Think I'm so lucky in the UK as I don't have to worry about huge obstetric bills as my NI covers all that! As our medical insurance (along with pension) is a tax, I don't even have to worry about forms or what I can or can't have!

But over here it's reccommended you don't have baby in bed with you. Though I do want a cot just off the bed so I don't have to get out of bed to cuddle/reassure baby in the night. There's also a drive for people to use real nappies, hope it's still on when I'm pg as you get a load for free if you want them!

I guess cot, car seat, baby carrier/sling OR pram (probably both, depending on where we're going) would be essential. And I know my in-laws bought some of that for BiL and his wife, though doubt they'll do that for us, but I think my parents will want to buy something (ha, be hard to stop them getting an entire nursery!). My mum can't wait to start knitting and my best friend has already bought baby romper suit patterns to make some cute outfits now she's into sewing! I'm not having DH's family's hand-me-downs as I don't get on with them and don't want to hear their snidey comments about it. Wouldn't object to some of my family giving us things though, just would have to be the people I really liked. Once we start TTC I'm going to be buying cute outfits in the sales for children up to the age of 2 so I won't have to worry about clothing the babies we have at first or when they grow.

We already have the things that people think are non-essential: The soft toys, digital camera/video recorder (in a camera, so computer movies only for now), baby music CDs, parenting and pregnancy books, we are currently baby-proofing the house too and getting rid of sharp corners or unsafe things that could, with encouragement, fall off a surface onto a head. I also have a ton of products that are fine for baby use, but DH is going to use them before I even get pg, so I guess I may need some more mild soap in a few years.

The only other thing we have to do is set up a savings account - tell grandparents, uncles and aunts the account details and tell them to spend half on the child for birthdays/Christmas/Easter and put the rest in their saver account so they can go to Uni/buy a house. I know I always got way too much when I was little as I had a big family and, TBH, didn't use most of the stuff. I still have favourite games that are battered and loved, but don't have the ones I didn't like in perfect condition: they're still taking up space at my parents.