A time after taking a bath can be the best time to cut your baby’s nails. Babies usually stay calm after taking a bath since they feel fresh and relax. However, if you are afraid that you may hurt her/ him because he/ she may move while you cut the nails, you can choose the bed time to do the nailing. When your baby sleeps, you can cut the nails silently so won’t wake him/ her up.
You have to be extra careful in taking care your baby’s nails since your baby’s nails and skin are still so soft. Therefore, you need to use gentle equipment such as a soft emery board, baby nail clippers or blunt-nosed toenail scissors. Emery board is the safest one since it won’t hurt your baby’s fingers or toes. Meanwhile, using clippers and scissors require more attention because you make cut the tip of your baby’s fingers and toes. It will be painful for them.
Baby’s fingers and toes nails grow differently. Fingers’ nail grows faster than toenails. Toenails usually are also softer. They even seem in grown but you do not to worry as long as the skin around the nails does not turn red, inflamed, or hard. Since finger’s nails and toenails are different, you have to treat them differently. For the finger’ nails, you can cut it twice in a week. On the other hand, you just need to cut the toenails once or twice in a month. You can cut the nails using the equipment mentioned above. There is some parent who cut the nails by biting the nails. You shouldn’t do that because you may infect your baby’s fingers. It is known as herpetic whitlow since it is caused by herpes simplex virus.