Clipping Baby’s Nails
Of all the responsibilities I had when my babies were newborns, the one I hated a feared the most was clipping their nails. Something about the task terrified me. I would rather change twenty poopy diapers than clip one fingernail on my baby because I was so scared of accidentally clipping the skin. For a while, both of my babies wore those hand covers available at stores that are made for parents like me who can’t work up the nerve to clip fingernails. By the way, I heartily applaud whoever thought up that genius invention.
Once my babies figured out how to pull off those gloves my husband and I struck a deal: I would change every single diaper when we were out on the town (which was the chore he hated more than anything else) if he would handle clipping fingernails. He happily agreed, and it worked for us for a while until he had to head off on a deployment to Iraq. I was then left to finally face my biggest fear…I had to clip my baby’s fingernails.
I finally figured out a way to do it and still stay calm. I cut her nails while she nursed. She stayed calm and didn’t even notice I was doing anything, and this meant that she wasn’t squirming and that made me less apt to clip her skin by mistake. I never really got used to the task, and I will never claim to have enjoyed it, but this is just another example of how moms and dads learn how to adapt when necessary. Now that my daughter is older I just clip her nails while she watches television, and every time I do it I remember back to when she was an infant and the very same task used to make me break out into a cold sweat.
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Theda K. says...
When my baby was an infant I just bit her nails off. I could feel better with my mouth/tongue than with clippers. When she got older I always clipped them after a bath, because the white part of her nails were more visible then.
I think I stopped biting her nails when she was around 1 year old or so.
Also, I never liked the gloves because I felt it took away her ability to feel the world. For new moms who are afraid like you were, I would suggest trying to bite the nails and see how that works.
Good luck new moms!
mari says...
i clip my babies’ nails when they’re sleeping. i also had that fear that i might clip the skin instead.
Daru says...
Yes, do it while they’re sleeping. But still hold their fingers firmly in case they suddenly move while sleeping.
Stacey Graham says...
I had the true terror of clipping not one but two babies’ fingertips! My first I’d clipped a teeny bit off the top and it still hurts my heart to think about it, so I made my husband do it from there on out. Three children later I figured I could deal with it and started in on baby number four since her dad wasn’t there. Naturally, I tore the skin on her too.
Never. Ever. Again. Baby number five is just going to have to wait until her dad gets home.