Newborn Essentials Checklist

Written by Cynthia Obinatu, community and editorial lead. Checked against published guidance from the National Health Service, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and peer-reviewed research. Not yet reviewed by a clinician. Educational, not medical advice.

How this newborn essentials checklist works

The list covers what a baby needs in the first weeks. Tick each one as you get it and the progress bar fills. Your ticks save on this device, and nothing is sent anywhere. The Print button gives you a paper copy to take shopping or hand to a relative, and Reset clears the list so you can start again.

What your finished checklist means

A full bar means you have the basics for the first weeks. Most of what a newborn needs is care: milk, warmth, a safe place to sleep and clean hands. Anything not on this list can wait until you know what you actually use.

What are the essential items for a newborn baby?

A newborn needs a safe place to sleep, clothes, diapers, a way to keep clean, a way to be fed and a way to get home safely. Everything else can wait.

• Sleep: buy one baby cot with a firm, flat mattress and a mosquito net.
• Clothes: get enough vests, bodysuits and sleepsuits to cope with a messy day, plus muslin cloths or soft wraps.
• Diapers and cleaning: get diapers, cotton wool or wipes, soft towels and a baby bath or basin.
• Feeding: get whatever you need for the way you plan to feed.
• Care: get baby-safe nail scissors, a soft brush and simple toiletries.
• Going out: get a car seat if you travel by car.

What to buy before the birth

Buy the baby cot, the clothes and the diapers first, and a car seat if you travel by car. Leave the rest until after the birth. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months and avoiding any other food or drink, even water, unless it is medically necessary. If you plan to breastfeed, you do not need to stock up on bottles.

Skip anything that goes in the cot. The NHS says to use a firm, flat mattress with no pillows, duvets, bumpers or soft toys, and the American Academy of Pediatrics gives the same advice about soft objects and loose bedding. A baby also does not need a swaddle to be safe. The Academy says you can swaddle if you like, but swaddling does not reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). We have left prices off this page because they change too often to print.

What are the essential needs of a newborn baby?

A newborn needs warmth, milk, clean skin and protection from infection. The World Health Organization lists thermal protection, such as skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, hygienic cord and skin care, and early and exclusive breastfeeding as the core of essential newborn care. None of these comes from a shop. Your birth team can show you each of them before you leave.

Vaccines matter too. Nigeria's routine immunisation schedule starts at birth, and the vaccination tracker shows every visit and what is given.

If you want a short shopping list for the first week, buy the baby cot, diapers, clothes you can change quickly, something to feed your baby with and a car seat if you travel by car. Everything else is a preference, and friends and relatives can bring the rest once the baby is born.

If you are also planning the birth, the hospital bag checklist covers what to pack for the days in hospital, and the trimester by trimester guide explains when to get things ready.

What does a safe sleep space look like?

Safe sleep is the one area where what you buy changes the risk, so it is worth getting right. The NHS advises putting your baby down on their back, in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you, for every sleep for at least the first 6 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics gives the same advice: place your baby on their back for all naps and at night, on a firm, flat surface, and share a room with your baby but never a bed.

Keep the sleep space clear. The NHS also advises that you never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair, keep the baby's head uncovered and keep smoke out of the room. The Academy says a pacifier at nap time and bedtime helps reduce the risk of SIDS, even if it falls out once the baby is asleep.

Overheating matters in Nigerian weather. The NHS gives a room temperature of 16 to 20 degrees Celsius for the UK. Many Nigerian rooms run warmer than that, and we could not find a Nigeria-specific figure from a recognised health body. The American Academy of Pediatrics gives a rule that works anywhere: your baby needs only one more layer than you would wear in the same environment. In a hot room that can mean a single thin cotton layer. For the same reason, treat the warm blanket on the checklist as optional. If you do use one, keep it out of the sleep space.

Do I need a mosquito net for a newborn in Nigeria?

Plan for one over the baby's cot, and set it up before the first night at home. The WHO says that in 2024 the African region had 95% of malaria cases and 95% of malaria deaths, and that children under 5 made up about 75% of the deaths. Nigeria alone accounted for 31.9% of the region's malaria deaths, the largest share of any country in the region. The WHO names insecticide-treated nets as a core way to prevent malaria.

Use is lower for babies than it should be. A 2026 survey of infants in South-Western Nigeria, published in Malaria Journal, found that 55.2% of the children had slept under an insecticide-treated net the night before, and the authors described use among infants as suboptimal. Ask the nurse at your antenatal or immunisation clinic how to get a net and how to hang it so it stays clear of the baby's face. See a doctor promptly if your baby has a fever.

Common questions

Where this comes from

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). National Health Service.
• A parent's guide to safe sleep. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org.
• Malaria fact sheet. World Health Organization.
• Infant and young child feeding fact sheet. World Health Organization.
• Newborn mortality fact sheet. World Health Organization.
• Insecticide-treated net utilization and associated factors among infants in Southwestern Nigeria. Malaria Journal, via PubMed Central, 2026.

This page has not yet been reviewed by a clinician. It stands on the published guidance above, and we say so plainly rather than implying a review that has not happened. Read it alongside our medical policy.