Woolen Mittens

How long is too long to make my baby wear mittens?

My baby is 8 days old and his finger nails are really long but i am too afraid to clip them so i just put mittens on him..i know he can't wear them forever and i will eventually have to clip them but are they safe to continue using for a couple of weeks?? Will it hurt him not being able to move his fingers around freely for that long?

Public Comments

1. Just clip his nails already, or have someone else clip them for you... Clip them when he is sleeping!!
2. Have some with experience clip his nails. Then take those mittens off. When baby is asleep it is a lot easier.
3. It will probably slow down his hand growth, and maybe even his overall growth. These first moments are crucial to baby's development. Take them off and clip them, be as gentle as possible. Its not big deal to clip them, just do it and get it over with.I hope you do it, good luck with the baby.
4. You have to take those mittens off. He won't figure out how to use his hands and fingers properly if you don't. Clipping the nails isn't hard, I haven't hurt my daughter once. Just be very careful.
5. It is probably not great for him to have the mittens on all the time. They are learning to grasp things. I would say you need to do something about his nails. I clipped my daughter's while she slept for the first time. I clipped them as low as I was comfortable and then filed them a little further. You can use an emery board on them and that way you don't injure them. You still have to watch not to file too far down but you don't have to worry about cutting him. You need to take the mittens off and let him explore.
6. If you're not comfortable clipping his nails then perhaps use a nail file instead. I used a nail file on my son until he was 6 weeks and I was finally comfortable trimming them with the clippers. it takes a bit longer, but I did it while my son was nursing or asleep and that made it much easier. Another option, which my sister did with her son, is to bite his fingernails off with your teeth. She claimed it was just easier to do this and that his nails weren't was sharp as they would have been from the clippers, so thats a plus. If you do end up using clippers then make sure you use infant safety clippers, not adult sized clippers. Also, do it when he's sleeping.
7. I've heard that biting their nails is actually better than clipping them. Less painful and easier to do. Just do it while they are sleeping. :)