Choose natural materials that breathe, simple designs, products without fragrances, petrolatum and mineral oil.

3-5 Newborn (small) cotton outfits with long legs and sleeves (no matter what season). ingeling.com

3 small shirts. ingeling.com

A hat with ties and ear coverage. Beanie hats do not stay put when baby moves.ingeling.com

3 pairs of socks; make sure the elastic is good around the ankle. Jefferies baby booties are great. ingeling.com

5 cotton blankets – approximately 30 to 35 inches square. Not too thick or too big. Preferably made of a stretchy material; thermal or jersey knit. ingeling.com

1 or 2 thicker blankets. Cotton or wool. At least 40x40 inches. Great for floor time or in the stroller. ingeling.com

1-2 dozen cloth diapers (burp cloths)-for burping and lots more. I like Gerber organic birdseye 3-ply cloth diapers. White or unbleached. They are the perfect thickness.

2 baby bath towels- it is easier to dry a small baby with a light weight, stretchy towel. ingeling.com

Brush and/or comb with adult size handles. ingeling.com

2-3 packs of unscented newborn diapers or cloth diapers with covers. Don't buy too many in the newborn size, the baby grows quickly and as soon as the umbilical cord comes off you can use size 1 diapers. I like: Tushies diapers (www.tushies.com), Seventh generation, Earth's best, Nature baby care, Huggies naturals and Babies 'r' us generic brand. (Pampers diapers are scented- gross). Cloth diaper covers; Nikky and Imse Vimse.

Unscented/Fragrance free baby wipes or thick paper towels and a bowl of water.

Diaper ointment- Without fragrance, mineral oil and petrolatum. Use only when there is a rash, not to prevent one. ingeling.com

Diaper pail;it should be easy to open and have a large opening, preferably with a foot pedal. Diaper Decor works well.

Unscented or very mild baby shampoo, soap and lotion. I like California baby shampoo and Erba organics. Shampoo can be used on the body as well. Sensitive skin should not be exposed to fragrance. My favorite bar soap is Kiss my face's Olive soap; super mild.

Regular size nail scissors - nail clippers are hard to use and difficult to hold on to. You also risk cutting more than nails with them. ingeling.com

Digital rectal thermometer. Doctors want a rectal temp if baby has a fever, an ear thermometer is inaccurate.

Baby fever reducer- just in case (Saccharin and color free)

4 pacifiers; Gerber soft center pacifiers or ingeling's Swedish ones. (Round shield, bulb tip, latex, soft center pacifiers works best) ingeling.com

1 Pacifier clip; a good way to keep track of baby's paci.

6-8 baby bottles; Plain Evenflo glass bottles or Bisphenol -A free plastic. Even if you nurse they are good to have around for pumping etc. Don't buy gimmicky bottles that have straws, vents, angles and hard to clean shapes . They are difficult to wash and expensive. Small bottles (4 oz) are cute but not necessary since you use them for such a short time(unless you are using them for pumping). Get a few different size nipples to see which one matches baby's sucking best. It should take around 30 minutes to finish a bottle. Latex nipples generally work better than silicon. Gerber's latex nipples are really good. Their size 4+ month nipple is actually more like a slow flow nipple that works well.

Nipple basket for dishwasher. Munchkin and Prince lionheart has good ones. Make sure you can use it for different size nipples and rings or you will have pieces all over the dish washer.

Bottle rack: "Skip Hop" has a good one that looks like a blooming onion. You want it to be sturdy and easy to clean.

Bottle brush: Buy a simple, straight one. Munchkin, Evenflo and Babies 'r' us own brand work well.

Diaper bag; easy to wipe off, sturdy, long straps and not too big. Back packs are great. Baby Bjorn.

Changing table or counter space. 2 covers for changing table.

