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When should you start trimming your baby’s nails and why? We recently surveyed over 1,000 of our lovely Bump, Baby & You Facebook community members to find out how everyone else is tackling this tricky task. We also asked for tips to help you find the best way to cut newborn nails. Along with sharing the results of the survey, this guide will talk you through the ins and outs of safely tidying up teeny tiny baby nails. Here’s what you need to know…
How do you trim your baby’s nails?
We asked the Bump, Baby & You community how they usually trimmed their babies’ nails – using clippers, baby scissors or biting the edge of the nail. Parents could also answer ‘other’ and leave a comment to explain their technique. We also asked whether trimming was carried out while baby was awake or sleeping.
The overwhelming majority of parents told us they use clippers to trim their child’s nails with 56.8% of parents choosing this method. For the most part, clipping is done with baby awake (37.95% of all surveyed versus 14.93% asleep). The second most popular tool of choice for baby manicures was trusty baby nail scissors favoured by 29%. Again, the majority of parents opted to trim with scissors while baby is awake (21.95% versus 7.11%). Only 11.64% opt to bite baby nails with the remainder using a variation of the methods above or opting to avoid the need to trim by regularly filing nails instead.
When and why do you need to start trimming baby’s nails?
Some babies come out of the womb with quite long fingernails, so you may find that you need to do some nail maintenance in those early weeks. The NHS website recommends doing this using special baby scissors or clippers or a fine emery board suitable for those teeny tiny nails.
Despite being quite thin and flexible, baby nails are often really sharp, which means it’s easy for babies to scratch themselves when they are exploring their hands. It’s also easy for these sharp little nails to catch you while they are feeding or cuddling in. As anyone who has been caught by the little spikes can tell you, it’s surprising just how sharp these nails can be! They often feel like little pin pricks. Scratch mitts can provide some protection for you and baby but without regular maintenance the sharp edges will catch on sides of fingers or elsewhere on baby’s hands, so upkeep is essential.
How to safely trim baby’s nails
The nails on the end of babies’ cute chubby fingers are incomprehensibly small. So tiny in fact that the thought of using any cutting implement to trim them fills many parents with fear. It’s normal to be a little anxious about cutting baby nails. In fact, some mums told us that they’ve managed to swerve the task altogether by passing the job to another trusted adult!
Marie I take my son to my mothers, it scares the life out of me so I’ve never done it
Carly My daughter is 6 and I still haven’t cut her nails myself I get my dad or sister to do it
Shaping baby nails
When it’s time to trim or tidy baby nails, experts recommend that you cut toenails straight across and shape those tiny fingernails to follow the curve. Try to keep the pad of the finger away from whatever you are cutting with to avoid nicks but don’t push the nail away from the quick (the skin that seals the nail in).
You can trim with baby scissors – which are made more blunt to reduce risk of snipping the skin or use baby nail clippers or a baby nail file.
Parent’s tips for trimming baby nails
Of course, this is more easily said than done, particularly if you have a wriggling, squirming baby who is less than happy about staying still to have their nails trimmed. Thankfully, the mummies in our Facebook group had lots of great suggestions for how to make the task easier. These include:
- Incorporating nail trimming into the bathtime routine so that baby is nice and relaxed when they get their nails done.
- Clipping or cutting one of Mummy or Daddy’s nails then one of baby’s nails, which can help to put older babies and toddlers at ease.
- Cutting just one or two nails before moving onto another activity then going back to trim a few more later.
Here’s what our parents in the know had to say:
Alexandra I just use a nail file and do them every few days so they don’t get long enough to need clippers. Do it before his bath and he sits lovely to have them done think he enjoys his little pamper with Mama.
Sarah Nail clippers while awake. I did it much the same way I did the dogs to be honest, one nail, end it there, come back later and get another done. Didn’t leave enough time for anyone to get really worked up and the job got done.
Zoe My son never liked having them cut so we cut one of his nails and than dad gets one done and we have don’t that from when he was 9 months and he is 2 years now works really well. X
How short should you trim the nails?
You don’t want to go too close to the skin as you could nick the skin and cutting too close also makes it easier for germs to get in. If you do accidentally cause a little cut, apply pressure but don’t use a plaster or tape as these can be a choking hazard for baby. The bleeding should stop quickly, so if it doesn’t you should seek medical advice.
Why you shouldn’t bite your baby’s nails
A relatively small percentage of those surveyed confessed to biting their baby’s nails because they were afraid of accidentally cutting the skin with scissors or clippers. As adults, we’re warned against biting our nails because it spreads germs and the same goes for babies too. If you’re currently a nail-biter because you’re not confident with cutting you may want to switch to using an emery board instead to avoid spreading germs. Herpetic Whitlow is one very contagious condition, which can result from nail biting and passing of the Herpes Simplex Virus – this can be very dangerous for babies.
There you have it – how, when and why to trim your baby’s nails. We hope this post gives you a little more confidence to face the struggle nail trimming can bring! Make sure you let us know if you have any other tried and tested nail cutting tips that make the job easier!
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