Your Baby (An owner’s manual)
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When it comes to trimming your baby’s nails, you have a few options: You can use baby nail clippers; you can bite or peel them off; or you can file them with an emery board. Experiment and find what works for you! If you’re using clippers, make sure the bottom part of the clipper is underneath the nail, but that you’re not getting any skin. Getting your baby to remain still while you give her a manicure may be asking for the impossible. So do it while she’s sleeping, or ask someone else to hold her fingers steady as you cut or file. After a bath, her nails will be softer and may be easier to work with. If you accidentally nip her skin, stop any bleeding by pressing down with a sterile gauze pad.
- Do not immerse your baby in water until his circumcision is completely healed.
- While some doctors recommend applying a dab of petroleum jelly (or other ointment) and a gauze pad on the penis with each diaper change, others think it isn’t necessary. Follow your caregiver’s advice.
- Gently clean the area around the circumcision with water (and change the dressing, if any) whenever your baby has a bowel movement and the penis area gets soiled.
- You don’t need to clean it if your baby pees, since urine is sterile.
- As the circumcision heals, it may ooze and develop a whitish or yellowish appearance. These are signs that the healing process is underway, so don’t panic.
CAUTION! If your baby has a fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher, or you see redness or swelling in the circumcised area, he may have an infection. Consult your pediatrician immediately.
Just gotta try this Creamy Avocado Dip recipe via Momables.com - love how you can spread it on a sandwich in lieu of Mayo! 
Comment by lisa on Dec 24 2008 05:46:40:
EEh rectal thermermator! Do babies finger nails come long at birth? Yellowish discharge from circumsized penis? This sounds more disgusting than scary. Oh well I guess i will be running back to the website for adivce in 3 months.
Comment by Sandra on Sep 03 2009 12:55:27:
My doctor would be MORTIFIED if any of her patients took a rectal temperature. She never would. The hospital my babies were born at never did. It’s simply not worth the stress on mom, or the possible discomfort for baby. An underarm temperature is absolutely adequate for diagnosing an illness – the very slight variation in degrees does not make the difference between having a viral infection and not having one. Four children and the thought of a rectal never ever entered my mind.
That being said, I rarely took temperatures anyways. The ERs are overflowing with mothers bringing baby in with a “fever” of 99.1. Fevers are a good thing. They serve a purpose. Taking a temperature every 10 minutes serves no purpose.
Pingback by Newborn Checklists « I LOVE MY KIDS!!! Blog on May 21 2010 01:03:49:
[...] Your Baby (An owner’s manual) [...]
Comment by Rachel Jones on Jun 11 2010 06:27:42:
When my son was 3 weeks old i went in for his circumcision appointment.. we went in and things went well.. it took awhile for the clot to form but after it did we were aloud to leave..
when i came home i noticed his diaper was full of blood the dr said this may happen about 20 minutes later i noticed that his diaper was full again.. i called his docter and she told me to take him to Primary Childrens hospital. His poor little penis would not stop bleeding.. i was mortified.. finally after waiting about 6 hours (i got to the hospital about 12 in the afternoon) they had to take his circumcision ring out and sew up his penis.. when the checked his hemadacrite (or however you spell it) and it was down to a 14 i believe sombody that is healthy is supposed to be like 45.. he had to have a blood transfusion and was in the hospital for 4 days.. So mothers please be careful when choosing circumcision. it can have harmful effects..
Comment by Robin Bennett McCluskey on Oct 20 2011 07:30:55:
nice site for new Moms.
Comment by Susan Masten Drawbaugh on May 02 2013 10:30:00:
Here's something new that you probably haven't seen… otherwise I'm sure you would have recommended it in your article. It's called the Stay-dry Bath Apron & Towel. http://www.weefive.com It's soooo helpful during baby bath time!