A means to carry the baby
In the good old days, people just carried babies around in their arms all day. You'll do some of that. (And it's good for muscle tone -- mothers have the best upper arms!) But eventually, you want your arms free and you want a convenient and safe way of transporting the little one.

If you can do it, it is wise to have both a body-carrier (like a Baby Bjorn or a Snugli) and a stroller base for your infant carrier.

The chest packs (which I universally call "snugglies") are marvelous for many reasons. First, they allow a fair amount of mobility to the parent. If you're careful, you can do basic household tasks while a fussy baby sits close to you and feels comfort. Wearing your baby is a good way to soothe the baby, keep him or her right in with the family activity, while also providing security and comfort. Wearing your baby on walks helps burn calories and build muscle tone after pregnancy and is a fun way to interact with your baby outside. (You can easily point to things for the small baby to start to see.)

Under no circumstances, however, can you ever wear your baby in a moving vehicle. Babies must be secured in car seats. For this reason, the car seat stroller base is an indispensable tool for modern mothers.

All major infant carrier manufacturers sell their seats as part of a "travel system." Typically costing about $200-$300 these systems incorporate the infant carrier seat with a large stroller. The carrier seat clips into the stroller rear-facing. When the baby outgrows the infant seat, it is removed and the toddler rides in the regular stroller seat. These systems are sold as a cost-effective long-term solution for moving around with a baby. They do, however, have drawbacks.

Most travel system strollers are quite large and unwieldy. At the early stage with the infant carrier on board, they are extremely cumbersome. I also have heard from mothers that these large strollers, in addition to being nearly impossible to maneuver in stores, are also relatively fragile. Many don't last more than one child.

An alternative to the full sized travel system is the stroller base. The Snap N.Go LX by Baby Trend is an excellent product. For sixty dollars, you get a wheeled frame into which you snap the infant carrier. It comes with all the parts necessary to accommodate any brand of infant carrier. I have found the Snap N.Go used for as little as $20. This system is handy, mobile and durable. There is a basket underneath for clothing and diaper bag, and cup attachments are available. They fold to nearly flat and are very light. The disadvantage to this choice is that you will have to buy a separate stroller when your baby outgrows the infant carrier. However, many mothers I know found the travel systems so unwieldy, they bought new strollers anyway. Being freed from buying a stroller as part of a travel system gives you more options.

Layette
This is the clothes and linens your baby will need in the first few months. It is wise to resist the urge to buy "outfits" at this stage of the game. Babies spit up, drool, and wet themselves a lot so the best thing to have on hand is lots of onsies for summer babies and toasty jammies for winter babies. Newborn infants must have their heads covered outside in all but the warmest summer months (when they should stay out of the sun, entirely) so be sure to have plenty of cozy stretchy hats on hand, too. Many moms prefer babies have their feet covered, indoors and out, so get lots of warm stretchy socks.

Medicines, Diapers, Care Items
Any health problems encountered in the first few months of life mean an immediate call to the doctor. You should not dispense any medications to your child without the explicit direction to do so by your health practitioner. However, to spare you midnight runs to the 24-hour pharmacy across town, here is a list of basic care needs you want to have on hand for your baby:

- Several packages of diapers in newborn and infant sizes

- Several giant packages of wipes.

- A stash of small wash clothes and a plastic dish for water for sponge baths on the changing table.

- A baby bath for later baths in the sink or tub.

- Diaper rash creams

- Infant ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol and Motrin)

- Anti-gas drops

- Nasal aspirator (babies can't blow their noses so the aspirator may be necessary to help clear congested nasal passages. There are different kinds out there and the hospital will give you one. They all work differently, so it's nice to have the variety to experiment with.)

- Rubbing alcohol and cotton balls to clean the belly button stump (and to help sterilize clippers, tweezers and nasal aspirators.)

- A grooming kit with soft hair brush, comb, tweezers and infant nail clippers.

- A rectal thermometer. Fancy pacifier thermometers and under-arm patches, in-the-ear thermometers and forehead strips don't do the job. The most reliable way to take a temperature is rectally. Have your health practitioner show you how to do this on your baby so you are confident that you can take his or her temperature in the middle of the night, if the need arises.

- Hand soap and anti-bacterial (if you prefer it) wash for the bathroom for folks to wash their hands before touching the newborn. Hand wash in the diaper bag for the road.

Good luck on this parenting adventure! Remember that no one starts out an expert but with preparation and help, you'll be one in no time!