Build your baby and toddler kit

You probably own some of this already: only buy the gaps. Each price shows when it was checked.

1. Ready-to-feed liquid formula of the kind your baby already has (formula-fed babies)Essential

   GOV.UK’s Prepare list says ready-made or ready-to-feed formula is best in an emergency because you may not be able to boil water or sterilise bottles. It is sterile until opened (NHS) and needs no mixing, so it works when the kettle does not. Babies fed only at the breast need nothing extra here. If you express, the NHS cleaning and sterilising rules apply to your pump parts and bottles too, and the power-cut guide linked below covers storing expressed milk.

   No official quantity exists, so count the feeds your baby normally has in a day and multiply by the days you have chosen, using the formula your baby already has. Choose single-feed cartons or bottles. The NHS says an opened carton must go in the fridge and be used within 24 hours, and that unused formula kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours, and any left at the end of a feed, should be thrown away. So while the fridge is off, open a fresh one for each feed and throw away what your baby does not finish — single-feed cartons waste least. Rotate them into everyday use by their use-by date. Bottles and teats still need to be sterile, so pair this with the sterilising line below.

   Power cut with a baby →
2. Your usual powdered formula (only if you can still boil water safely)Optional

   Powder is not sterile, so the NHS says to make it up with water that has boiled and cooled for no more than 30 minutes, so it is still at least 70°C. That needs a working kettle or a gas hob you can light. Never bring a camping stove or barbecue indoors to boil water: the NHS says using them inside can cause a build-up of carbon monoxide. If you cannot boil water safely, use ready-to-feed instead — do not improvise.

   Only the tub you already use. Never stretch it: the NHS says do not add extra water or extra powder and use only the scoop that comes with the formula. Too little powder may not give your baby enough nourishment; too much can cause constipation or dehydration. Bottled water is not a shortcut: the NHS says it is not usually recommended for formula because it is not sterile and may contain too much salt or sulphate, but in rare circumstances, such as when drinking water is unavailable or has been contaminated, it can be used — still boiled and made up the normal way. If you can boil water once, a clean vacuum flask of just-boiled water stays above 70°C for several hours if it is full and sealed (NHS), so you can make up a fresh feed each time your baby needs one.

   Power cut with a baby →
3. Cold-water sterilising tablets or solution, with a lidded tub (bottle-fed babies)Essential

   Sterilising does not replace cleaning. The NHS says wash bottles, teats and other equipment in hot, soapy water with a bottle brush as soon as you can after a feed, and rinse them in clean, cold running water before they go in the solution. Steam and microwave sterilisers need electricity. Cold-water sterilising is the NHS method that needs neither power nor heat: follow the manufacturer’s instructions, submerge bottles and teats with no trapped air bubbles, keep everything under the solution with the floating cover or plunger, and leave for at least 30 minutes. The NHS says to keep sterilising feeding equipment until your baby is at least 12 months old.

   The NHS says to change the solution every 24 hours, so pack enough tablets or solution for one fresh batch each day you have chosen. If you do not already own a cold-water steriliser tub, you need one too: the NHS says it should have a floating cover or plunger (compare them). Pack washing-up liquid and a bottle brush, and keep some stored water for washing up and the tub in case the taps stop. When you take a bottle out, shake off the solution or rinse it with cooled boiled water, not tap water. If you have a gas hob that still works, boiling is the NHS fallback: at least 10 minutes in a large pan with everything under the surface, only for items that are safe to boil, with a timer set so you do not forget the heat; teats wear out faster this way. Keep your baby well away from the hob. A baby fed only at the breast needs none of this.

   Milton Sterilising Tablets - 2 Pack (56 Tablets Total)

   £6.89

   as of 22 Sep 2026, 22:23 BST · Details

   Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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4. Spare bottles and teatsOptional

   You already own bottles; the point of spares is having a clean, sterilised set ready when washing up in the dark is the last thing you want. Sterilise the spares in the same batch so each feed starts with a clean set.

   There is no official number. Enough to cover the feeds between one sterilising batch and the next is a comfortable target. A baby fed only at the breast needs none; if you express, put your pump parts and bottles through the same cleaning and sterilising batch.

5. Nappies for your baby36 nappiesEssential

   The one supply you cannot improvise. The NHS says to expect around 10 to 12 changes a day in the early days, dropping to 6 to 8 a day as your baby gets older, so a few days without shops or deliveries gets through a full pack quickly.

