Every newborn list online is sorted by category, which is exactly the wrong way round. Sorted that way, a bottle steriliser and a weaning bowl sit next to each other as though you need both in week twelve. Sorted by when, most of the panic disappears — the buy-now column is much shorter than it looks.
This is the list Baby Novum ships with: 46 items across six categories, each tagged with when you actually need it — now, after birth, or after three months. No brands, no products, no affiliate links. The value is the ordering.
The short answer. Before the birth, buy: somewhere safe to sleep, a car seat, nappies and wipes, six to eight bodysuits and sleepsuits, muslins, feeding basics, and a handful of dull essentials — thermometer, nail scissors, nappy cream. Everything else waits. Aim to be done by around 36 weeks, the same point the hospital bag should be packed.
The Six Categories
| Category | Buy now | Can wait |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep | Cot or Moses basket, firm mattress, fitted sheets, swaddle, sleeping bag, nightlight, monitor | White noise machine |
| Feeding | Bottles, breast pump, steriliser, nursing pillow | Formula, bibs · high chair, sippy cup and weaning set at 3 months+ |
| Hygiene | Nappies, wipes, nappy cream, baby bath, shampoo, nail scissors, thermometer, cotton pads | — |
| Clothing | Bodysuits, sleepsuits, hat, socks, mittens, cardigan, outdoor suit for the season | Shoes, anything in a larger size |
| Health | First aid basics, saline drops, nasal aspirator | Teething items |
| Out and about | Car seat, pram or pushchair that lies flat, changing bag | Carrier or sling, sun shade |
The Sleep Setup Is the One to Get Right
Most of this list is preference. This part is not.
The safest arrangement is the baby sleeping on their back, in a cot, crib, carrycot or Moses basket, in your room for the first six months, on a firm, flat mattress that fits the frame with no gaps.
That is why the mattress is the one item normally bought new even when everything else is second-hand — the fit and the firmness are the safety feature, not the price.
Quantities Nobody Tells You
- Bodysuits and sleepsuits — six to eight of each, in newborn and 0–3 months. Buy few in the smallest size; some babies never wear it.
- Muslins — more than you think. Ten is not excessive. They are the most-used item in the house.
- Nappies — one pack of newborn size, not a stockpile. Babies outgrow the size quickly and some arrive too big for it.
- Bedding — two or three fitted sheets per sleep surface, because the middle of the night is not the time to discover you have one.
- Bottles — start with two or three. Teat preferences are real and unpredictable.
What Not to Buy Yet
Leave these
- High chair, weaning bowls, sippy cups — three months and beyond
- Shoes. A baby who cannot walk does not need shoes.
- A full wardrobe in one size
- Most toys — newborns cannot use them and you will be given plenty
- Formula, if you are planning to breastfeed. It keeps, and shops are open.
- Nappy bin refills in bulk before you know which bin you have
Second-hand is fine for almost everything — clothes, Moses basket, pram, changing table. The two usual exceptions are the mattress and a car seat, because you cannot verify whether a used seat has been in a crash.
The Order to Do It In
- Second trimester — set a rough budget per category. Doing this first is what stops the clothing category eating everything.
- Around 30 weeks — buy the sleep setup and the car seat. These are the two that need thought rather than a click.
- 32–34 weeks — clothing, hygiene, feeding basics.
- By 36 weeks — done, alongside the hospital bag. Our third trimester guide covers what else belongs in these weeks.
- After the birth — the rest, once you know what your baby is actually like.
At a Glance
Sort the list by when, not by category, and the buy-now column shrinks to somewhere safe to sleep, a car seat, nappies, a handful of clothes, muslins and feeding basics. Get the sleep setup right — back sleeping, firm flat mattress that fits, in your room for six months — and buy that mattress new. Skip the high chair, the shoes and the full wardrobe. Aim to finish around 36 weeks, when the hospital bag is packed, and leave the rest until you have met the person you are shopping for.
Inside Baby Novum. All 46 items are pre-loaded across the six categories, each tagged now, after birth or after three months, and you can add your own. The budget planner tracks planned against actual spending per category with need / want / later priorities — so the list and the money stay in the same place.
Next: Hospital Bag Checklist → · Birth Plan Template → · Postpartum Recovery →
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start buying baby things?
Most people start in the second trimester and aim to have the essentials in by around 36 weeks, alongside the hospital bag. There is no medical reason to wait, and no reason to rush either — the useful discipline is buying in the order you will need things, not in the order the shop presents them.
What do I actually need for the first week?
A safe place for the baby to sleep, a car seat if you are travelling by car, nappies and wipes, a few bodysuits and sleepsuits, muslins, and whatever you need for feeding. Almost everything else can wait, and much of it will be bought for you.
How many bodysuits and sleepsuits do I need?
More than feels reasonable and fewer than the lists suggest — most people settle on six to eight of each in newborn and 0-3 months. Buy small quantities in the smallest size, because babies grow past it fast and some arrive already too big for it.
What can I safely not buy before the birth?
A high chair, weaning bowls and sippy cups (three months plus), most toys, shoes, formula if you plan to breastfeed, and a full wardrobe in one size. A white noise machine and bibs are also comfortably after-birth purchases.
What is the safest sleep setup for a newborn?
A cot, crib, carrycot or Moses basket in your room for the first six months, with the baby on their back on a firm flat mattress. That is the reason a cot and a properly fitting mattress sit at the top of the buy-now list rather than in the nice-to-have pile.
Is it worth buying second-hand?
For most things yes — clothes, a Moses basket, a pram, a changing table. The two usual exceptions are the mattress, which is normally bought new and must fit the cot with no gaps, and a car seat, whose history you cannot verify.
How do I stop over-buying?
Sort the list by when you need each item rather than by category, and buy only the "now" column before the birth. Set a rough budget per category first. Most over-buying happens in clothing, which is also what people give you most of.
What do people most often forget?
Dull, unglamorous things: enough muslins, nappy cream, a digital thermometer, baby nail scissors, cotton pads, and spare bedding for the middle of the night. None of them are exciting and all of them are needed in the first week.