Great Stuff We Actually Use

New parents are bombarded with baby products. The urge to buy everything for your new baby is overwhelming, and the manufacturers know it.  Be leery of over buying before the baby comes, asking for exorbitant things on your baby shower registry or getting caught up in the hype of trendy products. A newborn baby needs only five things for about the first month: milk, diapers, blankets, mom and dad. Okay, maybe six, a nursing pillow. It's nice to have a carrier like a wrap or pouch sling. You obviously already had the car seat. Crap.
Okay so you need stuff.
But not a lot and nothing expensive and that's the point. The bouncy chair that costs $30 that has toys attached to it is better than the $100 dollar wooden one that goes with your decor. Why babies like the tacky plastic toys and not the neutral coloured organic cloth toys is a whole other topic entirely. But I digress. Really new babies need very little because they don't start playing with their toys until 3 months. But when they start to play and roll around having a few choice toys and gadgets is really important for their development. Some babies love the stuff that lights up and makes noise, some are happy with rattles, stuff that shines, is crinkly and textured.
Do you really need a:
bumbo chair? No, it's nice to have but definitely not on our essentials list.
baby spa? No, use the sink or just a plain baby tub. You don't need all the gadgets.
play mat? Yes, but not necessarily the $100 Baby Einstein one. I got one off Kijiji for $10 that he loves. Tiny Love makes nice ones.
Jumperoo/Excersaucer? Yes, the circle of neglect is great to have. Also recommended buying one second hand to save some money.
Swing? No, never used one.
nursing pillow? Yes and No, it depends on how your breastfeeding experience is going. I thought I could do without one but found that I really needed one in the beginning. My Breast Friend was the one I had and was a great choice. Even though I only used it for maybe 3 months it really helped.
Highchair? Yes but, there are a lot of different options for this one, check what is available and choose what will fit for your lifestyle. The big bulky plastic chairs are hideous. The booster seats or seat wraps are good choices for small kitchens where space is at a premium. There are new high chairs for the well off parents who want to show off how much money they can burn- the Hi/Lo chair that is Canadian made, or the Stokke Tripptrapp are so uber expensive it's ridiculous. But they look so cool!!!
Jolly Jumper? Yes, babies love it and will use it before the jumperoo because it is more supportive. Please be sure to sing "Jump Around" by House of Pain while baby is jumping. It's just better that way.
video baby monitor? No, unless you are obsessive parents who need to see your baby at all times these are just over priced monitors that feed off of our fear that something will happen to our baby while it's sleeping. There's nothing wrong with the regular monitors. If you need to see your baby in colour on a screen, then watch your home movies.
bouncy chair? Yes, I find mine really useful when he doesn't want to lay down but I can't carry him- like when I'm cooking in the kitchen etc.
Baby Bjorn? No, we don't recommend these types of carriers. There is debate over pressure being on the baby's soft hip/pelvic bones.
Carriers we do like: Baby Hawk Mei Tai, Cuddly Wraps, Sleepy Wraps, Pouch slings, Ring slings and the Ergo. The Mei Tai is a lot like the Ergo but instead of the clips it's long wrapping straps.
gliding/rocking chair? No, I really wanted one, have one and don't use it. Unfortunate purchase. A lot of moms we know bounce on an exercise ball to get their little ones to sleep. That seems more economical than the $300 chairs.
diaper bag? No, use your backpack or another kind of bag. It's all the same in the end.
coordinated baby bedroom furniture? No, as long as you have drawers and a closet don't feel like the furniture needs to be new and/or from the same designer. Your baby has no idea that you paid $50 for the crib or $500. Make sure it's safe but it doesn't need to match the shelving unit. Use Ikea, Goodwill, Kijiji or Craig's list to get any furniture you need.

In the end what ever stuff you can get used or hand-me-down is great, but everyone will use different stuff and like different stuff. This is just great stuff that we actually like and use.
E
Hannah's input:
I bought the Oeuf Lounger and we've used it almost everyday.  I bought it because I liked the way it looked, neutral and matched the decor.
I also use the rocking chair that was ridiculously expensive almost everyday.  It's a fully covered one and is very comfortable.  It's good for story time. I think it was a good purchase for us.
You do not need a change table!  They take up a lot of room, are expensive and dangerous.  It takes half a second for your baby to fall off.  It's happened to friends who strapped their daughter onto the table only to have her fall out the bottom.  Use the floor and that way when someone else is changing your babies diaper you won't have to worry.