I'm reminded of the days during my pregnancy, trying to make sure I was "ready" for his arrival, reading numerous useless articles and top ten lists of all of the useless products that were absolute "must have's" for every new parents.
The truth is, there's very little you need for a new baby: milk (breast is best but formula works, too), a safe place for them to sleep, clothing to protect them from the elements and some kind of diapering option (cloth, disposables or if you're brave and go diaperless, then some good, baby-safe cleaning products will come in handy for the inevitable misses). A few swaddles are beneficial, as are some kind of cloth rags to catch general messes and some kind of mattress protector or underlay type of thing for where they sleep (to catch more messes). If you drive, you need a car seat. That's it. Everything else is mostly fluff and marketing gimmicks.
Here is my list of what you don't need for a new baby:
1- a stylish nursery complete with matching changing table, crib, baby glider and coordinated decor and accessories.
2- stroller/pram/buggy. After spending their entire early life inside of you, an infant wants to be close to her mother or father, so wrap up that little person in your baby-wearing option of choice and you're good to go. At this point, I'm using a stroller most days when I go out, but more often than not, I find it to be a convenient carrier for my groceries.
2- creams, lotions, washes, etc.. In the first months, you really don't need to wash a baby with cleanser, as it dried out their skin (thereby reducing the need for moisturizer). A bowl of warm water, a wash cloth and a cloth for drying is all you need for bath time. In the winter, a little extra moisture is good for his delicate skin, but the highly-scented "baby lotions" are not, so stick to something basic like coconut oil or olive oil, which you probably already have anyway.
