Need help with a baby necessities starter "kit"...

If you have a dog - you NEED a Diaper Genie!

For breastfeeding, have a big stash of cotton bra pads. The disposable ones are worthless. Lanolin cream is also nice, and so is having several good quality nursing bras. Those are hard to buy aheaad of time, though. Sizes can fluctuate so much. I know everybody recommends a hospital grade electric pump, but I did great with an Avent Isis hand pump. My sister was very happy with the same model, also. But I think the women in my family are the human equivalents are Holstein cows.

Get a good quality ear/temporal thermometer. They're really nice to have.

The travel systems with the infant seat/base/stroller combo are pretty much the norm these days. Having an extra base so all your vehicles have one is really handy.

Thanks!  I wasn't planning to do a diaper genie, just to have a covered garbage can in the baby's room.  Cole's never garbage surfed...and several friends said they didn't need the genie.  Am I kidding myself?  Seriously the only reason I want one would be for stink. 
 
I'm going to be going back to work at 12 weeks so I thought maybe an electric pump would be a good idea.  It's nice, we have an occupational health nurse so I'll probably be able to go into one of her exam rooms for privacy.  But then I thought a hand pump one would be fine for at-home stuff.  ???  What kind of bottles are best?  Most of my friends use those Dr. Browns ones...but do those work for breastfeeding too (I can't see why they wouldn't)?
 
Can I ask, what size are your breasts?  I've read some of the reviews for the pumps and they said that some didn't work for smaller breasts vs. bigger breasts.  My pre-pregnancy boob size was 34B...now I am 36C which I am sure will change when milk comes in. 

Ahhh! If you don't have a dumpster diver - you'll probably be OK. Mine are incorrigable scroungers and I've seen many dogs that can't resist and nice stinky baby burrito. The Diaper Genie did do a fabulous job of keeping odor down, though. If you find the covered pail getting a bit rank (especially when baby starts onto solid foods) you may want to look into one.

Can I ask, what size are your breasts?  I've read some of the reviews for the pumps and they said that some didn't work for smaller breasts vs. bigger breasts.

LOL! That's the closest to a come-on that I've gotten in a LONG time! (Just Kidding!) Normally, I'm a A-, but after breastfeeding two kids for a year each (and gaining 40 pounds) I'm at a C. I never tried any electric pumps because I had such good results with the Avent. My twin sister had the same good results with that pump and she was at a C too. (but lost all her weight afterwards - the snot!) I used the Avent bottles because they worked with my pump. They also carried a nice line of bags and bag clips that I used for freezing milk. I also liked how you could get handles and lids that fit on the bottles to switch them over to sippee cups. I'm not sure if they've changed that since I used them 5 years ago.

Almost forgot! Get a Boppy pillow (or whatever pillow is comfy for you). They help a lot. Both of my monsters were 9 pounders and hit the 10 pound mark before their two week appontments. It can be pretty hard on the back & shoulders & arms those first few months. Once they're big enough to need less support from you it gets better.

You know, i had a diaper genie and I hated it. I thought it was awful. Pulling out the long diaper sausage was just too much. So I would keep my grocery bags and use the to tie the diaper up and throw it right in a pail outside.

My friend lent me her Madela Pump and Style pump.  I think it was pretty expensive, but all of the woman at my baby shower crooned over it saying it was great.  She was pretty top heavy and it worked good for her.  I will be pumping at work too so this was a necessity.
 
At Baby's R Us, they have a registery list guideline that may help you. 
 
https://www.toysrus.com/registry/truParentsCheckList.jsp
 
Before I registered I asked a lot of my friends that had kids and they provided a lot of insight as to what was a waste of money and things they couldn't live without.  This is the list of things I registered for to give you some ideas:
 
§    Infant car seat with extra base
§    Stroller that reclines
§    Bouncer (my mom said you need this for when the baby is too small to fit in the high chair)
§    Pads for the crib – per my mom you put them between the sheet and the mattress pad and it “helps” control the wetness.  Get the ones that over the full mattress not just one area.
§    Mattress (get the firmest one you can afford)
§    Crib sheets (at least 4 sets since they are always dirty)
§    High Chair
§    Pack N Play
§    Convertible car seat (for when they get older)
§    Swing (I got the travel one because it is more compact and still has the same weight restrictions)
§    Nursery decorations (mobile, wall pictures, picture frames) – see note below
§    Baby monitor
§    Adjustable gym (the thing they lay underneath and kick and play with)
§    Boppy pillow with removable cover and extra cover
§    Changing pad with at least two covers since one will always be dirty
§    Diaper bag
§    Blankets (Receiving and thicker ones too for when they are older)
§    Sleep sacks (I guess these are for when they are too small for a blanket, it keeps them warm, they can#%92t unzip them, and it serves as a blanket without the worries of SIDS)
§    Bathtime set (comes with shampoo, lotions, etc.)
§    Front and backpack carrier (I got one that goes in either the front or the back)
§    Quilted mattress pad
§    Digital thermometer (not the ear one, since “they” say the rectal reading is best for babies anyway)
§    Health care set which comes with clippers, medicine doser, snot sucker outer, etc.
§    Tons of onesies in all sizes up to 12 months
§    Diaper rash cream
§    Infant gas drops
§    Baby wipes and all sizes of diapers   
 