   Sized at 12 nappies per baby per day, the top of the NHS range for the early days, so a newborn is covered. An older baby usually needs 6 to 8 a day, so you can scale down. Separately, fewer wet nappies than usual can be a sign of dehydration: the NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 (in Northern Ireland, your GP or GP out-of-hours service). As a guide, the NHS says a formula-fed baby should have around 6 wet nappies a day from a few days after the birth, and a breastfed baby at least 6 heavy, wet nappies every 24 hours from day 5.

6. Wipes and nappy sacksEssential

   There is no official quantity for these, and they do not need one. Wipes cover top-and-tail washes when there is no hot water (for nappy changes, the NHS suggests gentle, non-scented, alcohol-free wipes), but they are not a substitute for washing your hands with soap and water: the NHS says to wash your hands after every change and before making up feeds or handling sterilised equipment. Pack hand sanitiser too — GOV.UK’s Prepare list names hand sanitiser and wet wipes for when the water is off. Sacks seal used nappies away until they can go in the outside bin.

   A practical rule is one sack per nappy change, so match your nappy count, and pack more wipes than you think. This is planning sense, not an official figure.

7. Changes of clothes and warm layersEssential

   GOV.UK Prepare says babies and young children are among the people most likely to become ill if they get too cold in a power cut, and layers are how you manage it: they can be added and removed as the room changes. Don’t overdo it: The Lullaby Trust says babies are safer slightly cool than too hot, because overheating raises the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, and that adding an extra layer of clothing usually helps if you can’t get the room to 16–20°C. Babies do not need hats indoors — they lose heat through their heads, so a covered head can overheat them — and you check by feeling the chest or the back of the neck, removing a layer if the skin is hot or sweaty. Never put a hot water bottle in a baby’s sleep space, whether that is a cot or your bed. This advice is written for babies; for a toddler, dress for the room and check they are neither too hot nor too cold.

   There is no official count. Plan on a full change for each day you have chosen plus spares — babies get through clothes fast — and keep the layers you would add in a cold room (vests, sleepsuits, socks, cardigans) together in one bag so you are not hunting for them in the dark.

   Keeping a baby warm in a power cut →
8. Safe cot bedding for the room temperature: a baby sleeping bag or lightweight blanketsEssential

   Safe sleep does not pause for a power cut. Put your baby down on their back. The Lullaby Trust says the recommended room temperature for babies is 16–20°C, and that babies should not sleep under a duvet or quilt or wear a hat indoors, to avoid overheating. The Trust says all a cot needs is a firm, flat mattress with a waterproof cover and lightweight bedding or a baby sleeping bag — no pillows, duvets, bumpers, soft toys, comforters or weighted bedding, because items like these can cover a baby’s face and obstruct breathing. A baby sleeping bag and lightweight blankets tucked in no higher than the shoulders, with your baby’s feet at the foot of the cot, are both within the rules. Never put a hot water bottle in a baby’s cot or in your bed with them, keep the cot away from radiators and heaters, and do not bring your baby under adult bedding to keep them warm. However cold the night, never fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair: The Lullaby Trust says it significantly increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. If you might drift off, put your baby down on a firm, flat surface first.

   Use what you already have: one sleeping bag per baby, or lightweight blankets firmly tucked in. The Trust gives no tog chart because products and babies differ; its bands are a sleeping bag or lightweight tucked blanket at 16–20°C, an extra layer of clothing or a higher-tog bag if the room is slightly colder than that, and a short-sleeved bodysuit or just a nappy above 20°C. If you use a sleeping bag, do not put blankets on top — add a layer of clothing or choose a higher-tog bag instead. Most sleeping bags are fitted by weight, not age, so check the manufacturer’s guidance and that the bag fits well around the neck and shoulders. Do not put one sleeping bag inside another: the Trust says air trapped between layers adds warmth.

9. Room thermometerOptional

   The Lullaby Trust’s 16–20°C guide for a baby’s room only helps if you can check it: the Trust says it can be difficult to guess temperature, so use a room thermometer in the rooms where your baby sleeps.

   One for the room your baby sleeps in. A simple room thermometer is enough. Optional.

10. Torch or head torch (not candles)1 Essential

    GOV.UK’s Prepare list says a battery or wind-up torch is safer than candles, and that matters more with a cot and a curious toddler in the room. A head torch keeps both hands free for a night feed or a nappy change.

    At least one for the household and ideally one for each adult, with spare batteries or a full charge. Sized here as one; add another if two of you share night duties.

