Buying for your first baby can feel stressful, but try not to let the barrage of advice and advertisements overwhelm you. One critical item: A car seat (you can’t take baby home from the hospital without one). Otherwise the basic essentials are (mostly) common sense: a decent supply of newborn diapers, at least six sets of PJs, several bodysuits, a couple of cardigans, socks or booties, a weather-appropriate hat a snowsuit (if it’s cold), a baby sleep space with a firm mattress, a couple of tight-fitting sheets and perhaps a sleep sack or swaddle. You’ll likely also want to buy a stroller, along with gear to breastfeed and/or bottle-feed (think: a pump, nursing bra, a bottle, a bottle brush and formula).