I have several friends that are pregnant and since I have been there done that they keep asking me what they need beyond the diapers, whippies and onesies. I need to preface that each mom/child is different and I also did not formula feed so I have zero experience with brands etc. So here goes:
Diaper bag - doesn't have to be an actual diaper bag but needs several pockets and abundant amount of space. I would however strongly suggest something that zips and cross body helps when wrangling the child especially when they get older.
Nursing shawl - these are great because it loops around your neck and has a curved boning in the top that allows you to look down at the baby while nursing but still be completely covered. The one I had was by balboa baby and I really liked it however if I had it to do again I would have purchased it in a lighter color than black. I tried another brand that was lined with a soft furry material. The material was to heavy for the neck boning to stay up and it was extremely hot.
Travel system - I know that color is often a big seller for mom but do your research and find out how the seat did in car crashes etc. Also go to the store and play with the strollers. Make sure you can operate it for the most part one handed. The hubster and I had to leave one folded in the store because we couldn't get it unfolded. There were also a few that I could not get folded at all.
Diaper rash cream- sorry to say this but inevitably at some point you will need to treat diaper rash. There is a product called "Corona" no not the adult alcohol treat. This is a lanolin based product. It is in a yellow tube with a red lid. It does an amazing job at clearing there rash.
Nipple cream - I loved lansinoh lanolin. It is in a purple box and usually with the bottles and breast pads. I would highly recommend using this twice a day in your third trimester and continue using it after every feeding. I never cracked or bleed and I nursed for about a year.
Nursing pads - yet again I liked the lansinoh brand. They had two adhesive strips so they stayed in place better. They were also more form fitting and very absorbent.
Red lightbulb - wherever you plan on changing/nursing the baby at night place a lamp with a red light bulb in the area. The red light wont blind you the way white light does. It is also easier for the other parent to sleep through.
Arm chair pillow - I'm not really sure what their exact name is but it looks like the top of a chair with arms but is is a pillow. Anyways, these are nice to have by the bed for late night feedings because it provided a little more support than just a pillow and when you are still using a boppy the boppy can rest on the arms.
Sleep bra - yep those breast pads don't stay in place on there own. Sleep bras have a deep v cut that allows for easy access and are loose enough to expand when you are engorged.
Breast pump - I purchased the madela free style. It was what worked best for my situation. I didn't not have my own office at the time therefore I had to use various different private spaces at work. The free style has a battery which I had to have because there were times I didn't have access to an outlet.
Bottles - I would highly recommend having at least 8 bottles to pump into. That way your not having to wash bottles every night. Also my son would usually finish what I pumped the day before on the next day and I didn't waste a bag or dirty another bottle.
A little side note - there is typically no reason to pump more than the meals that your baby is missing from eating directly from the source. Pumping is very taxing and somewhat physically and emotionally demanding. I did pump about once a day or every other day when I was home with him for those first 6 weeks and froze it for a small stash for those growth spurt days so the baby sitter would have enough. I actually wound up throwing some away. Once I went back to work I pumped 3 times a day until he began to eat more solid food I then went to twice a day and when he ate even more table food I went to one and by about 9 months I wasn't pumping at work any more. I will say I had more milk at the beginning of the week after feeding my son all weekend and not as much come Friday. Ok I'm done now!
As for pasies my son wouldn't take one so I can't help you there.
Velcro straps - I found these really neat Velcro straps that you can attach one end to a sippy cup or toy and fasten the other to the stroller or highchair. They were adjustable so it would prevent it from hitting the floor. On a side note eventually the child does learn to undo them which then renders them useless but wonderful while they work.
Snack stack - The one I have is 5 tiered and can hold a wide variety of snack items while on the go. It also doesn't crush like a plastic bag.
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