1. Boppy or other nursing pillow. It works great even if you aren't nursing because it gives that added support while you're just holding your little baby. Jason uses it all the time when he's holding Liam to give me a break. It works best if you have a little armrest support already from a couch or chair. I also like to prop Liam up in it when he falls asleep (always very well supervised I would never leave him alone). I don't take pictures of myself nursing so there isn't one of me holding him with it, but here's one of Liam sleeping in it.
2. Moby or other wrap. Mine is not the Moby brand, but it is the same design so a real Moby would work just as well. Liam loves being wrapped up cozy close to mommy's body and mommy (or daddy) loves having their hands free to do what they wish. Liam usually falls asleep within 2-5 minutes of being wrapped up and as long as he has access to his pacifier will stay calm the entire length between feedings. We've used it to go to the movies, the Nickle Arcade, and Wal*mart, not to mention around the house. It is super liberating when your baby needs constant snuggling.
3. Bouncy Seat with a vibration setting. When mommy and daddy want to eat dinner, take showers, work on homework etc it is easiest if they don't have to have baby in their arms or even strapped to them. A bouncy seat is an indispensable resource because if baby falls asleep you can put him or her in the bouncy seat, turn on the vibrate and your child will be happy as a clam, at least until the vibration auto-shuts off. The bouncy seat is also super mobile, so you can move it to whatever room you're in, keeping your baby close. Liam loves his as a general rule.
4. A changing pad. We could not find one sold independently, so ours came with our diaper bag. It is super useful in keeping the surrounding area clean while you change a diaper and when you're out and about you can put it down to keep your baby clean from the germs that are all over public changing tables. They're easy to wipe off and give you the protection your furniture and floors deserve.
5. Lots and lots of burp cloths. I got a ton of burp cloths at my baby shower and I thought "I'll never use all these!" WRONG! I don't think it is possible to have too many. You obviously keep at least one where you feed your baby, but you also want one in the diaper bag, one in his crib, one on his bouncy seat, one in any room you might end up in while holding him. Babies spit up A LOT and the easier a burp cloth is to access the better. They also get gross fast, so you want to put them in the wash instead of using rancid, rotten milk smelly ones over and over cause you don't have enough.
6. This one isn't exactly a must have, but it is really nice and that is wetness indicators on your diapers. I don't have a picture for this one, but basically there is a line on the diaper that changes color or disappears when it gets wet. This is fantastic because unless there is a ton, it is difficult to tell if your baby peed and if you need to change his diaper. Pampers, Huggies and the Wal*mart brand (Parent's Choice) all feature a wetness indicator and therefore are high on my recommendation list. Don't buy Luv's diapers they leak. Target brand diapers are excellent, but they don't have the wetness indicator.
Good luck new moms and dads! One last note: I recommend a pacifier if your baby will take one. I read somewhere that pacifiers confuse babies for nursing and therefore you shouldn't give your baby one for the first month of life, BUT I would have lost my mind without ours and it didn't seem to confuse Liam one bit.
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