Pregnancy
What do you actually need for a newborn?
For the first six weeks you need somewhere safe for the baby to sleep, a car seat, nappies and wipes, a way to feed, about six sleepsuits and bodysuits, muslins, and a way to carry the baby. Everything else on the registry can wait, be borrowed, or be bought when you know whether you need it.
The actual list
- Somewhere to sleep
- A cot, crib, bassinet or approved bedside sleeper, with a firm flat mattress and no pillows, bumpers or loose bedding. Safe-sleep guidance in most countries puts the baby in your room for the first six months.
- A car seat
- Rear-facing, correct for the baby's weight, fitted and tested before the due date. Buy new unless you know the seat's full history.
- Nappies and wipes
- A newborn pack. Don't bulk-buy one brand or one size before you know how the baby is built.
- Feeding kit
- If breastfeeding: nothing much at first, plus the number for a lactation consultant. If bottle-feeding: bottles, teats, brush, steriliser.
- Clothes
- About six sleepsuits, six bodysuits, a couple of cardigans, hats, scratch mitts. Newborn size, and not many — they grow out of it fast.
- Muslins
- More than you think. They are the most-used object in the house.
- A carrier or sling
- The difference between a settled baby and a lost afternoon. Get it fitted properly.
- A thermometer
- The kind you'll actually be able to use at 3am.
Can wait
- Highchair — not until around six months.
- Toys — a newborn cannot use them.
- Nursery furniture, decorating, the whole room.
- Sterilising systems if you're breastfeeding.
- Baby monitor, if the baby is sleeping in your room anyway.
- Nappy bin, bottle warmer, wipe warmer, and every other single-purpose gadget.
The registry trap
Baby retail is built on the anxiety of first-time parents, and the most expensive items are usually the least essential. A useful test before any purchase: is this solving a problem we've actually had? For a newborn, in advance, the honest answer is almost always no.
Quick answers
What's the one thing dads say they were glad they bought?
Consistently: a good carrier or sling, because it hands you a way to settle the baby that doesn't depend on feeding.
Is secondhand safe?
For most things, yes. Not for car seats with unknown history, and check anything against the safety-recall register.
Sources
2 sources · Reviewed JUL 2026 · Editorial policy
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