Most nursery checklists are written by people selling nursery furniture. The necessary list is short, and several popular items are actively unsafe.
Start with the cot, and put almost nothing in it.
A firm, flat mattress that fits the frame with no gaps, and a fitted sheet. That’s the whole contents.
No cot bumpers. No pillows. No duvets or loose blankets. No sleep positioners or wedges. No soft toys. All of these have been associated with infant deaths, and cot bumpers in particular are widely sold here while being recommended against by every major paediatric body.
Baby on the back, every sleep. In your room for the first six months. A sleep sack instead of blankets is easier to get right in this climate.
What you need
- Cot and a firm mattress, plus two or three fitted sheets. If the cot is second-hand, check it meets current standards and buy a new mattress.
- Sleep sacks: the lowest tog available, given the heat here.
- Nappies, wipes and a changing mat.
- Six or so bodysuits and sleepsuits in newborn, and more in the next size up. Don’t stock up on newborn size.
- Muslins, more than you think.
- A car seat: rear-facing, correctly installed. The one item never to buy second-hand, because you can’t know its history.
- A pram or a carrier, and you don’t need both immediately.
- Feeding kit: nursing bras and pads, or bottles and a way to sterilise. Decide as you go instead of buying both fully.
- A thermometer, baby nail scissors or a file, and a barrier cream.
- Blackout curtains, which do more for sleep than most purchases.
What to skip
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Cot bumpers | Suffocation and entrapment risk. Widely sold, universally advised against. |
| Sleep positioners and wedges | Associated with infant deaths. Babies don’t need to be propped. |
| Pillows and duvets | Not before about 12 months, and a sleep sack is better after that too. |
| A changing table | Falls from them are a common injury. A mat on the floor is safer and free. |
| Moses basket | Outgrown in weeks. A cot from the start works. |
| Wipe warmer, bottle warmer, top-and-tail bowl | Solving problems you don’t have. |
| Baby shoes | Not until walking outdoors. |
| A matching furniture set | The single largest avoidable expense in the room. |
| Amber teething necklaces | Strangulation and choking risk. Not at any age. |
Safety checks to do
Twenty minutes, and it matters more than anything decorative.
- Anchor tall furniture to the wall. Chests of drawers and bookcases tip onto children, and an open drawer gives a climbing toddler all the leverage needed. Brackets cost very little.
- Blind and curtain cords: a strangulation risk. Cordless blinds, or cleats keeping cords high and taut, and never a cot within reach of one.
- Nothing hanging over the cot once the baby can sit or pull up: mobiles, wall hangings, cords.
- Cot away from the window, and away from radiators, lamps and sockets.
- Window restrictors above ground floor, and nothing climbable beneath a window.
- Check the cot slats: narrow enough that a head can’t pass through. Drop-side cots are no longer permitted; don’t accept one second-hand.
- Plug covers, and no extension leads within reach.
- Smoke alarm in the home, and sleep with the bedroom door closed.
For this climate specifically
- Overheating is a risk factor for sudden infant death, and the instinct here’s to over-dress. One light layer more than you’re comfortable in, and often less in air-conditioning.
- Check the back of the neck or chest, not hands and feet, which are normally cool.
- No hats indoors or in the cot.
- Keep the cot out of direct airflow from the air-conditioner, and out of direct sun.
- Humidity means mould. Air the room, and check behind furniture against external walls.
What to buy later
High chair, playpen, walker (skip entirely, they’re associated with injuries and don’t help walking), most toys, stair gates, and the entire second wave of equipment. You’ll know what you need by then, and much of it arrives as gifts.
Second-hand is fine for clothes, cots that meet current standards, prams and most equipment. Not for car seats, and not for mattresses.
Frequently asked questions
What should go in a baby’s cot?
A firm flat mattress that fits with no gaps, and a fitted sheet. Nothing else: no bumpers, pillows, duvets, loose blankets, sleep positioners or soft toys, all of which have been associated with infant deaths. Baby on the back, in your room for the first six months, with a sleep sack instead of blankets.
Are cot bumpers safe?
No. They present a suffocation and entrapment risk and are recommended against by paediatric bodies, despite still being widely sold. The same applies to sleep positioners and wedges.
What do I need before the baby arrives?
A cot with a firm mattress and a few fitted sheets, low-tog sleep sacks, nappies and a changing mat, about six bodysuits and sleepsuits, plenty of muslins, a correctly fitted rear-facing car seat, a pram or carrier, feeding equipment, a thermometer, nail scissors and barrier cream. Add blackout curtains too.
Do I need a changing table?
No, and a mat on the floor is safer. Falls from changing tables are a common injury. The same goes for a Moses basket, which is outgrown in weeks, and a matching furniture set, which is the largest avoidable expense in the room.
What are the main safety jobs in a nursery?
Anchor tall furniture to the wall, since chests of drawers tip onto children who climb open drawers. Deal with blind and curtain cords. Keep the cot away from windows, cords and anything hanging. Fit window restrictors above ground floor, and check cot slats are narrow enough that a head can’t pass through.
Can I buy baby equipment second-hand?
Yes for clothes, prams, and cots meeting current standards. No for car seats, whose history you can’t verify, and no for mattresses. Buy a new one even for a second-hand cot.
How should I keep the room cool enough?
Overheating is a risk factor for sudden infant death and the local instinct is to over-dress. One light layer more than you’re comfortable in, no hats indoors or in the cot, check the back of the neck, not the hands, and keep the cot out of direct airflow from the air-conditioner.
What to remember
Cot, firm mattress, fitted sheet, nothing else in it. Baby on their back, in your room for six months.
Skip the bumpers, positioners, changing table and matching furniture set. Buy the car seat new.
Then spend twenty minutes anchoring the furniture and sorting the blind cords. That does more for the room than anything else you’ll do to it.
Read next
- Baby clothes: the fabrics to avoid and the four hazards
- Setting up a child’s room: Vastu, sleep science and safety
- Why your newborn jerks awake when you put them down
This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice. Follow current safe sleep guidance from your doctor or polyclinic.