What does a newborn actually need in the first six weeks?

One clear, flat, firm sleep surface in your room; a way to feed and, if bottles are involved, a way to sterilise; nappies and wipes or cotton wool; about six sleepsuits, six vests and two cardigans; and a car seat if you travel by car. That is the NHS and Lullaby Trust list. Everything in the table above is optional.

How much does it cost to skip all of this?

Across the sixteen items we could price on 9 September 2026, roughly £1,000–£3,000 at John Lewis, Mamas & Papas, IKEA and Aldi prices. Nobody buys all sixteen; the realistic saving is the subset you were about to put on a list, and it depends on what you already own.

Is it fine to change a newborn on the floor?

The NHS says the best place to change a nappy is on a changing mat or towel on the floor, sitting down, because the baby cannot fall from it. If you use a changing table, the NHS says to keep an eye on the baby at all times, not to rely on the straps, and never to walk away or turn your back.

Do I need a steriliser if I am breastfeeding?

Only for whatever touches milk: pump parts, bottles for expressed milk, teats. The NHS says to sterilise all feeding equipment until the baby is at least 12 months old, and a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes or a cold-water solution both count. If nothing touches milk but you, there is nothing to sterilise.

Which of these are worth buying second-hand instead of skipping?

Furniture and hard plastic: a chest of drawers, a cot frame with a new mattress, a baby bath, a Moses basket with a new mattress. Not car seats, and not mattresses. Our second-hand guide covers what to check before you pay.

Why does this page not name a best brand?

MayTally is not a shop and takes no commission. The £ figures are the spread of prices we found at named UK retailers on a stated date, so you can see what a category costs; they are not a ranking, and they will drift.

Guides · skip list · tax year 2026–27

What does a newborn not need you to buy?

Updated 9 September 2026 · By MayTally research desk — Checked against official UK sources

A newborn needs a safe place to sleep, a way to feed, nappies and a few clothes — not a nursery showroom. Skip the gadgets and extra sleep spaces. This is guidance, not a shop.

This is information, not a guarantee and not a shop. MayTally does not take a cut when you skip a purchase. Families differ — twins, premature babies, disability, housing and how you feed all change what is useful. Safety points below are the NHS’s, The Lullaby Trust’s and RoSPA’s wording, linked in Sources; the £ figures are ours, from retailer pages checked on 9 September 2026.

Twenty things, grouped by the question parents actually ask. Each row says what to skip, what does the job instead, roughly what that saves at UK retailer prices, and the case where the item is worth buying. Savings are ranges — the list price of the item minus the cost of the alternative — never a single number.

Do I need a changing table?

The NHS says the best place to change a nappy is on a changing mat or towel on the floor, and that on a changing table you should never walk away or turn your back. Everything in this group is furniture or a gadget around a job that needs a mat and your hands.

Do I need a changing table? — skip, use instead, typical saving, exception
Skip	Use instead	Typical saving	Exception (when it is worth it)
A changing table or dresser-changerThe NHS asks you to keep a hand and your eyes on the baby wherever you change them; a raised surface adds a fall height without changing the job.	A £8–£20 wipe-clean mat on the floor, on the bed, or on a chest of drawers you already own (84–100 cm units match most changing units in height). Details in our changing-table alternatives guide.	About £170–£380 (dresser-changers £180–£400 at John Lewis; open IKEA tables from £39)	You needed a chest of drawers anyway and the changing top is the cheapest part of the price, or a midwife or physiotherapist has told you to avoid floor changes.
A wipe warmerMost babies tolerate room-temperature wipes. The NHS changing kit list is cotton wool and warm water, or fragrance-free wipes — no appliance.	Ordinary wipes, or cotton wool and a bowl of warm water.	About £50 (the one model listed at John Lewis was £49.99)	None we can find. If a health professional has suggested warm water for the baby’s skin, a bowl does it.
A nappy-disposal systemThe drum wraps nappies in more plastic and then needs branded refills. A knotted sack in the kitchen bin is how most of the country already lives; cloth nappies use a wet bag.	The bin you already have, plus nappy sacks if you want them (Aldi own-brand: 150 for £0.79).	£25–£45 up front, plus £17–£35 per refill pack you never buy	A top-floor flat or a communal bin store a long walk away, where the bin genuinely cannot be emptied daily.
A designer changing bagIt holds nappies, wipes, a muslin and a change of clothes. Any rucksack or tote you already carry does that.	A rucksack you own, plus a £10–£20 fold-up travel mat that lives in it.	About £25–£140 (changing bags £40–£150 at John Lewis and Mamas & Papas, minus the mat)	You do not own a rucksack. A basic £40 changing bag against a £40 rucksack is a wash — pick the one you will still use in three years.

