a water bottle! bfing can make you Soooo thirsty. every time i nursed my newborn, i'd drink water right along with them.

what about nursing pads? i loved my wool ones.

A group of thoughtful parents (API!) Connection with the local LLL , an agreeable parenting magizine to read....beyond those 'free' ones

Any specific magazine recommendations?

Good ideas... I'll have to look up wool nursing pads, never heard of them.

The Attached Family it's API's mag. you get it when you become a member.

Nursing bras - both for day and night. Night ones are different from the day ones. I have two of each type - one to wash and one to wear. If you want to wait to see what your size is like after the milk comes in, then maybe get a few night bras and use those during the day until you can measure and get one the exact size you need. That being said - who wants to go shopping for a bra postpartum? I didn't (but I did shop online. I got one from a store pre-birth, and it fit OK, but then later I ordered online to get a good fitting one).

I don't think you'll need nursing shirts - it is easier to wear a large tank top under a shirt and then pull the shirt up and the tank top down (if you feel the need to be discrete).

For my nighttime nursing shirts, I just used an old t-shirt (or could be a long-sleeved shirt) and cut a slit down the front. No need to buy anything special for night nursing other than the night bra.

If you will want to cover while nursing (some women are more comfortable covering in public, others are adamant that women should not cover - I'm just pro-whatever-helps-you-feel-good-about-breastfeeding), consider a nursing cover. There are some that have boning in the neck so you can still see your baby and your baby can see you, but the front of you is covered. I found some on ebay, but I'm sure there are other places to get those.

You probably already have some - but keep a stock of towels or small cotton blankets on hand for laying on at night. I still use these with my daughter - if I fall asleep while she's nursing and dribble when she comes off (this happened lots in the beginning - not so much anymore) or if she has a little urp in the middle of the night (as happened last night - twice), I can just pick up the towel/blanket and replace it with a new one. No need to change sheets etc. Also a mattress protector is a good idea (if you don't already have one on).

My favorite book for parenting babies is, of course, Attached at the Heart. Really by far the best that I've read (and I do have a nice parenting library). Dr. Sears also has a great series of books for parents - I'd recommend those as well. As a SAHM, a great book for me has been The Stay at Home Survival Guide by Melissa Stanton. Helped me with some of the SAH issues - but isn't so much about parenting. It addresses issues about caring for yourself so you can be a better parent, KWIM?

I think it is great that you're planning on having a sling at the ready. I used mine immediately. I haven't always stuck with the same baby wearing apparatus, but it was so nice to have something ready for the first outings.

One last thing I can think of - and maybe others will have better advice (more eco-friendly advice) for this... but I had a lot of postpartum bleeding. I mean A LOT. For weeks. I tried several things to help keep it contained, but the thing that ended up working the best was disposable (adult) diapers. Not the prettiest thing to wear in the world, but they did work for me. And, I know they weren't eco-friendly, but I figured it was better than ruining my clothes, sheets, and furniture - imagine the eco-impact of replacing all that! Anyway - I just wanted to mention it because I was surprised by the postpartum recovery.

And last but definitely not least - CONGRATULATIONS!!!