What do/don’t you need?

From our experience this is what I'd recommend

* Cot from beginning, We had a bassinette but bnecause we had a nearly 5kg baby she was far too heavy for the bassinette (As they usually only go to 5 or 6kg).
We have a cheap cot from the warehouse which ahs a bassinette level and lower level, but the ones that turn into a first bed are definatly well worht a look at, even though they are a little pricey, but they are definatly worth it.

* With clothes get more 000's rather than 0000's as most babies don't really fit the 0000's for very long (or fit them at all), you can't go past stretch n grows and bodysuits (singlet/shortsleeve/longsleeve).

* Sleeping bag, we jsut cant live with out ours, we had so many problems with Haleigh waking in the night, till we tried a sleeping bag, and she started sleepingthrough the night again, they good for babies who kick blankets off, you can also get ones for in the stroller, we also have one of those and they are great.

* With prams, if you do alot of walking get a good quality pram, as not all prams are designed for walking as we found out. If you are going ot spend more time in the car with bubs, then you only really need one that folds down flat and easy, for eg a 4 wheel stroller or light 3wheeler.

* Carseats whether you get capsule or reversable try get rear facing up to 13kg or more, just incase, and if you get a reversable get one with a high back, we didnt know this when we purchased ours and HAleigh was the 9kg limit at 5.5months and is nearly too tall for hers and shes only 14months.

* Bouncinette we found totally worth while, we had one with a sothing vibration and a toybar, HAleigh just loved it.

* babygym, we first just used our clotheshorse and hung toys from it (our midwife suggested it) then my mum got us a mat with an arch and a few toys from flybuys and it was awesome (although she started crawling a month later lol)

* a guard for any heaters/ fire etc, and saftey latches plug inserts etc, they are handy to get now and have them installed before bubs is getting into things to get used to them.

* Aqueous cream, great as a soapless wash in the bath, for any dry/itchy skin or jsut all over moisturiser and on nappy rash, I use it and use it on my girl, we get it for $8 on perscription from doc or $13 from pharmacy without perscription, and it comes in a huge tub

* Benthopan (sp) for really bad nappy rash we buy the blue one its antiseptic, it cost us $13 for the small tube which we jsut ran out off but have had it for over 4 months, (HAleigh gets it bad when teething)

* Bonjela, teething bars (flat ones), muslin cloth all great to have on ahnd for teething.

We were on a very tight budget when we had Haleigh, so most our stuff we borrowed/ got cheaply or was given to us the carseat was the ultimate exception we spent over $400 on that because taht was our main priority.
You'll be amazed at what people buy oyu for baby once bubs is born, All the best

hehe yeah I know, I just dont want any other first itme paretns go throguh the hassle we did, as noone told us any of this, becuase all my friends had babies under 8lb so they didnt know what it was like to ahve a nearly 10lb bub.
yeah 000 were a little big on Haleigh for around 2wks then she filled out in them.
we are looking at those new safensound booster seats that have the 5point ahrness in them to put Haleigh in instead of buying a whole new carseat for her, but we are trying ot hold off for as long as possible.
Not sure what we'll do with the next one though, might just put it in HAleighs carseat for a while then buy a new one?? HAven't really thought about it.

ooo how much was that? and where did you get it from?
I want her to stay in a harness for as long as I possibly can, so I thoguht these harness booster seats were great idea :)

Haleigh sleeps in the car, but we will try keep her in her carseat till as close ot 2, shes 14months now.
but shes also 13kg lol

Thought of some more stuff that was great:
* big muslin cloths (I got a 4 pack from Farmers for $15, they are the size of cloth nappies and 3 layers I think) They are great for drying bubs after a bath cos they are super soft and dry in a flash.

* either big pieces of cotton for wraps or investing in one of those special wrap things that is shaped and has velcro (sorry no idea what they are called) Most babies love being wrapped and will sleep better so they dont thrash around and wake themselves up.

OK you've got me started on the wraps issue... I'm such a wrap-snob!!  I found muslin had no stretch to it, and Ella is most comfy in a wrap with some give in the fabric (she also doesn't houdini out of stretchy ones as often).  It's a right mission finding 100% cotton wraps that stretch - cotton waffle ones do, but they're a little warm for summer.  And all the wraps in the shops are too small to last long.  In the end I spent way too much per metre on 100% cotton stretch t-shirt like fabric (thin), to make decent wraps that work a treat.  Bertini make some like these, but I bought the last pack in Palmy for now!  If you're making them, just overlock the hem rather than fold & hem it so it doesn't leave bulky ridges that'll be uncomfy when bubs lies on them (keeping baby awake for longer). 

I have about 30 facecloths for Ella's bum at nappy-change time (best to get thin towelling ones so they get into those little crevases).  I don't use baby oil at all, but Bepanthen, J&J shampoo and a baby body wash are essentials in our house. 

I got tripped up on buying too many nappies in newborn-size.  Next time I'll get 10 packs and no more!  Get a few different brands though, to see what works best on your child (Huggies are the bomb for Ella).  Our playmat gets used every day (can get one just about for free with the Huggies promotion too, and it's awesome).  We have 10 cloth nappies in circulation for Ella's many, many messes, and use a lot of bibs.  Ones that velcro up at the side of the baby's neck are the easiest to put on (from T&T).  And like everyone else said, onesie T's that dome under the nappy are essential (envelope necks are easier for me than Pumpkin Patch ones that dome up).  And PP socks are the only ones that stay on.  Gowns make nappy-changing easier, especially at night (2 for $12 at Baby City).  Booties are useless in my books!  We got a beastly Kingston Portacot and it's blimmin heavy.  I once used a Phil & Ted's one and that looked far more portable (freakin expensive though).  A manual breast pump works fine for me because I only use it occasionally.  And buy nipple shields before you find out if you need them or not!!!  Could be a life-saver.  The $5 ones from The Baby Factory work just fine.  Oh - and we really needed our digital thermometer. 

Thermometers are great! Personally I prefer booties to socks because I find they stay on better. And I was given heaps and heaps of booties, something about slightly older women + someone having a baby = cluck cluck booties!!

One thing I don't like is bibs that go on like a t-shirt and don't have dome/velcro/tie openings. Once the food gets started, it makes for a very messy face once the bib has to be pulled back over. In the same way, newborn clothes with easy removability and nappy-access are sooooo good for those power-poos!

I find anything wollen is a waste of time cos its such a hassle to wash. Anything that needs a delicate wash or ironing doesn't get used by us

I am so in love with my digital. Then i don't have to pay to get the endless photos of the top of Jake's head, and the blurry ones of taine developed...eyt still can't bring myself to delete them.

Yeah, gotta love the digital camera as a 'baby essential' - it SO is!  About the mattress protectors, I bought 4 of the "baby First' brand, they're kinda fluffy on both sides but must have something plasticy in the middle, as they're totally leak-proof.  Problem is, it's like sleeping on a waterproof sheet under your bedding - even with a sheet and 2 cotton blankets between Ella and the mattress protector, Ella still got all sweaty and clammy on it.  I've gone for wool now with no plastic in sight - she's heaps more comfy.