to create a little video, starring my own baby, Marielle (my youngest of 5!), to ease some of the anxiety around cutting baby nails!
1. Choose/buy a baby nail clipper
Options range from a rounded scissor to regular nail clippers. I personally prefer the nail clippers. I feel like I have more control and grip on them, which is nice to have when you are first getting the hang of it. Also, they can fit under even the littlest nails, making the job go by quicker, good news for both you and your squirmy baby!
2. Find an ideal time
So when is the optimal time to be cutting your baby’s nails? I would definitely recommend clipping the nails soon after bath time. This is the time they will be the softest and easiest to cut. If your child is still very young, you might even be able to get away with clipping them at nap time…let’s just hope they don’t wake up! For older kids, I’ve found that if they are distracted with a toy, book, or TV show, they tend to stay put more easily during the whole process.
3. Cutting your baby’s nails
Once you have your child relaxed as they can be, with their hand firmly in yours so they can’t manage to squirm away, you can begin clipping! I like starting the nail clipper on one side of the nail and making my way to the other side, not worrying about taking too much at a time. Just gently push back their skin under the nails using your finger and wedge the nail clipper between the nail and skin to begin trimming! If you need to get more nail, remember you can always go back to make sure they’re short enough and even! I found that this process doesn’t actually take too long and it has become a lot less stressful for both me and my children over time! Practice does make perfect!
4. Repeat
I would recommend clipping your child’s nails at least once a week to keep them from getting too long. You definitely don’t want your baby scratching herself with her long nails!
Best of luck trimming your baby’s nails, I hope this blog post was helpful!
My name is Melissa and I started CloudMom after the birth of my fifth child, Marielle! On CloudMom, you’ll find expert parenting advice (ha!) from yours truly on babies, toddlers, and life with kids. Join me on my journey as a mom and please tweet to me, comment on the site, or email me if there are topics you’d like me to cover!
I just got a sturdy glass file because she is way too squirmy for scissors or clippers. Even then I usually have to wait for here to pass out on me while nursing.
I swear by using cuticle cutters to cut my baby’s nails, allows for a good visual of the nail as you cut and I find them easy to control.
I always cut my baby’s nails while she is breastfeeding. She’s quiet & distracted & it’s easier to her fingers turned to get under them. I do one hand then the other when she feeds on the other side.
U can just apply vaseline to nails and they shed off on their own…
I love this! Aren’t baby nails like like knives digging into your breast while you feed? I swear they could cut a penny.
I have to use the scissors. I’ve cut my baby’s finger every time I use the clippers.
I have managed to cut my baby (just a little bit) with every type of nail clipper I’ve bought. Now I just bite my baby’s nails. Kinda gross but gets the job done and no cuts!