Nail Care

Pregnancy is a life changing experience. Some of the changes are temporary—yet noticeable.

Pregnancy brings all sorts of changes to every part of your body, some permanent, some not. Your nails are not spared. Usually, the change that occurs is for the better, in the fact that they tend to grow stronger and longer. But there is a likelihood of them splitting and getting rough on the surface.

All in all the change is common and temporary. After you have your baby, or shortly afterwards while breast feeding, your nails will go back to normal. In pregnancy, your nails grow stronger and long at a faster rate due to the additional prenatal vitamins that you are taking and the healthier diet too. So how do you take care of nails during pregnancy?

Nail cutting
Do not bite or cut nails manually with fingers. This makes them weak and easy to split and may cause pain at the tip of the finger. File them instead and do it in one direction to avoid having them split on the edges as they grow.

Balanced diet
Eat a balanced diet that contains Vitamin B to improve your nails’ firmness and hardness. Food rich in protein also helps in encouraging nail growth.

Trim nails
Opt to keep nails short, especially if they are brittle. They will be less of a fuss and will help you avoid scratching the baby’s skin when he comes. Cut them straight and file them round to strengthen them at the tip.

Cuticles
Avoid removal of cuticle. Instead you can push them back gently towards the nail. Do not use chemical-based cuticle softeners because they can cause skin irritation and are poisonous when inhaled.

Moisturising
Keep your nails dry because moisture increases their weakness and easily breaks them. Moisturise your hands with a lotion or hand cream after washing clothes or cleaning dishes. These will help stop the nails from chipping.

Ventilation
Wear nail polish in a ventilated area to avoid inhaling the fumes which could harm the growing baby. The ventilation also helps the polish dry up fast, avoiding a messy and smudged look. Make sure you regularly remove the polish, giving some time for your nails to breath.

END: PG18/42