Mitts - newbie Q

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What are these scratch mitts everyone talks of. Do newborn babies really scratch themselves?!

You can get babygrows with built in scratch mits. Dd used to scratch herself otherwise because its hard to cut their nails and they bring their hands up to their faces when they are hungry.

Alternatively you can swaddle them so they can't move their arms at all.

None of my 4 children have needed mitts

yes, DS loved to scratch his face and their nails are like little razors. He looked like he had been in a fight with a cat.

We didn't buy special mittens though - socks do the job just fine.

I had mitts ready but didn't end up using them.

Sometimes they do yes, especially when they're very young and can't control exactly where their waving hands go.

You can get its, you can get sleep suits with turn over cuffs that are like integrated mitts or you can just use socks.

My DS used to get cold hands as well, so I used to quite like using them to keep his hands warm.

Another person who never used them. When they're teeny, their nails sort of peel so are easy to keep short. Most babygros do have them built in though

Ok, thx. Guess I will play it by ear. I just keep reading about them and thought it seemed a bit of an evolutionary flaw if all newborns scratch lumps out of themselves!

I don't like the idea of separate mitts so I've inky nought baby grows with the built-in mitts (fold over sleeves), these places do them: Next, Mothercare, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Matalan.

My dd did! Straight after birth, more or less. Then for about a month, on and off. We used some really tiny mitts (she was very small when born), and some slightly bigger ones when she grew. We did need quite a few pairs, as they got dirty through her sucking them, and got lost easily, either out and about or in the laundry. I would have a pair to hand in your labour bag, just in case. If money's tight, Tescos and such do plain pairs for about a pound.

Aargh iPad: "inky naught" = "only bought"!

Yes they scratch (themselves and you!). Little nails are surprisingly sharp and awkward to trim! DC1 has mitts but with DC1 a midwife said they now advise against them- I'm a bit sketchy on the reason but I think it was because the prevent self-settling?