How to cut baby nails

You should always try to communicate to your baby what you are going to do before you do it. If you’re baby is old enough, you can give her a warning such as “In 5 minutes we are going to cut your nails.” Or “After this game, it is time to cut your nails.” For younger children try using key words like “Nails”. Or “Fingers and toes”. Step by step guide to cutting your baby's finger nails • Place the emery board or baby nail clippers/scissors next to you (out of baby’s reach) and put your baby on your lap so that her head is against her chest. • Lean back if you need to so that your baby doesn’t fall or tilt forwards. • To trim or smooth your baby’s left hand finger nails, hold your baby’s left hand steady with your left hand, with the emery board or nail clippers/scissors in your right hand, Reach across your baby, keep her in place with your right arm (do not rest the weight of your arm on your baby as this will be too heavy and will cause her discomfort). • Hold your babies arm steady and gently file or trim the very tops of her nails. • Hold the scissors/clippers/emery board at an angle that faces away from the tips of your baby’s fingers tips. This should help top avoid cutting or nipping your child’s skin or trimming your baby’s nails too short. • If this doesn’t work for you, you may want to try different positions such as with your baby lying down on the floor or with your baby in a bouncer. Whilst our step by step guide has taken official medical advice into consideration, it has been written by our team of parents who use their experiences and offer these step by step guides as a way of friendly advice. These are guidelines only. You should do what works for you and speak to your health visitor if you need any further advice or are unsure about anything.