What you need before the birth: a short UK list

This is general information from public sources, not medical advice. For anything about your child's health or development, speak to your doctor or health visitor.

The list is short. The Lullaby Trust's product guide names six things for safer sleep and travel: a cot or Moses basket, a portable sleep space, a mattress, a sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket, a room thermometer and a car seat. The NHS adds clothes, suggesting 6 vests, 6 stretch suits and 2 cardigans for the first few weeks. Everything past that is your call.

Item	When	Worth knowing
Cot or Moses basket	Before the birth	In your room, for every sleep
Firm, flat mattress	Before the birth	New if you can manage it
Sheets or a sleeping bag	Before the birth	NHS says at least 4 sheets
Car seat	Before the birth, if you drive	Buy this one new
Vests and stretch suits	Before the birth	Babies outgrow them fast
Pushchair	When you'll use it	Has to lie flat for a young baby
Highchair	Around 6 months	NHS timing for first foods

Where your baby sleeps

This part costs less than the adverts suggest. "There's no need to buy lots of expensive products," says the NHS Best Start in Life page.

The NHS advice is the same for every sleep: on the back, feet to the foot of the cot, on a firm, flat mattress, in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months. The cot stays clear. The NHS rules out pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets, soft toys, pods and nests.

Some shop-floor favourites aren't sleep spaces at all. The Lullaby Trust advises against sleep in anything seated or inclined, and it names bouncy chairs, swings and sleep positioners.

The IKEA SNIGLAR cot costs £59, without a mattress. It takes a 60x120 cm mattress, and IKEA says it complies with EN 716-1. That standard is listed as BS EN 716-1:2017 (BSI, status Current, checked 3 November 2026). The Lullaby Trust points out that most safety standards cover things like construction and fire safety, and none looks specifically at SIDS.

Earlier SNIGLAR cots have been recalled: in the EU in 2006 over the base, and in the US in 2011 over the mattress support, on cots sold to June 2010. Those notices are about older stock. We found no current recall for this model on 3 November 2026. Buying one second-hand? Check the label on the mattress support first.

The matching IKEA PELLEPLUTT mattress costs £25. It's 6 cm deep, the cover wipes clean, and IKEA says it complies with EN 16890:2017+A1:2021. The NHS asks for a mattress that's firm, flat and waterproof. IKEA's page doesn't use the word waterproof, so ask before you buy. The NHS firmness check is simple: your baby's head shouldn't sink in by more than a few millimetres. Prices here were checked on 3 November 2026.

If you want the fuller reasoning, our safer sleep basics go through it. Speak to your doctor or health visitor about anything specific to your baby.

A car seat, if you drive

The NHS suggests buying one before the birth and practising the fit, since you'll want it for the drive home. Try a few in your own car if a shop will let you. Not every seat suits every car.

The Babymore Coco i-Size is £99 for the seat alone. Babymore says it belts into any car without a base, and the height range is 40-87cm. It's a reasonable place to start comparing. You'll find more options in the car seat list.

This is the one big item to leave off the second-hand list. The NHS says "Do not buy a secondhand car seat", and the Lullaby Trust doesn't recommend buying or using one.

Clothes and nappies

Keep the first shop small. "Babies grow very quickly," says the NHS, and it asks only for enough clothes to keep your baby warm and clean for the first few weeks. Along with vests, stretch suits and cardigans, it lists a shawl or blanket, a hat, mittens and socks for cold weather, and a sun hat. Friends and family often have bags of this stuff.

Nappies and wipes are worth having in the house. I wouldn't stockpile one size before you know how fast your baby moves through it.

What can wait

A pushchair. The NHS says pushchairs only suit young babies if the seat reclines fully so they can lie flat. Buy when you're ready to use one.
A highchair. The NHS puts first foods at around 6 months. No rush.
A sling or carrier. Nice for some families. Plenty never bother.
A monitor. Your baby is in your room for the first 6 months anyway, so I'd wait and see.

What's fine to skip

In my opinion: a nappy bin, a changing table if you have a bed and a mat, and anything that promises longer sleep. The Lullaby Trust lists that last claim among the ones to ignore. It says waking in the night is usual for babies under one.

Paying for it

You may qualify for help. GOV.UK describes a one-off £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant, usually for a first child, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland if you're on certain benefits. In Scotland, mygov.scot lists a Pregnancy and Baby Payment of £796.65 for a first child.

Budget and second-hand are full choices here. Apart from the car seat and, ideally, the mattress, most of this list can come from friends, family or a resale site, as long as you follow the checks in what's fine to buy second-hand. For the wider picture, see what the first year costs, or put your own choices into the three-year calculator.