Tips on cutting baby’s nails (I’ve tried doing it in her sleep already)

[MrsMaow]

My 10 month old hates hates hates having her nails cut. She arches her back and wriggles and screams when I try.

I used to be able to cut them in her sleep but now it just wakes her up, however deep a sleep she’s in. And it takes about an hour to get her to sleep in the first place at the moment but that’s a whole other thing.

When that stopped working I resorted to sitting her in my lap facing the TV and I used to be able to get 4 or 5 done in a session before she got upset.

Now that doesn’t work any more either, not do any of the other distraction methods I’ve tried. Please can people give me tips on what worked for you as she keeps scratching herself and it’s got to the point where they need to be done so badly that if I could physically manage to restrain her and power through her screaming then I would, but I can’t.

Please help!

Can you ask somone to help you cut them? I used to have someone hold my DS2 while I cut his nails, sounds cruel but it was the only way to not only get him to stop scratching himself but other children too including his sibling. If that fails then maybe try filling them down? And maybe let her watch you when you cut your nails.

Bing on, strapped in to high chair, with something edible/sweet to distract them.

My dp holds her on his lap and i cut them while he holds her arms in place.

Either that or highchair with food

Bite them.

I used to bite them whilst they were feeding. More of a nibble but ykwim

You can also try a nail file just make sure it's not too coarse. You can do a little bit with it for a few days if it doesn't work in one go.

i used to wait until my kids were asleep to do them. i used to bite them when they were really young and then moved onto nail clippers when they were older.

Agree bite them - much less stressful!

I just used to file my DD's nails when she was a baby.

I used to bite them too. Now she loves getting them cut. Babies are fickle.

These are the clippers I used with DS. He hated it too. It didn't make him stay still any better but reassured me that I wasn't going to chop his finger off!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nipper-Clippers-Manicure-Grooming-Stylfile/dp/B00CSS8IIS/ref=ascdff_B00CSS8IIS/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310872215750&hvpos=1o7&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5674456404410519490&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007149&hvtargid=aud-545671390501:pla-755408687432&psc=1

Not sure how you're feeding her milk but I did one hand whilst she was being fed a bottle by my husband. With tv on.

Find a sandpit.

I realised I rarely had to cut my DCs nails during the times the sandpit was in favour. It works like an emery board and wears them down.

Mine hated their nails being done. I'd keep the nail scissors somewhere handy in the front room and would cut when ever they looked distracted. Sometimes it was one or two, other times it was all fingers and toes! Now both of them are fine with their nails being done. It's an age thing so you won't have to keep the scissors out forever!

I let my DS watch a few minutes of cartoon songs on my phone while I do them. It's the only time he's allowed to watch anything on the phone.

Thanks for all the tips everyone, I shall give them a go. Really appreciate it.

We do it on strapped in the high chair with something on the tele and me singing the wheels on the bus 😂

Biting them is best when they are little. When I switched to using baby clippers she used to pull her hands/feet away but eventually got used to it. Now she'll sit like a little angel and let u do it no bother.