Checklist
New-parent essentials checklist
How we research: Every product here is researched by our editor, not personally tested.
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Safe sleep first
- Always put your baby on their back to sleep, in a clear, flat, firm cot, crib or Moses basket.
- No pillows, cot bumpers, positioners, pods, nests or weighted bags, and no loose bedding near baby’s face.
- Keep the room at around 16 to 20°C, and don’t let baby get too hot.
- Use a baby sleeping bag with arm holes and no hood (GOV.UK safety alert PSA9).
- Keep baby in your room for at least the first 6 months.
Sources: NHS: reduce the risk of SIDS and The Lullaby Trust: safer sleep advice.
A no-nonsense checklist of what most families use in the first weeks. Your ticks are saved on this device only. Example products are researched by our editor, not personally tested. Car seats and cot mattresses are best bought new.
Getting around
- Check the seat fits your car on the manufacturer’s vehicle fit list, and never buy second-hand. See RoSPA Child Car Seats.e.g. CBX by Cybex Aton B2 i-Size Ad View on Amazon (CBX by Cybex Aton B2 i-Size)
- Safe use: follow the T.I.C.K.S. guidance (tight, in view at all times, close enough to kiss, keep chin off chest, supported back) and the manufacturer’s instructions. See The Lullaby Trust (slings) and NHS.e.g. BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini Ad View on Amazon (BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini)
Feeding
- e.g. Tommee Tippee Electric Steam Steriliser Ad View on Amazon (Tommee Tippee Electric Steam Steriliser)
- e.g. Philips Avent Bottle and Teat Brush Ad View on Amazon (Philips Avent Bottle and Teat Brush)
- e.g. DUDU N GIRLIE Muslin Squares, 3-pack Ad View on Amazon (DUDU N GIRLIE Muslin Squares, 3-pack)
- e.g. Lansinoh Disposable Breast Pads, 60-pack Ad View on Amazon (Lansinoh Disposable Breast Pads, 60-pack)
- e.g. Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Nipple Cream, 40ml Ad View on Amazon (Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Nipple Cream, 40ml)
Sleeping
- Safe sleep: attach the crib securely to your bed with no gap, use only the mattress supplied, keep the drop side up whenever you’re not right beside baby, and put baby on their back with no pillows, bumpers or loose bedding. See NHS and The Lullaby Trust safer-sleep advice.e.g. Chicco Next2Me Essential bedside crib Ad View on Amazon (Chicco Next2Me Essential bedside crib)
- e.g. Bloomsbury Mill Moses Basket Sheets, 2-pack Ad View on Amazon (Bloomsbury Mill Moses Basket Sheets, 2-pack)
- Safe sleep: this is a swaddle bag. If you swaddle, use thin material, keep it below the shoulders and loose at the hips, always put baby on their back, and stop swaddling as soon as baby shows signs of rolling. A standard sleeping bag with arm holes and no hood is the alternative. See The Lullaby Trust on swaddling and NHS.e.g. Tommee Tippee Grobag Swaddle Bag, 0-3m Ad View on Amazon (Tommee Tippee Grobag Swaddle Bag, 0-3m)
- e.g. Tommee Tippee GroEgg2 Room Thermometer Ad View on Amazon (Tommee Tippee GroEgg2 Room Thermometer)
Changing and bathing
- e.g. Pampers Premium Protection Size 1, 72 Ad View on Amazon (Pampers Premium Protection Size 1, 72)
- e.g. WaterWipes Sensitive+ Newborn, 12-pack Ad View on Amazon (WaterWipes Sensitive+ Newborn, 12-pack)
- e.g. East Coast Nursery Changing Mat Ad View on Amazon (East Coast Nursery Changing Mat)
- e.g. Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment, 100g Ad View on Amazon (Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment, 100g)
- Supervision: never leave your baby alone in the bath, even for a second. A bath support is not a safety device. (NHS: washing and bathing your baby)e.g. Shnuggle Baby Bath Ad View on Amazon (Shnuggle Baby Bath)
- e.g. 2-pack Hooded Baby Towel, White Ad View on Amazon (2-pack Hooded Baby Towel, White)
Clothes
For you
- e.g. Chilly's Series 2 Water Bottle, 500ml Ad View on Amazon (Chilly's Series 2 Water Bottle, 500ml)
More family guides
This checklist is general information, not medical advice.