Hey Mama,
I assume biting your nails isn’t a new habit you recently formed during your pregnancy. It might be years since you started this habit.
Well, the short answer to your question is no, it’s not harmful, but that doesn’t mean you should continue doing it. Pregnant or not, you shouldn’t bite your nails.
There are so, so many cons to biting your nails, but you’ll never find a single reason which shows a positive side of nail-biting.
Also, nail-biting during pregnancy can lead to infection if you accidentally went in too deep. Your inner skin barrier can be exposed to germs and bacteria which can later lead to bacterial infection.
How to stop nail biting?
To stop yourself from biting your nails, first understand the reason why you do it?
Is it stress? Anxiety? Or is it just a habit you formed to pass your time.
There are many ways to stop nail biting…
Try meditation
If stress or anxiety is your reason to bite your nails then try meditation. Inhale and exhale till you feel relaxed.
Pregnancy can cause a lot of jitters in young mothers, and that is alright, but succumbing to that stress and biting your nails as a result of it isn’t acceptable.
Find out the root cause of your stress. If you’re worried about your baby or the delivery, then talk to a professional or your partner or a parent instead of reading on the internet about everything that can go wrong in your pregnancy.
Meditating every day morning and when you feel stressed can really calm your nerves and it might stop the urge to bite your nails.
Maintain your nails
If chipped nails or dry cuticle is the reason you bite your nails, then file and buff your nails gently. Cut your nails and try to maintain them.
If you want, then go ahead and get a manicure. It’s a myth that pregnant women can’t get manicures because it’s harmful to the baby.
For that, you would need huge and long-term exposure to the chemicals before there was a chance of problems to arise.
If you’re still worried about getting your nails done, then look for nail polish that doesn’t have dibutyl phthalate, toluene, or formaldehyde.
You can go for brands like Butter London, Scotch Naturals, and Zoya which are relatively quite safe.
To minimize the chances of an infection, take your own tools to the salon and clean them with alcohol before you use them.
Also, make sure you’re in a salon that is well ventilated or take an appointment on the days when the salon isn’t crowded too much, and make sure the salon sanitizes the place and their tools regularly.
Remember, the habits your practice now will soon be passed on to your little one. It won’t be far away when your child sees you and picks up the habit too.
My brother used to bite his nails all his childhood and continued doing it as an adult too.
My nephew, who is 8 years old, has also started biting his nails after seeing his dad do it constantly. It was his quick way of trimming his nails rather than cutting them.
So, think wisely about the habits you’re going to practice around your children.
