Guides · Newborn kit · Coming home
What coming-home outfit size should I pack in the UK, by birth weight in kg?
How do I match birth weight in kg to a UK shop label?
- Write the weight in kilograms first The red book and the ward scales use kg. Convert pounds only if the hangtag prints lb and you need a translation — do not pick the outfit from a US pounds chart.
- Open the chart for the clothes already in the bag Next, George, Mamas & Papas and John Lewis do not share one Newborn kilogram. The row on that brand is the one that has to close.
- Pick the row that still has room on both kg and cm If you already know length, prefer the height figure on a footed suit. If you only have weight at the bedside, use kg and bring the next label as backup.
- Dress for the trip home, then re-check after the first weigh-in NHS lists a going-home outfit in the hospital bag. Babies often lose weight in the first days, so the smaller row you packed may close more easily on day two than on day one.
Which shop label sits on which kilogram?
Swipe sideways for the full table
| Birth weight (kg) | lb (approx.) | Rows that list this weight | Also pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| about 2.3 kg | 5 lb | Next 5 lb (44 cm); Mamas & Papas Tiny Baby (44 cm); John Lewis Early Baby (up to 44 cm) | That shop's Tiny Baby or First Size |
| about 2.7 kg | 6 lb | George Tiny Baby (50 cm / up to 2.7 kg) | George First Size (56 cm / 4.1 kg) |
| about 3.1–3.2 kg | 7 lb | John Lewis Tiny Baby (up to 3.1 kg / 50 cm); Mamas & Papas Newborn (3.2 kg / 50 cm) | John Lewis Newborn or M&P Up to 1 month |
| about 3.4 kg | 7.8 lb | Next First Size (50 cm / 3.4 kg) | Next Up to 1 month (56 cm / 4.5 kg) |
| about 4.1 kg | 9 lb | George First Size (56 cm); John Lewis Newborn (up to 56 cm / 4.1 kg) | That shop's 0–3 months |
| about 4.5 kg | 10 lb | Next and Mamas & Papas Up to 1 month (56 cm / 4.5 kg) | Next Up to 3 months or M&P 0–3 months (62 cm / 6.5 kg) |
A 9 lb hangtag is 4.1 kg on George First Size and John Lewis Newborn. It is already past Next First Size (3.4 kg / 7.8 lb).
Why pack two coming-home sizes if I already know the birth weight?
Weight is only half of a footed outfit. A long 3.4 kg baby can sit on Next First Size by weight and already need 56 cm (Next Up to 1 month) by height. The reverse also happens: a short, heavier baby fills the kilogram before the centimetres.
The NHS and NCT both treat clothes as a small starter set because size is uncertain before birth. After birth, the same logic holds for one photo-day outfit: one set on today's kg row, one set on the next row. You are not buying a wardrobe in the corridor.
How do I read 5 lb, 7 lb or 9 lb if I think in kilograms?
Those pounds are the shop's own translation of its kilogram row, printed for people who still talk in lb. Next's 5 lb row is 2.3 kg / 44 cm. Next First Size is written as 7.8 lb next to 3.4 kg. George First Size is up to 9 lb next to 4.1 kg. Use kg on the scales, then find that number on the chart; do not start from a US '7 lb newborn' graphic.
If a relative texts a weight in pounds, convert once (kg = lb × 0.4536) and ignore the US month chart that often sits beside those numbers online.
What should the coming-home set actually include?
NHS Start for Life lists an outfit for going home plus a hat, mittens, socks or booties, and a snowsuit if it is cold. That is layers for the journey, not a second wardrobe. A vest and sleepsuit in each of two sizes, plus one cardigan, covers the clothes part.
The Lullaby Trust's coming-home notes for small babies are about sleep at home (back, clear cot, no hat indoors), not about which hangtag to photograph. Keep those pages for the first night in the Moses basket or cot; they do not pick the outfit size.
In shortStart from kg on the ward scales, read that shop's row, and bring the next label. 3.4 kg is Next First Size; 4.1 kg is George First Size and John Lewis Newborn. Pounds on a hangtag are only a translation of those kilograms.
Questions parents ask
- The baby was 3.8 kg. Is that Newborn or 0–3 months?
- On Next, 3.8 kg is past First Size (3.4 kg) and still under Up to 1 month (4.5 kg). On George and John Lewis, 3.8 kg is still inside First Size / Newborn (up to 4.1 kg). Check length: if they are already near 56 cm, take the 0–3 or Up to 3 months set as well.
- Should I pack Tiny Baby for a planned caesarean if the scan said 2.8 kg?
- Treat 2.8 kg as George Tiny Baby territory (up to 2.7 kg is the printed cap — you are on the line) and as below Next First Size. Pack Tiny Baby or Next 5 lb plus the next row. Scan weight is still an estimate.
- Do I need a special coming-home outfit, or will a plain sleepsuit do?
- NHS wording is 'an outfit for going home'. A clean vest and sleepsuit in the right kg/cm row meets that. Occasion sets are optional and often run small — keep a plain backup in the same size.
- The label only shows months. Where do I find the kilograms?
- Open that brand's size guide. Next, Mamas & Papas, George and John Lewis all print kg and cm beside the age words. If a gift has no chart, measure the baby crown to heel and compare 50 cm versus 56 cm versus 62 cm.
Sources
Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.
- NHS Start for Life — Hospital bag checklist — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS — What you'll need for your baby — checked 10 September 2026
- NCT — How to dress and choose shoes for a baby — checked 10 September 2026
- NEXT Help Centre — Baby and Youngsters sizing guide — checked 10 September 2026
- Mamas & Papas — Baby clothing size guide — checked 10 September 2026
- George / Asda — Baby size chart — checked 10 September 2026
- John Lewis — Babywear size guide (bodysuit product page) — checked 10 September 2026
- The Lullaby Trust — Premature babies (coming home / sleep at home) — checked 10 September 2026
This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.