As the baby begins to grow (compared to when they were born), new parents could get worried about their baby’s nails, as this is the prime time of the speedy development of your child. Now, you may ask, ‘why is there a need to cut or trim a baby’s nail?’ or, ‘Is a nail clipper really necessary?’
We understand that this comes from a place of concern, as your baby is just so little and one wrong cut could cost a lot, especially tears for both, the parents and the baby. But, it is important to have them trimmed, even though it’s quite scary to clip those itty-bitty nails.
This becomes even more important, as, with the growing nails, the kids might accidentally scratch themselves to blood. Therefore, parents must cut their baby’s nails as soon as they begin to show any growth, which means, every two or three days during the first three weeks up until their nails harden and the speed decreases.
Can we cut the nails of a baby using scissors?
It is commonly seen that most parents tend to use normal scissors to trim the baby’s tiny nails instead of the baby-safe baby nail clippers. This is quite a daunting task to perform as these scissors are not designed for trimming and do not come with an assigned shape, nor are they baby-safe and are extremely sharp, especially for the baby.
How about nibbling? That’s a no too! Peeling may accidentally cut way too deep, while nibbling could transfer your germs to her skin.
So what now?
What is the ideal way to cut your baby’s nails?
The best and the most ideal way that parents must follow to cut their baby’s nails is by using the baby nail scissors or the baby nail clippers. These have rounded tips that prevent you to accidentally poke the baby and come with built-in magnifying glasses for a better visual of the baby’s nails.
Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind and follow while nail cutting:
- Always make sure to hold our baby’s finger in place. This means, mentally pressing the tiny baby’s fingertip pad down, away from the baby nail clipper.
- Now, slightly snip the nails following the natural curve and make sure to avoid clipping too low or nip the quick.
- On the other hand, when planning on trimming the nails, always cut nails straight across.
Pro tip – If your baby is super active and would mind you trimming their nails using the baby nail clippers, we recommend you to cut them during their nap. This will prevent cutting nails too low or too high and also provide a better grip.
What to look for when choosing baby nail clippers?
Now, that we understand the importance of trimming the baby’s nails and what are the safety measures while cutting the fingernails of the infant, let’s quickly dive into this parenting session: How to search for the best baby nail clippers?
Listed below are the tips the can help you pick the best baby nail file:
- Perfect size – The size of a trimmer must allow you to cut the baby’s nails without the danger of chipping the little one’s skin. Where most clippers are too big for the tiny nails where the whole fingernail or part of the finger tends to get into the shaper, choosing the one with the perfect size is of utmost importance
- Has a good grip – While the nails grow, parents would need a nail trimmer that has a rubber-treated handle for a better grip while cutting the nails. It will surely boost your confidence and help you gain more control, preventing any unwanted cuts. The best way to make sure that you are picking the right baby nail clippers, hold them and check whether they are convenient enough.
Ahead, we at Parenthood bliss have curated a related list of the best baby nail clippers and scissors on our site that will help you with the best gear and keep your little one’s nails short, their face scratch-free, all resulting in less stress over.
To Conclude:
It is an important job for the parents to keep an eye on the little fingers and toenails, week by week, and decide on the best time for you to plan on a sitting-trimming session to gently cut the nails of the babies.
Make sure to avoid using any other method to trim the nails as they could be dangerous as mentioned in the article above. But, only use the soft care baby clippers that have good support and the design allows them to be used on newborn babies as well.
FAQs: The best way to trim the tiny fingernails
1) What to do when the babies do not wish to get their nails trimmed?
Here are the different ways that will help in getting the infant’s nails trimmed:
- Use a different tool to cut the little fingernails. This is because, at times, darn baby clippers could really stress kids out
- Try to reverse and give the little one control
- Use nail clippers during bathtime. This is the ideal way as the baby will be caught up playing with the other activities and wouldn’t pay much attention to the nail cutting episode
- When using baby nail clippers, try to distract them with their favorite cartoon
- If you face troubles, you can also try and schedule a professional manicure or nail cutting session
- Draw their attention and let them watch you trim your nails
2) What should I do if I cut my baby’s finger while trimming nails?
Don’t worry and try to apply gentle pressure using a clean lint-free cloth or a gauze pad, and the bleeding will soon stop. Make sure to press the finger pad away from the baby’s nail to avoid nicking his/her skin while maintaining a firm hold on his/her hand while you cut or clip. Only then gently hold a piece of clean cotton cloth and apply a little pressure. The bleeding will stop soon enough.
3) What age should a child cut their own nails?
Your little munchkin will be able to cut their nails when they are about 10-12 years old. This is when the motor skills and attention span of the kids are sharper and are able to understand the idea behind nail hygiene. So, as parents, you’d know and will be able to understand when the child is capable of independently cutting their nails, so we suggest you allow your children to cut their own toenails at the right age, that is when they are around 10-12 years old.
4) How to cut your baby’s nails?
- Make sure you have ample light for better focus
- Have your partner hold the infant while using nail clippers
- Hold your baby and gently pull their finger on the pad or a table away, but away from the nail to avoid any cuts
- Make sure to always trim the toenails straight to prevent ingrown nails
