by Amy Wilber

Created on: January 29, 2009

Trimming your baby's nails can be a little frightful the first time you do it. There's always the thought that you might cut too low or cut their precious skin. I know when I had my first child and it was time to get the clippers out it was a "who pulls the shortest straw?" stand off between my husband and I. There are a few ways to accomplish this daunting task.

The first thing you need is a pair of nail clippers that are ideal for your newborn and the size of their tiny feet. Safety 1st is a popular brand among most. There are many different brands that are available in the baby care aisle at any of your local retail stores. Safety first is my favorite because they are small enough to clip only what you need. Getting clippers that are too large risks cutting the skin.

Since my kids were very active during the day, I had to cut their nails at night while they were sleeping or when they took a nap during the day. Either way you look at it I had to cut them while they were sleeping. This meant car rides in the spring and summer and naps and bedtime in winter. Some babies will just watch you while their nails are clipped just to see what you are doing. They are not aware of what is happening only that there is something shiny in your fingers. When my children were sleeping I would maneuver myself to fit the way they were sleeping. Positioning myself at their feet and gra their foot and clip one nail at a time pausing so as not to wake them up. Other times they were sleeping so soundly that I was able to clip them fairly quickly.

Light is most important when clipping the baby's nails. You don't want to miss the nail and clip the toe. This is every parent's nightmare. If it is dark in the room and they are not sleeping soundly where I can turn on the light, I usually take a flashlight in with me and place it between my chin and neck while shining it down on their feet. This works very well because the light only shines on their feet and not on their faces so as to wake them up.

If your child does wake up while you are still clipping, you might want to speak softly to them since they are familiar with your voice and in a soothing tone will help them to fall back asleep and resume your task. Low humming, telling them it's okay, or a soft song will usually do the task. The reality is that they probably just woke up and are not aware of their surroundings yet so all you have to do is wait for them to relax and fall back asleep. If my kids woke up a little, I would just stop what I was doing and talk to them softly and wait for them go back to sleep before resuming.

Also, I recommend that if you have a baby swing or stroller then this is a great way to trim your baby's nails. They are secure and their feet are easily accessible for trimming. If your child is awake, cooing and making funny faces often distracts the baby from what you are doing. It also is a way for you to connect with the child and strengthen your bond.

Newborn skin is very sensiitive and while trimming their nails is often scary for some it can be a wonderful to connect with you baby. There are many variations that are often used by many parents and there is no exact science to clipping your newborn's nails so you are sure to find the routine of your choice by trial and error between you and your baby.

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