Buying guide
What to buy in the first year, stage by stage
The newborn checklist covers the first weeks. What comes next at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months – from the bigger sleeping bag to the high chair and stair gates.
In short
- Don’t buy the whole first year in advance. Each stage brings two or three new things, and the rest only change in size.
- Around 3–4 months – bigger clothes and sleeping bag, perhaps a pushchair seat unit if the carrycot is getting small.
- Around 6 months – the high chair, the weaning utensils and, often, the next car seat.
- Between 6 and 12 months – home safety, something for play on the floor and, towards the end, first shoes.
The newborn checklist stops, on purpose, at the first weeks. After them comes a year in which your baby changes size several times, and changes the way they sleep, eat and move. Each change calls for a few new things. This guide puts them in order, so you buy them when you use them, not beforehand.
The ages below are approximate. Every child has their own pace; follow yours, not the calendar.
In brief
| Around | What changes | What you buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 months | Size 56 gets too small | Size 62 clothes, size 2 nappies |
| 3–4 months | Rolls over, grasps | Sleeping bag without swaddling, size 68 clothes, a teething toy |
| 4–6 months | The carrycot gets small | Switch to the seat part of the pushchair |
| 6 months | Weaning | High chair, utensils, a cup |
| 6–9 months | Crawls | Home safety: furniture fixed, gates, protectors |
| 9–15 months | The infant carrier gets small | The next car seat, still rear-facing |
| 12 months | Walks | First shoes, for outdoors |
1–3 months: only sizes
The first months bring almost nothing new, just bigger sizes. Size 56 clothes run out quickly; you buy size 62 clothes as you see how much your baby grows. It is the same with nappies: you move up to size 2 when leaks appear.
If you want a baby carrier, now is the time to try it and choose.
3–4 months: rolling over
- You stop swaddling at the first signs of rolling. Move to a sleeping bag with free arms, in the right size.
- Don’t leave your baby unsupervised on the bed, the sofa or the changing table.
- Everything goes in the mouth: a teething toy and a few simple toys.
- The Moses basket or co-sleeper is outgrown by many babies around 5–6 months or when they start to push up; you need to have the cot ready by then.
4–6 months: the pushchair changes
The carrycot gets small or your baby wants to see around. You move to the seat part, reclined close to lying down until your baby sits well on their own. If you bought a pushchair without a carrycot from the start, check its limits.
6 months: weaning
When the paediatrician tells you it is time, you need:
- a high chair with a footrest;
- a few soft spoons, bowls and a small cup – see what you need for weaning;
- bibs.
It is also a good moment for a paediatric first aid course.
6–9 months: on the move
Your baby starts to crawl, and the house has to keep up. Fix furniture to the wall, put gates on the stairs, move medicines and detergents up high. The full list is in home safety.
For play, a blanket on the floor is enough. A fenced play space is an option, not a necessity – see the playpen and play space.
9–15 months: the next car seat
The infant carrier is changed when your baby reaches the manufacturer’s height or weight limit, not at a particular age. The next seat stays rear-facing for as long as possible. Details in the car seat guide.
Around 12 months: walking
First shoes, for outdoors, only when your baby walks on their own. Indoors, barefoot. See first shoes.
What you don’t need along the way
- The baby walker.
- Sets of dishes and toys “by age” bought in advance.
- Every size of clothes bought as a full set – you will be given a lot.
- Sleep gadgets: expensive white noise machines, positioning pillows, nests.
More in what not to buy for a baby.
Our recommendation
Buy the first year stage by stage: new sizes as your baby grows, the high chair at 6 months, home safety when they crawl, the next car seat when the infant carrier gets small and shoes when they walk. Everything bought at its moment is chosen better and costs less than something bought “just in case”.
Frequently asked questions
What needs to be bought after the first months with a baby?
Around 3–4 months, clothes and a sleeping bag in the next size. Around 6 months, the high chair and the weaning utensils. Between 6 and 12 months, home safety equipment when your baby starts to crawl and, once they walk on their own outdoors, first shoes. The exact timing depends on your baby’s pace.
When do you switch from the infant car seat to a bigger seat?
When your baby reaches the height or weight limit of the infant carrier, as stated by the manufacturer, or when their head comes within a few centimetres of the top edge of the shell. Not by age. Many children move to the next seat between 9 and 15 months. The next seat stays rear-facing.
When do I move from the carrycot to the seat part of the pushchair?
When your baby exceeds the carrycot’s limit as stated by the manufacturer, or starts to sit up and gets bored lying down, usually between 4 and 6 months. The seat part should be used reclined, close to lying down, until your baby sits well on their own.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.