Prices checked 9 September 2026 at John Lewis, Mamas & Papas, IKEA GB and Aldi (URLs in Sources). Ranges are list prices on the day, not sale prices; “saving” is the item’s price range minus the alternative’s. “Not priced” means we could not fetch a comparable price on the day, so we have not invented one. MayTally does not rank brands.

What feeding kit do I actually need?

If you use bottles, the NHS says to sterilise all feeding equipment until the baby is at least 12 months old, and it describes cold-water solution, steam (electric or microwave) and boiling for at least 10 minutes as the methods. The method is required; the machine is not.

What feeding kit do I actually need? — skip, use instead, typical saving, exception
Skip	Use instead	Typical saving	Exception (when it is worth it)
An electric steam steriliserA pan of boiling water for 10 minutes, a microwave steam pot, or cold-water solution are the NHS-described methods. An electric unit is convenience, not a requirement.	A large pan you own (£0), or a microwave steriliser (£19–£28.50) if you use bottles daily.	About £45–£130 (electric sterilisers £75–£130 at John Lewis and Mamas & Papas)	Exclusive formula or expressed-milk feeding from day one, or twins, where you are sterilising several times a day — and even then try the £19–£29 microwave unit before the £75+ electric one.
A bottle warmerStand the bottle in a jug of warm water. The NHS says not to heat milk in a microwave and to test the temperature on the inside of your wrist.	A jug, warm water, and your wrist.	About £20–£30 for a plug-in unit; £60–£130 for the portable ones	Regular bottle feeds away from a kettle after the first month. Decide then, not before the birth.
A formula-prep machineIt does not remove the NHS steps for making up infant formula, and the NHS says the water leaving the machine must be at least 70°C when it meets the powder. It is not day-one kit when you do not yet know how you will feed.	A kettle, water cooled for no more than 30 minutes as the NHS describes, and a clean sterilised bottle.	About £110–£250 (John Lewis and Mamas & Papas listings)	None as a first purchase. If after a few weeks you are making six or more formula feeds a day, price it then and read the NHS page on machines first.
A baby-food makerThe NHS says around six months is the usual time to start solid foods and that first foods can be mashed with a fork. A pan does what a steamer-blender does.	The pans you own, a fork, and a hand blender if you already have one.	About £120–£180 (John Lewis listings)	None before around six months — there is nothing for it to do yet.

Do I need a baby bath and a bath thermometer?

The NHS bathing page lists “a baby bath or clean washing-up bowl filled with warm water”, says to check the water with your wrist or elbow, and that you do not need to bathe a baby every day. Never leave a baby alone in the bath, even for a second.

Do I need a baby bath and a bath thermometer? — skip, use instead, typical saving, exception
Skip	Use instead	Typical saving	Exception (when it is worth it)
A dedicated baby bathThe NHS describes a baby bath or a clean washing-up bowl as equivalent. Newborns do not need a daily bath.	A washing-up bowl, the sink, or the big bath with a towel and a free hand.	About £10–£50 (baby baths £9.60–£49 at Mamas & Papas, IKEA and John Lewis)	No bath in the home and a small, high sink. A basic £10–£12 plastic bath is the cheap version of this.
A bath thermometerThe NHS says the water should be warm, not hot, and to check it with your wrist or elbow and mix it so there are no hot patches.	Your elbow or wrist, and a shallow bath.	About £11–£15 (John Lewis listings)	You want a room thermometer for the sleep space anyway — some are combined bath-and-room units at £11–£20.
Specialist baby detergentThe NHS says there is no evidence that washing powders with enzymes (bio) or fabric conditioners will irritate your baby’s skin. If eczema is in the family, that is a health-visitor or GP conversation, not a boutique label.	The detergent you already use, or the cheapest unscented non-bio if you prefer it.	Not priced — the grocery sites we could reach on the day did not list a comparable pair	A health visitor or GP has asked you to change detergent for a specific skin problem.

Does a newborn need a nursery, a second cot and a monitor?

The Lullaby Trust says the safest cot is a clear cot — a firm, flat, waterproof mattress and lightweight bedding, nothing else — and that babies should be in the same room as you for sleep, day and night, for the first six months. That one sentence removes most of a nursery showroom.