Stroller; it should recline and be easy to fold with good size wheels, sturdy and lightweight. Try to figure out how and where you are going to use it most before you get a specific kind. Inflatable wheels can get flats, not so fun when you are out on a walk. Maclaren Techno and Maxi Cosi Perle are both good reclining umbrella strollers. Both at Babies "r" us.

Car seat; light weight, easy to buckle. More bells and whistles does not necessarily mean better. Maxi Cosi has one of the lighter weight infant car seats, weighing in at 8 lbs. Make sure you can use the seat without the base too, that way a second base does not need to be purchased.

A crib with a healthy mattress. www.naturepedic.com and IKEA has good ones. (IKEA makes conventional mattresses, but they are free of the most problematic fire retardants, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDE's), 3 fitted cotton sheets, 2 breathable, cotton mattress pads (www.companystore.com has a 100% cotton pad and www.naturepedic.com has an organic cotton flannel pad). Lastly; a thin bumper pad (no more than 1/2 inch thick).

Laundry detergent- Unscented laundry detergent. All free, Tide free, Seventh generation. Most baby detergents are fragranced; get regular unscented laundry detergent for the whole family instead.

Saline drops- great to have around if baby gets a stuffy nose. Drops of breast milk works great too both for clogged tear ducts and stuffy noses.

Baby bath tub-get one that actually gets your baby wet. The reclining seats with hammocks and gadgets will not keep your baby warm. IKEA has a great plain bath tub. "Lättsam". I bathe babies in the bath tub after a couple of months, they love it.

A digital alarm clock that is easy to read in the dark, a must for those 2am feedings.

If your doctor recommends vitamin D drops buy "Just D" (without sweeteners and food coloring) at www.sunlightvitamins.com.

Here are additional products I recommend:

The best bouncy seat: Baby Bjorn 123. Reclines and has a great bounce. From 0 to 24 months.

Baby carrier: Baby Bjorn. The regular one is easier to use and the "Active" is trickier but has lumbar support.

Baby gym: Haba, Selecta and IKEA all have good ones.

Changing table: Stokke and IKEA has great ones with the correct height and angle for your back.

Nursing shirts: Boob.

Nursing pillow: "My brest friend". A silly name but a really good, flat nursing pillow that works better than the Boppy.

Nursing night gown: Japanese weekend . Criss- cross front.

Great wooden toys: Haba and Selecta.

Bibs, potties, feeding spoons, diaper bags: Baby Bjorn.

Bottle/ food warmer: The first years; "Quick serve bottle warmer. For regular & wide neck bottles, baby food and breast milk.

Gliders: Dutailier. Make sure you can wash the fabric. Reclining is nice.

High chair: Stokke , The Svan and Anka are nice, simple ones. IKEA has quite a few no fuss high chairs for less.

Washable nursing pads: Medela.

Pump: Medela Pump n' Style or rent one.

ITEMS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARY:

Anything antibacterial(triclosan)! Do not use hand soap, dish washing liquid or any other product with Triclosan around the baby. Some tooth pastes have Triclosan. If you are nursing, do not use them.

Try to stay away from fragranced items, especially wipes, skin products, detergents and diapers. Also try to avoid products with mineral oil and petrolatum.

Do not use lap pads, rubber sheets and non breathable items around baby's sleeping area. Most mattresses are plastic. If you do not get a natural mattress, make sure you have a cotton mattress pad.

Strong smelling cleaning products. Try to buy more natural products like Seventh generation.

Synthetic fibers like fleece and polyester, especially when it comes to clothing and bedding.

Positioners are not necessary and can cause flat heads, use rolled up blankets instead to change baby's position.

Sterilizers: Not necessary for a healthy baby unless you do not have running water at your house.

Diaper wipe warmers; unnecessary in every way. Room temperature wipes is a nice relief for that little tush stuck in a hot diaper all day.

Rubbing alcohol/alcohol wipes for the umbilical cord; some hospitals still use them but most do not. Cord will come off by itself. Keep it clean and dry. No baths before the cord is off. Sponge baths are a waste of time.