What you need before the birth
The Lullaby Trust names six essentials for safer sleep and travel, and the NHS suggests 6 vests and 6 stretch suits for the first weeks. Most of the rest can wait.
3 November 2026
Articles by age
From before the birth to age 3, in the order you are likely to need them.
Before the birth
What the first year really costs
No source we could read gives one first-year figure. Built from the Minimum Income Standard, Environment Agency data and our catalog, our working comes to about £1,945 before childcare, as a floor.
3 November 2026
What's fine to buy second-hand
The Lullaby Trust calls second-hand baby products a great way to save money. Most gear qualifies after a few checks. Car seats don't, and mattresses come with a checklist.
3 November 2026
Pushchairs that work from birth
Five pushchairs rated from birth, ranked by price. The NHS says a young baby's seat has to recline so they can lie flat, so we quote each maker's claim. Two come with a carrycot.
3 November 2026
Basket, crib or straight to a cot?
A first bed like the IKEA ÄLSKVÄRD lasts about 6 months, and the Lullaby Trust names both a cot and a Moses basket as sleep spaces. So going straight to a cot is a full option.
3 November 2026
Cots and mattresses by budget
Three cots and two mattresses, ranked by price, held to the Lullaby Trust's three-part test for a mattress: firm, flat and waterproof.
3 November 2026
Choosing a first car seat
A first seat has to fit your car, your newborn and your routine. Check for an R129 label, try it in your car, and compare height range, weight and whether a base costs extra.
3 November 2026
Britax Römer BABY-SAFE CORE review
ADAC scored the BABY-SAFE CORE with its base 2.6 in October 2024: very good in side crashes, weaker in frontal ones. Our desk review scores it 6.5 out of 10.
3 November 2026
0–3 months
How to use a sling safely
TICKS is the five-point check the NHS and RoSPA give for slings. RoSPA says fabric can block a baby's airway within a minute or two, so check it every time.
3 November 2026
Safer sleep basics
On the back, on a firm flat mattress, in a clear cot, in your room for at least the first 6 months. That is the NHS and Lullaby Trust advice for every sleep.
3 November 2026
Why we skip nests and bumpers
Pods and nests have no British Safety Standard as a sleeping place, the Lullaby Trust says, and the NHS wants them out of the cot. Here's what the sources say about each.
3 November 2026
How many nappies, and what they cost
Environment Agency surveys found about 7 changes a day in the first 6 months. That works out at around 2,300 nappies in year one.
3 November 2026
How to fit an infant car seat
RoSPA says one of the commonest mistakes is a seat held loosely by the belt. Follow your seat's manual, use the right guides, and press your weight in as you tighten.
3 November 2026
First infant formula: what the NHS says
The NHS says first infant formula is the only formula a baby needs in their first year, unless a midwife, health visitor or GP suggests otherwise.
3 November 2026
3–6 months
Babymore Yara vs Bugaboo Butterfly 2
The Yara is for when your baby can sit, because the NHS says young babies need a seat that lies flat. Bugaboo calls the Butterfly 2's recline fully flat, and it weighs 1kg less. The folds are about the same.
3 November 2026
Do you need a baby monitor?
A monitor isn't on the Lullaby Trust's list of essentials, and it says there is no research evidence that monitors prevent sudden infant death syndrome. Here's when one still helps.
3 November 2026
BabyBjörn Harmony carrier review
Rated from 3.2 to 15kg, with padded back support and four carrying positions. Mumsnet's tester gave it 5 out of 5 for comfort and 3 out of 5 for adjustability.
3 November 2026
Baby carriers and slings, by budget
Five carriers ranked by price. All take a newborn by their makers' figures, though the BabyBjörn Mini stops at 11kg and the others run to about 15kg.
3 November 2026
6–9 months
Starting solids: what the NHS says
The NHS says to start solids at around 6 months, when three signs show up together. Chewing fists and waking at night aren't among them.
3 November 2026
IKEA Antilop highchair review
Rated to 3 years or 15kg, with legs that come off for carrying. Two test outlets list a three-point harness, and the NHS says 5-point, so read that part. An older recall covers earlier stock.
3 November 2026
Highchairs, from £12 up
Five freestanding highchairs ranked by price, from a plain IKEA seat to chairs that take an adult. What's in each price varies, so we list the extras.
3 November 2026
Gagging and choking: the difference
Gagging is loud and choking is quiet, says the NHS. Call 999 if a blockage doesn't come out after back blows and thrusts.
3 November 2026
9–12 months
The next seat after an infant carrier
Change seats when your child passes the seat's height or weight limit, or their head tops the shell. Dangling feet don't count, says RoSPA.
3 November 2026
i-Size and R129, in plain words
R129 is the height-based car seat regulation, and i-Size is part of it. GOV.UK says height-based seats stay rear-facing until a child is over 15 months.
3 November 2026
How to fit a stair gate
RoSPA says to fit wall-mounted gates at the top and bottom of the stairs for children under 24 months, before your baby is mobile. Here's how the job goes.
3 November 2026
Compact pushchairs for trips
Five compact pushchairs ranked by weight, from 6kg to 8.3kg. Under 6 months the NHS asks for a seat that lies flat, and only two of these makers say theirs does.
3 November 2026
1–2 years
Nursery, childminder or nanny?
Coram's 2026 survey puts 25 hours of nursery for an under-2 at £188.75 a week in England without funded hours, and £155.28 with a childminder.
3 November 2026
When to move from cot to bed
Most toddlers move from cot to bed between 18 months and 3 years, says one NHS children's service, and climbing out is a common trigger. Here's how to plan it.
3 November 2026
Baby clothes sizes, birth to 3
A 0-3 month label means about 62 cm and 6.5 kg on the charts Kite and Mamas & Papas publish. Sizes vary by maker, so go by length and weight.
3 November 2026
2–3 years
Potty training: what it takes and costs
The NHS says almost all children can be potty trained between 18 months and 2 and a half. The kit on the Minimum Income Standard list comes to £20.
3 November 2026