Does a newborn need a nursery, a second cot and a monitor? — skip, use instead, typical saving, exception
Skip	Use instead	Typical saving	Exception (when it is worth it)
A matching nursery furniture suiteA newborn cannot see the theme. A cot in the corner of your bedroom and a basket of nappies is a complete setup; the nursing chair can be the chair you already sit in.	One cot or cotbed (£139–£249 at John Lewis; IKEA cot-and-changing-table set £98) plus storage you already own or a £39–£199 chest.	About £300–£850 (cotbed-and-dresser sets £545–£999 at John Lewis)	You have no storage at all. Even then a cot plus a chest of drawers costs less than every suite we found.
A second or third sleep spaceThe Lullaby Trust’s advice is one clear, flat, firm sleep surface, baby on their back, in a room with you for the first six months. That is a safer-sleep rule, not a furniture sequence. Travel cots are for travel.	One sleep surface that moves with you, or a second-hand basket with a new firm, flat mattress.	About £45–£300 per extra space (Moses basket £75–£125 plus stand £29–£49; travel cots £45–£250)	A two-storey home where daytime naps happen downstairs and carrying the basket is not workable — the Lullaby Trust rules on a clear, flat, firm surface apply to that space too.
Cot bumpers, nests, pods, pillows and sleep positionersThe Lullaby Trust lists them all: no pillows or duvets, no cot bumpers, no soft toys, no weighted bedding, no wedges or straps, no pods or nests. If feeding or reflux is worrying you, that is a midwife, health visitor or GP conversation.	A clear cot. That is the whole product.	Not priced — whatever they cost, the Lullaby Trust says not to put them in the cot, so the saving is the full price	None.
A video monitor on day oneThe Lullaby Trust says to stay in the same room as your baby while they sleep for the first six months, that a monitor can never replace a parent’s supervision, and that there is no evidence monitors help prevent SIDS.	The same room, for the first months, if that is workable in your home.	About £50–£380 (video monitors £49.99–£379 at John Lewis; £80–£380 at Mamas & Papas)	The baby has to nap in another room in the daytime, or the baby was born early or has a medical condition — ask the clinical team what monitoring, if any, they want you to use.
A white-noise machineA phone, a radio on low, or a fan you already own makes a similar noise. If you use sound, keep it low and not right next to the baby’s head. We are not telling you how to get a baby to sleep.	Silence, or something you already own.	About £29–£90 (John Lewis listings)	None. A portable unit for travel is a later, cheaper decision if you find sound helps.

What clothes, toys and gift sets can wait?

The NHS list for the first few weeks is about six all-in-ones, six vests and two cardigans. Newborn size is not one size — it tops out anywhere from 3.2 kg to 4.1 kg depending on the shop — which is why the pile of newborn gifts goes unworn.

What clothes, toys and gift sets can wait? — skip, use instead, typical saving, exception
Skip	Use instead	Typical saving	Exception (when it is worth it)
A haul of newborn-size clothesNewborn size can last two weeks or eight. About two in three babies in England and Wales are born between 3.0 and 3.99 kg (ONS), and at some shops that is already past the newborn label.	The NHS minimum in 0–3 months, one small pack of newborn size at most, and a yes to handed-down sleepsuits. See our size chart in cm and kg.	£13–£24 per unneeded 3-pack of sleepsuits; £10–£20 per 5-pack of bodysuits	Your midwife has said the baby is measuring small, or the baby arrives early — then buy or borrow more that week.
Newborn shoes and a coming-home outfitNewborns do not walk. The NHS hospital bag list says “an outfit for going home in” — a sleepsuit is an outfit. Tiny shoes are photographs, not kit.	A sleepsuit, a cardigan, and a hat if it is cold outside.	Not priced	One outfit for the photograph, if you want it. Not shoes.
A door bouncer, baby walker or jumperooNone of these is a newborn product; newborns cannot sit, bounce or walk. RoSPA’s advice on accidents to children says the use of baby walkers is not recommended.	A blanket on the floor, when the baby is awake and you are with them.	Not priced — none of the retailers we could reach stocks sit-in walkers, and the RoSPA position makes the price beside the point	None for a newborn.
Nappy cakes and newborn gift setsThey are often things this list has already told you not to buy, wrapped in cellophane. Warm water is enough for newborn skin; if a product is scented for the adult who bought it, it is not for the baby.	Ask for a meal, a supermarket voucher, or a pack of size 2 nappies.	About £28–£60 per set (John Lewis and Mamas & Papas listings)	None. If someone insists on buying one, ask them for the nappies instead.

How much does skipping all of this save?

Across the sixteen items we could price, somewhere between roughly £1,000 and £3,000 at the retailer prices above — the bottom of every range added together, and the top of every range added together. Four items (specialist detergent, cot bumpers and nests, newborn shoes, and walkers) carry no figure because we could not fetch a fair price or, in the case of cot clutter and walkers, because the Lullaby Trust and RoSPA position makes the price irrelevant.

