Pregnancy and babies: preparing for power and water cuts
By UK Be Ready · Last checked 8 November 2026
Independent guide. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Government. Official advice: Be Ready.
First three things to do
- Check the baby and pregnant parent are comfortable and have their usual feeding or care needs met.
- Find your maternity notes, midwife or maternity-unit number and charged phone.
- Check you can prepare the next feed safely. Contact your health visitor, midwife or urgent medical service if you cannot.
Before: make the next feed easier
If you formula-feed, keep an appropriate supply of the formula your baby normally uses, plus nappies, wipes and prescribed items. Discuss specialist feeds with the clinical team. NHS bottle-feeding guidance explains that unopened ready-to-feed liquid is sterile and needs no added water, but bottles, teats and other feeding equipment still need sterilising. Follow the pack’s opening, storage and discard instructions; do not assume an opened carton will keep safely in a powerless fridge.
For powdered formula, follow the NHS preparation method: freshly boiled water must still be at least 70°C when mixed with standard powder. Cool the finished feed safely before offering it. Never dilute formula to make it last longer. If safe water or sterilising is unavailable, seek specific feeding help promptly rather than improvising.
Keep the sleep space safe
Use a battery light where you can see without trailing cables. NHS safer-sleep advice still applies during an outage: place your baby on their back in a separate, clear cot or Moses basket, with a firm flat mattress. Keep the baby in your room for the first six months. Never fall asleep holding a baby on a sofa or armchair.
Aim for a room temperature of 16–20°C and suitable lightweight bedding or a correctly fitted baby sleeping bag. Avoid overheating; do not use hot-water bottles, electric blankets or a heater beside the cot.
Pregnancy: keep care within reach
Keep maternity notes, appointment details, necessary medicines and maternity-unit contacts together. Plan how you would travel if your usual lift or route were unavailable. A disruption is not a reason to postpone urgent maternity concerns: contact your maternity team promptly, and call 999 for an immediate life-threatening emergency.
Ask your energy and water providers about extra support for your household. Include a neighbour or relative who can check in and help collect supplies.
Your 10-minute job
Write down the maternity-unit and health-visitor numbers. Check that your feeding and sterilising plan works without mains electricity, with professional advice where needed.
Sources and further reading
- NHS bottle-feeding guidance: ready-to-feed milk and sterilising
- NHS: how to make up a bottle feed
- NHS: reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome
- Ofgem: join your supplier’s Priority Services Register
Sources checked 8 November 2026. This is general household preparation guidance; current incident instructions and individual clinical or veterinary advice take priority.