Some things to note and buy for your new born....

• The contractions can continue several days after you have had your baby....yip the pain continues..so don`t feel bad to ask for pain killers.
• Turn your phone off during the Birth:) 
• Amazing how fast you forget about the pain once you see your baby.
• Breast feeding is an art! Make sure you get a long breast feeding cushion and somebody shows you how to position your baby properly. It is key to support your back and to have your baby at the right height. 
• Rent or borrow a breast pump....helps stimulate your milk and good to get your baby used to the bottle starting from the early weeks so you can be able to hit the town again:)
• Organize a mid wife to come to your house just after you get home from the hospital. It is a great peace of mind as you will have lots of questions...mine was a life saver! In Switzerland a number of visits are covered by your insurance but even if you have to pay for it it is worth it.
• You are 10 Kgs lighter after the first week.
• Buy lots of simple cosy baby grows which button all the way down the front for the first couple of weeks... I ordered all these fabulous Ralph Lauren clothes and most are too small or a nightmare to get on. If you do order from Ralph Lauren, note the sizes are small and best to order from 6 months!
• Baby monitor - def. worth buying and again gives you peace of mind that you can hear your baby if she or he cries making you a more relaxed Mom. I generally find it more useful during the day.
• Don`t go and buy millions of new born nappies, wait until your baby is born as Sebastian grew out of new born nappies in the first 2 weeks.
• Buy an Avent sterilizer...some people think it is easy to boil water on the stove but I personally find the sterilizer such a great help.  
• Buy disposable nappy changing mats to cover your changing pillow..especially if you have bought a nice fabric one. It prevents numerous trips to the washing machine esp. if you have a boy as they love to pee when you least expect it!
• Make sure you can dim the lights in your babies room...important for night time breast feeding when you want your baby to remain in a relaxed state and go back to sleep as quickly as possible.