Nobody was going to buy all twenty. The realistic saving is the subset you had on a list, and it depends heavily on what you already own: a household with a chest of drawers, a rucksack, a large pan and a smartphone has already got the alternatives for eight of the rows. The expensive part of a new baby in the UK is usually months of income and childcare, not the nursery aisle — which is what the calculator at the end of this page is for.

What is enough to start?

A short list, because the long one was the point. This is a household, not a shop.

A sleep surface. Clear, flat, firm, baby on their back, in your room for six months. See The Lullaby Trust.
A way to feed. Breast, formula, or both. If you use bottles, a sterilising method — not necessarily a machine — and the NHS page on making up formula.
Nappies. Disposable or cloth, plus wipes or cotton wool and water. About a week’s worth before the birth, not a month’s.
A few clothes. Six sleepsuits, six vests, two cardigans in 0–3 months, per the NHS list.
A car seat if you use a car. A seat that fits this baby and this car, with a known history. Check official records. Prefer this over a wipe warmer.
The small outdoor kit. Muslins, a cardigan, an outdoor hat when the weather asks for it.

Questions parents ask

What does a newborn actually need in the first six weeks?: One clear, flat, firm sleep surface in your room; a way to feed and, if bottles are involved, a way to sterilise; nappies and wipes or cotton wool; about six sleepsuits, six vests and two cardigans; and a car seat if you travel by car. That is the NHS and Lullaby Trust list. Everything in the table above is optional.
How much does it cost to skip all of this?: Across the sixteen items we could price on 9 September 2026, roughly £1,000–£3,000 at John Lewis, Mamas & Papas, IKEA and Aldi prices. Nobody buys all sixteen; the realistic saving is the subset you were about to put on a list, and it depends on what you already own.
Is it fine to change a newborn on the floor?: The NHS says the best place to change a nappy is on a changing mat or towel on the floor, sitting down, because the baby cannot fall from it. If you use a changing table, the NHS says to keep an eye on the baby at all times, not to rely on the straps, and never to walk away or turn your back.
Do I need a steriliser if I am breastfeeding?: Only for whatever touches milk: pump parts, bottles for expressed milk, teats. The NHS says to sterilise all feeding equipment until the baby is at least 12 months old, and a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes or a cold-water solution both count. If nothing touches milk but you, there is nothing to sterilise.
Which of these are worth buying second-hand instead of skipping?: Furniture and hard plastic: a chest of drawers, a cot frame with a new mattress, a baby bath, a Moses basket with a new mattress. Not car seats, and not mattresses. Our second-hand guide covers what to check before you pay.
Why does this page not name a best brand?: MayTally is not a shop and takes no commission. The £ figures are the spread of prices we found at named UK retailers on a stated date, so you can see what a category costs; they are not a ranking, and they will drift.

Sources

Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.

Safety and guidance

Retailer prices (checked 9 September 2026)

John Lewis — changing units and dressers — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — wipe warmer — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — nappy bins and refills — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — sterilisers — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — bottle warmers — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — formula machines — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — baby food makers — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — baby baths — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — bath thermometers — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — changing bags — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — white noise machines — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — video baby monitors — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — Moses baskets and stands — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — travel cots — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — cots and cotbeds — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — baby sleepsuit and bodysuit packs — checked 9 September 2026
John Lewis — newborn gift sets — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — dressers and changers — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — changing mats — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — baby baths — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — sterilisers — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — baby monitors — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — Moses baskets — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — changing bags — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — gift sets — checked 9 September 2026
Mamas & Papas — bodysuits and vests — checked 9 September 2026
IKEA GB — SKÖTSAM babycare mat (£9) — checked 9 September 2026
IKEA GB — SNIGLAR changing table (£39) — checked 9 September 2026
IKEA GB — SNIGLAR 2-piece baby furniture set (£98) — checked 9 September 2026
IKEA GB — LÄTTSAM baby bath (£12) — checked 9 September 2026
IKEA GB — MALM chest of 4 drawers (£115, 100 cm) — checked 9 September 2026
Aldi — Mamia nappy sacks, 150 (£0.79) — checked 9 September 2026

This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical advice tailored to your home. Prices are the retailers’ list prices on the date shown and will change; benefit figures, if shown, are for tax year 2026 to 2027 and still need checking on the official page. For sleep, feeding, bathing and illness, follow your midwife, health visitor, GP, or the official pages linked above. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.