Daily baby care

There are many new baby care skills that you will master as a parent. Here are just a few:

Nail trimming

When your baby is born, she may have rather long fingernails that will need to be cut—so she doesn’t scratch herself. The hospital won’t do this for you, because it’s considered a surgical procedure. So you may want to bring a pair of baby clippers with you to the hospital.

To cut your baby's nails, gently push down on the finger's skin to pull the nail away from the skin as you cut. If you do nick her fingers, use a gauze pad to stop the bleeding.

Tip: Try to sneak in nail cutting while your baby is asleep.

Cleaning her nose

Cotton swabs and rolled-up tissue can irritate the delicate inside of your baby's nose. If your baby is really stuffy, suction out the mucus with a baby nasal aspirator. Saline drops may soften the mucus first.

Cradle your baby or sit her up. Squeeze the bulb and insert the tip into one nostril. Release the bulb and draw the mucus out. Rinse the bulb and repeat.