    Compare head torches →
11. Digital thermometer1 Essential

    A cold or overheated room and a fever look alike in a fretful child, and the NHS says a digital thermometer is ideal for a fast, accurate reading — forehead strips are not accurate, and ear thermometers can mislead, especially in babies. For children under 5 the NHS says always to use it in the armpit: put the thermometer in their armpit and gently but firmly hold their arm against their body for as long as the instructions say, usually about 15 seconds.

    One per household, with spare batteries. The NHS treats 38°C or above as a high temperature. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 (in Northern Ireland, your GP or GP out-of-hours service) if a baby under 3 months has a temperature of 38°C or higher, or a baby aged 3 to 6 months has 39°C or higher — power cut or not. Call 999 or go to A&E if a high temperature comes with a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it. If your baby has been wrapped up or in a warm room, let them cool for a few minutes, without getting cold, and take it again.

12. Prescribed medicines, and infant pain relief only if your child is old enoughEssential

    Any prescribed medicine comes first, with a copy of the prescription. A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher needs an urgent GP appointment or a call to NHS 111 (in Northern Ireland, your GP or GP out-of-hours service), not just pain relief. For over-the-counter pain relief, age matters more than the power cut: the NHS says most children over 2 months can take paracetamol (at 2 to 3 months only if they weigh over 4kg and were born after 37 weeks of pregnancy), and most over 3 months can take ibuprofen (at 3 to 6 months only if they weigh over 5kg). For a younger or smaller baby, speak to a GP, pharmacist or NHS 111 first. The NHS says not to give ibuprofen to a child who has chickenpox or is dehydrated, and to ask a GP or pharmacist first if your child has asthma. Do not give paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time. You can alternate between them only if a health professional, such as a doctor or nurse, tells you to.

    Follow the pack, which gives the amount by age, check it is the right strength for your child’s age, and ask your pharmacist if you are not sure — that is the whole dosing rule here. Use the oral syringe that comes with the medicine, never a kitchen teaspoon (NHS). If a medicine has to be kept cold, plan for the fridge before the lights go out.

    Fridge medicines in a power cut →
13. Comfort items for awake timeOptional

    A power cut is dull and dark for a toddler and unsettling for a baby, and a familiar toy, book or dummy does more for everyone’s evening than any gadget. For sleep, the Lullaby Trust rule stands for babies: no soft toys or comforters in the cot, because items like these can cover a baby’s face.

    Whatever is already loved — one or two things that live in the kit bag so they are not lost when the lights go. Optional, and free.

14. Register for the Priority Services Register (free)Essential

    Ofgem’s 2016 rule change requires energy network operators to offer Priority Services to people who live with children under five, and the energy networks’ PSR site, thepsr.co.uk, lists living with children under five as a reason to join, free, with the PSR promise made by energy companies in England, Wales and Scotland. It brings advance notice of planned cuts and extra support and updates during unplanned ones. Water companies run their own registers and many list under-fives too — check yours. Northern Ireland works differently. NIE Networks’ Customer Care Register is for people who rely on electricity for healthcare needs, such as medical equipment, and it does not list under-fives. NI Water’s Customer Care Register is open to older customers, people with a serious medical condition or anyone who needs extra help for any other reason, and if Power NI is your supplier, its Customer Care Register offers extra help with your account. None of them names under-fives, so ask whether they can help. To report a power cut in Northern Ireland, call 03457 643643.

    Once per household, with your energy supplier, your electricity network operator and your water company: GOV.UK Prepare says to sign up with both your supplier and your local network operator, because each keeps its own register. The networks’ site, thepsr.co.uk, finds your operator by postcode and says it can pass your details on to your supplier and water company, but check with your water company as well. It is free and takes a few minutes. Do it before you need it, because warnings about planned cuts only reach you if you are on the register first.

    Priority Services Register guide →
15. A bag to keep it all in1 Optional

    Nappies, formula, sterilising kit and layers scattered round the house are no use at two in the morning by torchlight. One bag, packed and left alone, also doubles as the grab bag if you ever need to leave. If you do have to leave, The Lullaby Trust’s emergency-situations advice covers safer sleep in a travel cot, pram or carrycot: still on their back, on a firm, flat surface.

    One per household, big enough for the nappy count above — a rucksack or holdall you already own is fine. Optional: a labelled box in the nursery does the same job if you never need to move it.

We don’t add these up: each price is shown beside its item, and you’ll probably only need some of them.