Click for a worksheet to figure out the relative costs of staying at home vs. going back to work. Potlucks are no imposition on your guests and mean much less work for you. Baby-sitting coops are a great way to make new friends and will help your baby develop his social skills in relating to other children and to strangers.
New parents are great targets for all sorts of promotions.
You can expect to be deluged with phone calls, direct mail, and callers. Take your time, and think carefully about whether you really need the products. As with everything else in parenting, things generally go much better if you prepare ahead of time. If you can, use the time before you have the baby to save money, to pay off debts, and to get your financial affairs in better shape. Economics and finances are the source of a great deal of conflict and anxiety in many families.