Perfectly sized for a newborn feeding, and well designed for quick thawing and heating under warm water. No bisphenol-A in the plastic.

Use for leaks, and also to protect your nursing bras if you're using lanolin--it makes yucky yellow stains.

The one thing I wish someone had told me: Bring your Boppy to the hospital when you deliver!!! It's SO MUCH easier than trying to pile up uncomfortable hospital-issue pillows around you for nursing.

We thought these were a ridiculous extravagance--until we brought our baby home in February. We make our own disposable wipes for poos and use organic cotton cloths for pees, and this warmer keeps both moist and toasty. No more tears at changing time! That said, borrow one--you only need it for those first few chilly weeks.

Super soft and absorbent for all kinds of uses--as burp cloths, changing pad liners, etc. Get a stack of these.

AMAZING stain remover. Really. Gentle on baby, keeps even cloth diapers looking new. You can also order this in gallon size. We like to keep some in a small spray bottle for easily treating stains as they happen. Most natural food stores carry this.

Can't say enough good things about these. Way less laundry than regular cloth diapers, and nothing goes in the landfill. AND the poops never leak out, as they do with other options we've tried, so it's easier to clean up baby as well. I just wish they had a chlorine-free option. (FYI: we buy starter kits for much less at our local natural food store than the Amazon price.)

A quick spray with each diaper change keeps baby smelling fresh and feeling soothed. Contains calendula and other natural healing extracts. We haven't had any diaper rash since we started using this, and even though the spray is cool, our baby smiles every time we apply it. Another plus--you can buy the concentrate and refill with your own witch hazel.

Enormous, but great for baby. Contoured for both infants and toddlers, and deep enough to keep baby warm while safely supported. That said, our own baby prefers the shower to the bath, so find out what your baby likes before you invest!

Get two of these! Swaddle baby in a receiving blanket, then wrap him in one of these and he won't wriggle free during the night. Yay, velcro! Once he's bigger/the weather's warmer, these do the trick on their own.

We love all the many wooden toys by Haba. Beautifully made from wood and safe, natural dyes, with colors and noises and textures that delight babies.

Best safety ratings. Check Graco's website for color/pattern names, and then search for these on Amazon--all the options don't show up in a general search.

If you don't plan to use your infant seat as a carrier, you can use this from the start; it will last until baby reaches 40 pounds. This seat gets the highest rating from Consumer Reports and parent-based sites for its smart design (e.g., it has velcro to hold the harness straps out of the way while you place baby in the seat--genius!). If using this for a newborn, you'll need a Snuzzler.

So cozy. Particularly important if you have a small birthweight baby.

Our son loved this carrier from the first. At two weeks old we were taking him erranding, walking, and even hiking in this pack. It's his favorite place to nap. If he has trouble sleeping, we put him in here and he's out in no time. This would be in my top 5 must-have baby items!

Another item we thought was going to be a ridiculous extravagance but has actually been very handy in the summer, when air conditioner and fan in the bedroom make it difficult to hear our baby's stirrings through a closed door. This'll let you get some down time without worrying about missing baby's cries for comfort or food.