The short version
- Every baby born in Scotland gets a free Baby Box of clothes, bedding and essentials from birth to 6 months.
- The box comes with a mattress and fitted sheets, so it can be a safe first bed if you follow safe sleep advice.
- Your midwife registers you at your 18 to 20 or 28 week appointment. There's nothing else to do.
- It arrives between 4 weeks before your due date and your due date. Twins and triplets each get their own box.
Scotland's Baby Box is one of the best-known baby freebies in the UK: a free box of essentials for every newborn in Scotland. Here's what's inside the baby box in Scotland, how to get one, and what to do if it hasn't arrived.
Who can get the Baby Box?
Your baby must be born and resident in Scotland. To get a box, you need to be registered with a midwife and living permanently in Scotland. There's no means test, so every family qualifies.
There's no government baby box in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. If you live there, our free baby stuff UK guide covers what you can claim instead.
How to get your Baby Box
- Register with a midwife while living in Scotland.
- Fill in the registration card with your midwife at your 18 to 20 or 28 week appointment.
- Your midwife sends the card off. You don't need to do anything else.
You'll get a text, email or letter (whichever you chose) the week before your box is sent, and the delivery company will contact you with tracking and a delivery slot.
What's in the Baby Box?
The box is packed with things for your baby's first six months. Items can vary, but Parent Club lists:
- Clothes in newborn, 0 to 3 month and 3 to 6 month sizes, such as vests, trousers, an all-in-one suit and scratch mittens.
- Bedding: a mattress with a protector, two fitted sheets and a cellular blanket.
- A digital underarm thermometer and a bath and room thermometer.
- A baby wrap, a bath sponge and three muslin squares.
- Books: two baby books from the Scottish Book Trust and a buggy book.
- An offer to try reusable nappies, which Parent Club says can save £600 or more per baby.
- Things for you, including breastfeeding information and condoms.
Is it safe for my baby to sleep in the box?
Yes. The box is designed as a safe place to sleep, and the mattress is made to fit it exactly. Follow safe sleep advice: put your baby on their back with their feet at the end of the box, and lift the box only when your baby isn't in it.
Babies can usually sleep in the box for the first 3 or 4 months, or until they can roll over, sit, kneel or pull themselves up. After that, move them to a cot. The box is 55cm wide and 77.5cm long, so it's also handy for naps when you're away from home.
What if my box hasn't arrived?
Boxes arrive between 4 weeks before your due date and your due date. If your baby comes early or your address changes, email scotlandsbabybox@theapsgroup.com or call 0800 030 8003, and quote the registration number from the leaflet your midwife gave you.
More free help for new parents in Scotland
- Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment: £796.65 for your first child and £398.35 for later children, if you get certain benefits. Apply from 24 weeks of pregnancy until your baby is 6 months old.
- Best Start Foods: Scotland's version of Healthy Start, for help buying healthy food and milk.
- Free prescriptions: prescriptions are free for everyone in Scotland, pregnant or not.
See our free baby stuff UK guide for Child Benefit, childcare help and free books across the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets a Scottish Baby Box?
Every baby born and living in Scotland. You need to be registered with a midwife and living permanently in Scotland, and there's no means test.
How do I register for the Baby Box?
Your midwife fills in a Baby Box registration card with you at your 18 to 20 or 28 week appointment and sends it off, so there's nothing else to do.
When will my Baby Box arrive?
Between 4 weeks before your due date and your due date. You'll get a text, email or letter the week before it's sent.
How long can my baby sleep in the Baby Box?
Usually for the first 3 or 4 months, or until your baby can roll over, sit, kneel or pull themselves up. Then move them to a cot.
Is there a free baby box in England?
No. The Baby Box is only for babies born in Scotland. Families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can look at grants like the £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant, Healthy Start and free NHS prescriptions in pregnancy.
How we research: we check every offer against the brand's or program's own website before publishing and when we update a guide. Programs change, so always confirm the details at the source before you sign up. Read our editorial standards, or tell us about a correction. Some links may be affiliate links; see our disclosure.