Trimming tiny fingernails

Skalbrecht · September 2013

Anyone have tips on cutting those tiny little (sharp!) fingernails? I have cut one or two here and there, but have mostly just used a little baby file, as I am terrified of cutting a nail too deep and hurting her. Would appreciate any tricks you other moms have!

redfallon · September 2013

I let DH handle that. I'm too chickenshit.

[Deleted User] · September 2013

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mamabear6252011 · September 2013

I nibble them off with my teeth. No risk of clipping her fingertips and very easy to do!

OliveMom3 · September 2013

My son is 13 days old and I've already clipped his nails twice! They grow so fast!!! I just wait until he's in deep sleep, then I do the arm test, lift it up a bit let it drop. If there is no resistance chances are he won't budge while clipping. Make sure you see the white part of the nail and that its no longer attached to the nail bed before cutting them.

aislinsmom · September 2013

mamabear6252011 said:
I nibble them off with my teeth. No risk of clipping her fingertips and very easy to do!

This. I nibble them off too. Much easier!

foxyroxy · September 2013

I haven't had an issue with the infant clippers. I just wait until she is asleep so she isn't moving about.

slindsey7 · September 2013

aislinsmom said:

mamabear6252011 said:
I nibble them off with my teeth. No risk of clipping her fingertips and very easy to do!
This. I nibble them off too. Much easier!

This. I will nibble them of while she is eating she doesn't fight at all. Works quite well since I felt horrible when I slightly nicked he r finger with the clippers

MamaInMN · September 2013

This makes me laugh....I did a LOT of babysitting in college and moms would always ask me to trim their LO's nails because it didn't phase me.

FWIW, I use a pair of baby scissors and I find it much easier than the clippers. I do it while I am nursing LO and it has been ok so far. Her nails are not very strong, so I kind of bend them back and forth first so they are really loose and easy to cut (hope that makes sense).

These are the scissors we have: https://www.amazon.com/PIYO-SCISSORS-Precision-babys-nails/dp/B004DFO57M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379632301&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+nail+clippers

msronzio · September 2013

redfallon said:

I let DH handle that. I'm too chickenshit.

That's gonna be me if LO ever needs suppositories... Nope nope nope too scared I'll do it wrong

MamaInMN said:

This makes me laugh....I did a LOT of babysitting in college and moms would always ask me to trim their LO's nails because it didn't phase me.

FWIW, I use a pair of baby scissors and I find it much easier than the clippers. I do it while I am nursing LO and it has been ok so far. Her nails are not very strong, so I kind of bend them back and forth first so they are really loose and easy to cut (hope that makes sense).

These are the scissors we have: https://www.amazon.com/PIYO-SCISSORS-Precision-babys-nails/dp/B004DFO57M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379632301&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+nail+clippers

This is awesome advice, I don't know how I feel about nibbling on my baby.

achadwick19 · September 2013

That is for my husband to do!

CutieBean79 · September 2013

I still bite DD's or I use a glass nail file.

chois · September 2013

I always did it while feeding DS. That way he was too preoccupied to care what I was doing.

bumpuser9130703 · September 2013

I just file them. My mom cut them for me while we were still in the hospital because I was too afraid! Now the file works just fine. I do it a few times a week while we're watching tv at night. She doesn't seem to mind.

bumpuser9130703 · September 2013

I don't understand how this nail biting thing everyone talks about works. Her fingers and nails are so incredibly tiny and her nails are so soft... I just don't get it. I've accidently ripped enough of my own hangnails too far to trust myself with that.

VitaLuna · September 2013

I thought it was really strange when I heard suggestions to bite them, but it works perfectly. I do it while she's nursing.,

redfallon · September 2013

@msronzio DH has to clip the cat's nails, too. I can't do that, either.

Skalbrecht · September 2013

Thanks ladies for your input. I'll look at the scissors. I'm not a nail biter and not sure I can bite my babies nails! Just feels wrong to me...

JLMcWeeney · September 2013

Everyone told me to bite the off, but when I tried u was so scared I would rip it too low.
When I for it I put my finger on his and pull the skin back slightly so the nail sticks out more. You just roll the end of their finger back a bit to expose the nail more. Then put the clippers right under the further exposed nail to clip. This has worked fantastic for me. Not once has he been hurt by them.

Lbear8 · September 2013

While nursing works best for us too

Brooke81 · September 2013

You aren't supposed to clip them when they are that little. I think not for at least the 1st month. You should file them down or bite them off.

After that I higly recomend baby scissors instead of clippers. I clipped the tip of DS's pinkie when he was about 3 months old with baby clippers. I will never use them on a baby again! Talk about tramatic for mommy! The scissors are much easier to be sure that you are only going to clip the nail and not any skin. I recomend having someone else help then they can hold on the the hand and uncurl it or keep it from moving and you can hold the finger and pull the flesh down away from the scissors with a thumb and cut with the other hand.

At 2 and 4 I still use the baby scissors on them.

kennazebrowsky · September 2013

I was told by the hospital to wait a month. She hadn't needed any major clipping yet but the few times I have the nail was already partially off and I barely had to do anything to remove it. I pulled it off on its own

MamaInMN · September 2013

Brooke81 said:

You aren't supposed to clip them when they are that little. I think not for at least the 1st month. You should file them down or bite them off.

After that I higly recomend baby scissors instead of clippers. I clipped the tip of DS's pinkie when he was about 3 months old with baby clippers. I will never use them on a baby again! Talk about tramatic for mommy! The scissors are much easier to be sure that you are only going to clip the nail and not any skin. I recomend having someone else help then they can hold on the the hand and uncurl it or keep it from moving and you can hold the finger and pull the flesh down away from the scissors with a thumb and cut with the other hand.

At 2 and 4 I still use the baby scissors on them.

What is the reasoning for waiting a month?

Brooke81 · September 2013

MamaInMN said:

Brooke81 said:

You aren't supposed to clip them when they are that little. I think not for at least the 1st month. You should file them down or bite them off.

After that I higly recomend baby scissors instead of clippers. I clipped the tip of DS's pinkie when he was about 3 months old with baby clippers. I will never use them on a baby again! Talk about tramatic for mommy! The scissors are much easier to be sure that you are only going to clip the nail and not any skin. I recomend having someone else help then they can hold on the the hand and uncurl it or keep it from moving and you can hold the finger and pull the flesh down away from the scissors with a thumb and cut with the other hand.

At 2 and 4 I still use the baby scissors on them.

What is the reasoning for waiting a month?

I can't remember the exact time frame but the reasoning I beleive is that the attachment to the nailbed needs to solidify/mature too and could be damaged by clipping/cutting. Plus when they are so soft and tiny it is harder to cut them.

msronzio · September 2013

@redfallon Lmao! I would take mine into Petsmart!!! It's silly but he always behaved so well and they would swab his ears too, it used to be only $8.

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