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Cutting your baby’s nails can be terrifying.

Clipping baby nails is for sure not something I worried about when I found out I was having twins.

I didn’t really think much of it at all.

I added the cutesy grooming packs to my Amazon Wishlist and that was that.

Then when it came time to actually cut their nails, I remember my husband I just staring at each other like;

“Wait, how the hell do we do this??”

I felt so dumb right in that moment.

I was tired of their little baby nails scratching me all over. But at the same time I didn’t want to hurt them!

We ended up just going for it and cutting a few of Kendall’s nails too short. She immediately starting screaming after the first one happened and I felt horrible!

Since then we have clipped a few of their nails too short and each time I am surprised how much blood comes out of their tiny fingers.

Since I have been cutting nails x2 for a while now, I have figured I would share with you guys just how I get the daunting task done!

Okay let me start this off with what clippers I LOVE and what clippers I HATE.

For our baby shower we received a few sets of grooming supplies that came with various clippers.

My favorite by far are ones like these;

 I love that they add a little extra grip at the end, but you can still SEE what you’re doing.

On the other hand– I HATE these ones;

You just can’t see what you’re doing with them. Baby fingers are SUPER small and nipping their skin is way too easy. I much prefer to see what I am doing when cutting their nails.

Nail Clipper Alternatives:

Something that a lot of people don’t know, however, is that you don’t have to use nail clippers.

You can easily use a nail file instead and save yourself the worrisome cutting. You can also bite them off yourself.

The biting grosses some people out, but honestly I see it as a pretty safe option!

You can also use baby nail cutting scissors. But I do not recommend using them. Personally, they just scare me.

Nail Clipping Tips:

Okay now let’s dive into some useful tips.

1. Cut nails while baby is occupied. It’ll be easier to grab hold of a hand or foot while baby is doing something else such as eating or playing.
2. Cut nails while baby sleeps. This hasn’t ever worked for me- but a few of my friends swear by it! Sometimes what doesn’t work for one person works well for the next!
3. Pull down skin behind nail. This helps cut just the nail and none of the skin around it. It also helps get a more precise cut!
4. Cover newborns hands afterwards. Newborns tend to rub their faces a lot and their nails are pretty sharp right after you clip them. I always covered their hands with little mittens after we clipped their nails during the newborn stage.
5. Keep a firm hold on their hands/feet. Babies are sure squirmy- especially when you’re trying to hold them in one place! But make sure you hold them tight so that you don’t accidentally nick their skin.
6. Use your thumb to stop the blood. It is going to happen sooner or later. You’ll nick your baby’s skin and a shocking amount of blood will start pouring out! Stop the blood flow by pressing your thumb firmly on the cut and use an infant band-aid if necessary.

How do you get the job done?

Or do you just avoid it all together? I won’t lie, sometimes that’s what I do!

But we can do this! Order some clippers, give yourself two days to prepare while you wait on Amazon Prime and once the package shows up IT’S GO TIME!

 

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