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The terrifying task of nail trimming
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Examiner's Note: I've been putting off writing on this particular topic because it still scares the bejeebus out of me to cut my little guy's nails, but I realize that others might be facing the same fears, so I figured we may as well conquer them together, right? I would love feedback on this if you have tips to share!
Cutting your baby's nails. There ought to be an entire class on this particular curse of the new mom. On the syllabus should be: trimming those flimsy, teenie tiny, microscopic nails as well as how to keep it together while you watch your baby get its first (and subsequent) shots. And maybe how to handle diaper rash, because that's a tuffie, too.
Unfortunately, the segment in this examiner's prenatal class on baby hygiene was entirely too short and severely lacking in the "nail care" department. For those new mommas out there, there are a few options that have been passed down through the ages to combat this terrifying obstacle.
First and foremost, when your baby is still newborn, just cover those claws up! Those handy-dandy onesies and sleepers that have cuffed sleeves are life savers for the sleep-deprived and over emotional new parent. Just flip that little fabric mitten right over and breath easy for a bit.
After a few weeks go by, and you start to notice that you little one is quickly beginning to resemble the less-fortunate participant in a feral cat fight, you may have to buckle down and actually trim the nails. There are trimmers out there with a magnifying glass actually attached to them. Steer clear. I repeat, they are no good. The magnifying glass will just get in your way and cause double vision, which is catastrophic in this scenario.
So how do you actually accomplish the task of declawing your baby? There are a couple of options. You can wait until your baby is asleep. Depending on how heavy a sleeper your baby is, you can trim away while they are blissfully unaware. Take care that your baby doesn't wake half way through, though, or you may end up with half done nails. Which, in case you didn't know, are just as lethal as wholly undone nails.
Another option is to wait until your baby is otherwise preoccupied. Such as when they are feeding. This really only works with nursing mothers, however, since bottle feeding mommas probably need their hands. This is also a great opportunity to include dad. When you are feeding the baby, maybe he can trim the nails. There's that new parent partnering at its best!
Now, if your baby is a light sleeper, or if you are thinking "once that baby is down, there is no way in heck I'm touching them!" or if you aren't a very capable mulitasker-nurser (not judging, few are), a third option is to sing to your baby. Cliché, perhaps, but a rousing song of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on mommy-repeat can go a long way to capturing your little one's attention.
At any rate, nail trimming seems to be one of the many little things that no one ever mentions to expecting parents... but this struggle too, shall pass. Good luck!
Here's a feature on some nail trimmers to try out.
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