I registered for separates for nursery because a few of my friends said the sets were a waste of money.  They say they are a waste because you will soon realize you can#%92t or don#%92t end up using most of the stuff.  You aren#%92t supposed to use a bumper anymore because of SIDS, you can#%92t use the comforter when they are infants and will probably want something new when they get into a toddler bed, the diaper stacker is supposedly just a dust collector and you usually need two valences and they only give you one, rendering it useless.
 
Please keep in mind that all of this information came from my friends and I have no idea if I will use any of it 
 
 

Thanks!  I did finally find the essentials lists on Babies R Us.  I did check out the Medela pump - it IS expensive at $320 but it had the absolute best reviews.  It seems to have everything - electric pump (double fisted even!) plus a their manual pump (which also got great reviews) and the bag is a cooler also.  So I think I am going to put that on the list. 
 
Hubby has no idea I've built a list, but honestly I think it will make our trip to the store that much easier.  It helps too that he's been through this before with his 8 year old daughter.  I think I might also send my registry to a friend who just had a baby and ask her to help me build it by adding or deleting stuff that I need or don't need but think I DO need. LOL. 
 
Two of our close friends offered to give us their newborn car seat and extra base - they won't be needing it until they have a second kid.  I thought that was so generous!  So as long as we return it, LOL, we can keep trading off with them.  Very cool.  It helps to have two friends who've had babies in the past year.  Can't wait for all the hand me downs.

To be honest, DH and I never set foot into Babies R Us until after the shower to return some stuff, I did everything on-line one night with my girlfriend.  DH didn't really have much interest in the lavender vs. yellow changing pad cover type of stuff anyway, which was fine with me.  There really isn't a Babies R Us that close to me in Wisconsin, but everyone was going to go there in Michigan (where my shower was) so I had to register there.  The whole on-line thing was great because it was much easier to compare prices and ratings (check out Amazon for those)!  Plus if you change your mind it is so much easier to adjust things online.

I want to go to make sure I like some of the bigger ticket items, like the jogger stroller, crib, and the pack N play.  I want to make sure they behave as expected without any surprises!  Most of the stuff I agree, doesn't matter - but I think it will cut down on shopping time!

Oops, I lied, I did go in once with my mom when I was home in Michigan for x-mas.  One thing I did want to do is look at the ease of opening and closing the stroller.  The one I originally picked out was impossible to close without struggling (I could just see myself swearing at it in the rain in some parking lot).  Total pain, so I switched to something that was easier and a little lighter.  Some of them are so heavy I couldn't lift them (and I am not small).  Also, if you girlfriend is giving you an infant car seat, see if you can get the stroller that it will snap onto.  I didn't do this on purpose, but it just worked out that way and I am glad it did.
 
Also, (sorry for rambling) you might be able to rent a pump too (just buy the accessory kit).  I am not sure how long you are planning on pumping, but I looked into it and it was something like $30/month for the top of the line ones.  If you don't plan on breast feeding that long it might be worth it.  I might have to do this for the last couple of months since my friend that lent me hers is now pregnant and will need her's back at the end of the year.

Yeah, I want a jogger stroller and I have heard those can be a beeotch to fold.  I might just get that and then a smaller portable one if I don't think I can manage the jogger in the car.  I don't want to have a hundred dang strollers!! 
 
I plan to breastfeed for as long as I can or at least a year, whichever comes first.  I figure a year is probably as long as I could stand it.  But, you know what they say about the best laid plans.  A friend of mine suddenly went dry at 3 months because her doctor told her she needed to supplement with formula (her baby is absolutely tiny, in the 5th percentile for size, but as it turned out, that is what is normal for him.).  She warned me never to do that!  She was very sad.  There's always eBay if it doesn't go as I hope, I guess!!! LOL 

My only advice is:

Don't count out cloth diapers! Modern cloth diapers are so incredibly easy to use and cost effective. You can get ones that go on just like disposables and then all you do is throw them in the wash!

