After brining your newborn home from the hospital, you will be amazed at just how quickly his or her little finger and toenails grow. Obviously, you can’t keep running back and forth to the doctor’s office to have them trimmed, which means it’s all up to you. The first time you trim your baby’s nails, you will likely feel nervous. After all, trimming itsy bitsy nails on tiny fingers and toes is much different from clipping your own.
Typically, your baby will need to have his or her nails trimmed about once every seven to ten days depending on how fast they grow. In addition to looking nice, keeping the nails trimmed will also prevent the baby from accidentally scratching him or herself. Remember, little babies have little to no control over where the hands go. Therefore, they can easily reach up, scratching the face, eyes, neck, and so on.
While you could trim your baby’s finger and toenails any time, the best time is immediately after a warm bath at which time the nails are soft. Instead of using clippers, like the type you would use, the better option is miniature, blunt-nose scissors designed specifically for this purpose. You also want to choose a time when the baby is relaxed. After a nice bath and bottle, your baby should be napping, making this the perfect time.
All you need to do is follow the baby’s natural curve of the nail for the fingers. Then for the toes, just cut the nails straight across, which will prevent ingrown nails. To protect the skin, you might want to put your finger up firmly against the finger or toe so if you were to slip accidentally, the scissors would poke you and not the baby. Although the chances of nicking the skin is unlikely, if you do, simply use a cotton ball pressed against the small cut so any bleeding would stop. Then, apply a small dab of antibiotic cream or ointment but no bandage.
If you feel uncertain about clipping your baby’s nails, you should talk to the nursing staff at the hospital before you go home, asking them to walk you through the process. This type of education should be included while you’re in the hospital but if they were to forget don’t be afraid to ask. Keep in mind that once you’ve successfully trimmed our baby’s finger and toenails, you’ll see just how easy a process it is.