You'll want a good pump if you plan to breastfeed after going back to work. Use it while on leave. Get the hang of it at home. Buold up a stash of frozen milk so you aren't stressed when you go back to work. (Milk keeps frozen for a month safely) If your office offers lactation rooms, find out where they are and buy any parts you need to use their pumps BEFORE you go back to work.

These bottles are BPA-free. They are also the closest thing you can get to the experience of breastfeeding for your baby. So why order just the 5 oz size? Trust me, you won't need the larger 9oz bottle for many many months but you will need lots of the 5oz size when your kid starts childcare.

A great book for moms who want to parent in a smart way for mom, baby, and the ecosystem.

Amusing look at parenthood by a Brit.

Know about vaccines and make informed decisions when talking to your child's pediatrician

Your baby will probably want to be swaddled for the first 1-2 months (sometimes longer). This swaddler takes the cake for easy-to-use models. Bring one or two to the hospital with you to make things easy on yourself in the middle of the night.

Get gowns and socks rather than footed pajams for the first few months. Trust me, fiddling with snaps or zippers when you are trying to do a diaper change while half asleep is really NOT WORTH IT!

Conside the environment and give cloth diapering a try! These are easy to care for, especially for the first months while breastfeeding or formula feeding when poop isn't solid yet. Get a good detergent and run them through the wash. Make laundry, not landfill!

One of the best cloth diapers for fitting newborns. These work great for babies that still have an umbilical cord stump.

A good wet bag is a necessity for cloth diapering.

If you go with cloth diapering, about 3 tablespoons of this in each load of wash will help keep your diapers smelling fresh instead of funky.

A good baby care kit is worth purchasing. Get something with a syringe medicine dispenser, nasal bulb, and baby nail clippers

Get a good changing pad. Don't forget to get about 4 covers since baby will wet them. If you are feeling spunky, just make your own changing station out of a night stand or some other piece of furniture you have in the house. Buying a changing station is a waste of money since you will only need it for one year!

Get a swing. Preferably one that has volume options for the music/noise and the ability to swing front to back as well as side to side. Some babies prefer one to the other.

Get a portable swing that fits with your car seat. Trust me, there's nothing like being able to take the baby inside from the car and keep him/her asleep in a swing rather than waking him/her up when trying to get out of the seat and into a swing at home.

We love this stroller. Yes, its expensive but trust me, it is worth it. We can commute with it, jog with it, and its light weight and durable enough to pick up fully loaded with kid. Works with the Graco SnugRide carseat if you get an adapter

A good baby carrier is worth the investment. This is one of the better ones as it adjsuts to many body types and disperses weight evenly.

A Moby Wrap can be great in the beginning because it holds your baby close to your body where he/she can hear your heart beat and feel you move the same way as when he/she was in the womb

A good nursing bra is worth the cost. These may be expensive but they work well even if your breast balloon out to something in the F range in cup size.