Car seat- should be brand new. I got mine off a good friend of the family, she used it like 5x for her granddaughter and I knew she had never been in an accident with it (I would have heard about it).

I would recommend a convertible car seat to save you money, an infant car seat that you can carry is nice with a young baby but as they get older, they much prefer being able to sit higher and kind of see out the window (even in rearfacing)... you can get ones that work for rearfacing, forward facing, and then convert to a booster, so your child has one seat to last years.

Cribs- it is recommended that you buy a new mattress every time, including no hand-me-down mattresses between siblings. TBH I am not sure if it is in good condition and you flip it if it would be okay to use for a second child though, my thoughts right now are that this is what I will be doing with mine. The actual crib, just make sure it meets current safety standards and hasn't been recalled.

Strollers, playpens.. yep just be sure about recalls and you're fine

Thank you for adding this useful bit to the thread. I also plan to purchase a lot 2nd hand so this is super useful!!

It was a group of health visitors that told me about milk powder not being sterile.

Essentials:

bottles if you will bottle feed and a bottle brush to clean them

diapers cloth or disposable

onesies

pj

a few outfits...not too many cause outgrown too fast and weather appropriate clothing...(Winter, summer, rain, etc)

car seat

crib and sheets for its size

proper hats for weather

a few blankets

a stroller or a sling or snuggly

A very good baby monitor...was essential for me anyway (Angel Care baby monitor)



GOOD:

wipes...but facecloths would do

baby towels...but regular towels do

a playpen

my son and I both loved the swing

a little chair that rocks...fisher price makes a few models


Very not necessary:

- bottle warmers
- wipes warmers


I am sure I forget a lot... but this is what I can think of right now. That should cover the first little while anyway.

Thought I would add mine to this thread

If you are planning on breastfeeding make sure you do your research first - it is hard and you need to know what is likely to happen and the absolute best way to get started. I would highly recommend Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding book. Also lurk on the BFing forum - there's a great thread going at the moment here.

I would also recommend the your baby week by week book - I have found this to be a great resource. I didn't buy any books on BFing or newborn care in advance and regretted it. Didn't have a clue.....

Don't buy loads of fancy newborn or 0-3 month clothes. Your LO will mostly be wearing vests and all-in-one suits. Mothercare do some great all-in-ones with built in scratch mits (though not all of them so you have to search through). These are my absolute faves as they keep Beth's hands warm at night and she can't pull them off. If she wears gloves instead I always wake up in the morning to find she has managed to pull them off and her hands are freezing, bless.

Consider a bedside/sidecar cot - I have the Cosatto Close to Me. It is so much easier to feed/settle baby in bed with you and then slide her over into the cot than it is with a crib or moses basket. It also gives LO the feeling that they are in bed with you. I love this way of sleeping and Beth settles so well if I am at her eye level. It also means I can easily reach over to pop her dummy back in, hold her hand etc. This can also be used as a normal cot so will last.

Oh and this VTech Lullaby machine is fab.

Great post and very useful MrsSixx! Thanks!

I nearly got a Cosatto Close to Me but found a Mamas & Papas Close & Cosy (another bedside cot) when I decided to look "just once more". I was determined to get a bedside cot, and I'm glad to hear someone praise them so!

Very good post--very useful!

I shop second hand for my clothes most of the time, so I figured, why not for a baby who will grow out of something in a blink? Also, if she puked/poo'd whatever on them, I was less worried about pitching them if it wasn't worth it.

Things I couldn't do without:
blankets. Lots of them...cotton, flannel, plush, quilts, I horde them. Seriously. We can sit on them, lay them on the sofa, cover a face when it's cold, you get the picture.

diaper pad (2)..one for the bag, one for the house. Change diapers anywhere and wipe it off for the next use.

good bottle brush.

onsies (or as you gals call them, vests ). They are, to this day, my favorite item to have on hand. Great for layering in the cold, great to wear by itself when it's too warm. I thought the sleep sacks (what do you call those again?) would be wonderful, but she was too squirmy and too small for them initially. And then she just wanted to climb all the time so they were too dangerous. I had a TON of them!

little cotton caps. Our cottage is chilly, and Violet was born in February, so I kept a knit cap on her noggin all the time when she was first born. It worked. Healthy little girl!

baby leggings/knits: pair with a onsie and you've got one comfy baby. Also good under sleep sacks.

Honestly, I was given some rather sage advice and initially I discounted it. But after a year of living with our babe, I believe it. "Babies really just need milk, love, and warmth. All the other stuff is marketing" This from a WWII era mother who's first little one slept in a bureau drawer because her GI husband was off to war and she didn't have enough money to go on.

Things I could do without...

wipe warmer. Always forgetting to fill it up and the plug wasn't near the crib
more than one or two fancy dresses.

What to Expect the First Year is good

Informative, reliable.

I've tried to do things that havent been mentioned.....

Not essential

A changing table for their room. We have one and to be fair we have used it and still use it loads BUT I dont think you need one considering how expensive they can be.

Top and tail bowls - waste of money - I have one that I have never used and it was handed from 2 other friends/family members who never used it!
Nursing chair - expensive luxury and the sofa was much nicer!


Great Items

Bath support or seat so you can bath them on your own with hands free.
Hooded towels.
V pillow for breastfeeding
Gripe water - good for getting burps up and more natural than colic remedies