Here are some pictures of my son wearing cloth diapers:

http://gdiapers.com/
yep gdiapers are awesome, so i've been told. i wanted to try them out on my oldest, and i may still do that, but lately we're looking at potty training, so i may just get them for the little one. i think the start kit is $24.
i've used the old fashioned cloth diapers just to say i did it. lol wow what an experience, and no not a bad one either. but its WORK. that is constant changing and potentially lethal situations if you dont stay on top of cleaning them. [:'(]

also diaper genies arent as bad as they used to be. i used them before they changed the design, and yeah i hated diaper sausages too.... i thought i was the only one to call them that lol i was an au pair for about three months and honestly i liked using wal mart bags better. just loop it over the changing table and dispose when the day was done. these people didnt have a dog either..
also..... one thing i noticed with Bo, the bulldog pup... he didnt garbage surf either until he discovered diapers.... i took him for granted. but one day i was walking from the baby's room into the living room without a care in the world when... my bare foot went squish.... that diaper filler junk is HARD to clean up when its been ground into the carpet by an 80# dog's shoulder.

about the pumps.... its all preference i believe, but the lactation consultant at the hospital gave a disapproving look towards them. she even told me if i still had the receipt to take it back and get my money back. she said you can do it yourself just as easy or quicker than a pump. its also not as much work on your arms to do it by hands. and you dont have to take anything apart, sanitize it or clean each piece to be sure its safe, and you dont have to worry with buying a new one if you lose a piece.  And that is what i do. its easy too. well.. it is for me anyway. i prefer to do it this way. i dont have to worry about the fuss and muss of a pump.. sooooo just a thought. i DID want an electric, but not so much anymore. i'm all about keeping things simple. one less dish/item to wash the better!
as for nursing bras...hmm well i guess. my dad's girlfriend and my grandmother insisted i get one. its neat, i like it, but really i prefer an old fashioned elastic sports bra. i just pull down the front, flip one out, and baby is ready to eat. flip, back in it goes. i dont even know where my nursing bra is anymore. the other thing i make due with is one of those open-in-front bras. i like that. but its still a matter of preference.

i know i'm really cheap lol my husband has offered to buy me these things but the way i see it, they really dont make life that much more easier. diaper genie: yes if you have a dog. changing table is kind of a big so what too. i just change mine in what ever room i'm in. we have a big house, so carrying a nasty poopy baby by his toes to the tub and then to the changing table is a pain. i keep diapers and wipes sprinkled in every room lol i also prefer to change my kid on the floor or the bed. as big as the house is, we didnt have room for a table without getting rid of something.

anyway, thats how we've done it []

to me the most important thing is lanolin.... OMG you have no idea how sore those puppies are gonna get! but stick with it! no one told me, and within two days of breast feeding i was ready to start formula. THAT was when they sent in the lactation consultant.

From a baby-sitter's perspective, and this won't be essential for a while, once baby comes along, start a notebook with a list of things baby is allergic to, things (sounds, rooms, people, shows, foods, book) they HATE and the same things that the LOVE. Also list what comforts them. Some babies love car rides, some just like the sound of running water. It will make things easier for you, baby and the baby-sitter the first time you have to leave him/her alone

I breast fed both my girls for 18 months each and have both the Avent hand model and the Medella electric. The Avent was nice for on the go because it's smaller, but it was kind of a pain to clean all the time. The Medella was faster because you could do both at the same time, but by the time I'd gotten it, I really didn't need it that much and we probably didn't get our money's worth out of it. As for breast pads, I actually LOVED the Lansinoh brand disposables. They held a ton of leaking milk and didn't stick to my nipples like some of the other brands did. The cloth ones just got too wet and showed through. I never had a problem with the Lansinoh's leaking. I also used their brand of lanolin, and the stuff lasts forever. I actually still have the tube. WalMart and Target carry that brand. And I hated nursing bras. I ended up just wearing these shelf bra camisoles that I got at Costco (I think a 3 pack was less than $20) and then putting a top on over it. I wore those things year round, with short sleeves, sweaters and in the summer just alone. With a nursing pad in them they gave great coverage and they were so comfortable.
Definately a Boppy, and look for larger lightweight cotton blankets to swaddle the baby in. Most we found were just too small and the babies were hard to keep swaddled beyond a few weeks, even though they liked and needed it far longer. And my all-time best recommendation is a sling carrier. There are a lot of different brands, we used two, DH liked the No-Jo brand and I swore by the Maya Wrap. So easy to nurse in.
Other than that, just the basics that the registries and magazines tell you about.