What does baby REALLY need? What can't you live without?

I got a list of things baby will need in the first few years and OMG overwhelming the amount of stuff they say baby needs! We don't have a lot of space and I'd rather not have things that won't get used just laying around! What are your gotta have items? Preferred travel system? Is a Diaper Genie really worth it or will bagging it and tossing it in the trash be just as effective?
I plan on trying to breast feed..what's the best gear for that? Wraps useful or not?
Of course there's the obvious Crib, diapers, clothes, burp cloths, swaddling blankets.....
Things I plan on using
-Pack n play
-swing
-bouncer
-play mat
-boppy
-Bumbo seat
-exersaucer/jumper

Any other must haves?

Thank you for the input!!

 this is a fantastic question!! i'm definitely bookmarking this thread for later. can't wait to see the feedback.

This brings back so many memories. lol I def would get the pack n play, I had a swing that went in both directions so it swung and rocked. The saucer was nice when she got old enough to stand and play. And the walker for them to sit in and walk her self was a laugh in itself, That was the first time she played peek a boo by turning around and running from her grandfather. You def need a breast pump. I don't remember my make, but it was cheaper then all the others and worked well, I had a diaper genie and used it once then it collected dust. I had a bottle warmer, I used that maybe three times., but when she got on a schedule I knew how long I had till her feeding and at night would just lay on the bottle and it became warm. I had a whippie warmer and that is ok if you are going to change the baby in one area all the time. But I was the type that just laid her on the floor so it was easier to just carry the case around.  I had burp clothes especially for visitors....I didn't care because she was my angel.lol I would have regular blankets to use to wrap her in. That way I had them for the swing, play pen, floor, couch, ect..I am a person who loves the pacifiers or nuks. That usually keeps them from sucking their thumb.
It is easier to take away something that is not attached then  to try to break the habit of thumb sucking. My daughter went to just nights using it, then it went to only when she remembered because I hid it, to not at all. My niece who is 7 years old is still caught sucking her thumb. And they try everything to break it.And a bassinet, I think that is spelled right. I  loved it for two reasons. I had it next to the bed for the first two weeks at night time just till we got a schedule going. And I would move it to the living room during the day so even if she was napping and someone would stop by to see her, we could still sit and talk without waking her up and without hanging in the nursery.They probably have so much new stuff out now. My daughter is now 12. So even though I want her to still be my baby, she doesn't like it much. lol Thanks for letting me relive my memories. Oh and for a high chair. I had one that laid back when she was a baby and you could slowly notch it to the sitting position as she grew.  It folded for easy storage.  And the best way I gave her a bath was in the kitchen sink with a rubber mat covering the sink so she didn't hit or slide anywhere. Now that you have me thinking of my baby, I might come up with more later. But those are the things I used the most and not really. I am sure now you will have tons more awesome things to choose from. I wish you the best of luck and I am always happy to share stories. My sister-in-law is a mother of 4 and plus my one, we had plenty of different experiences. Thanks again for memory lane :)

you dont really need a swaddling blanket.. if you get big enough recieving blankets they will do the trick just fine.... honestly babies dont need much... i did get the travel system and it was a huge help .. esp when they were itty bitty.. bottle warmer/wipe warmer- waste of time and money... i got a travel swing so i could fold it up and put it away.... i hate that i got a full sized high chair and not a space saver chair that just popped on top of a regular dining table chair... if you get a pack and play you wont need a bassinet... ohh!!! i love the gowns for night time diaper changes... no snaps or zippers... with my son i thought, why the hell would i put a "dress" on a boy... then i tried it and i loved them.. i wish i got a moby wrap.. im still looking for a used one ... shes my last baby and i love love love to cuddle her and smell her ( most of the time)...

We have a diaper Genie and I wouldn't live without it. We love it. We keep it right by the changing table. I got  bobby and used it all of 3 times if that many. I wish I would have had a wrap but hubby said no.

What you need will all depend on the baby.  

For our son we had all of the items you listed.  However, he hated the swing and the bouncy/vibrating chair.  The pack-n-play was nice for about 6 months.  I also used it as the bassinet.  If you can find many of those things on your list second hand from a friend, or someone you know and trust, or as gifts, it would be worth it.  

The one thing we paid for brand new and got our money's worth from was the exersaucer.  He loved, loved, loved it.  Even after he was too big for it, he would stand and play with it from the outside.  

Most of the things that "they" tell you that you "must have" for a baby is total BS!  Babies really don't need much, especially if you're worried about space.  The best thing is to find items that will serve a dual purpose!  For example, rather than having an exersaucer and a bouncer we have one that is a free standing jumper with toys all around it so that it serves the role of both.  However, if you're concerned about space, a doorway jumper will work just as well to provide entertainment for your little one.  We have a travel swing which is great because it folds up when not in use.  If you have a good swing, a bouncer is just a waste of space.  Our play mat was used forever by our daughter and folds flat so it takes up very little space.  The boppy did get used, but I could easily have lived without it and it is a space hog.  Bumpo, cool if you have one, but definitely not necessary.  It is one of those items with a pretty small window of use between when it is safe to use and when the baby can sit up on their own.  We have a diaper champ rather than a diaper genie which I like because I can use any bags in it, but plastic bags in the normal trash work fine too.  You can even get scented bags to further mask the smell if you need to.  Any of the warmers, bottles, wipes, etc are not needed!  I laugh at people who think it is cruel to use a "cold" (room temp) wipe to change their baby... they've obviously never used a wipe that has been in the car during a Buffalo winter (talk about cold)!  A high chair that goes on a kitchen chair is a good space saver and they're usually good from infancy through toddlerhood.  Fisher Price space saver is a great one!    When shopping for a stroller, car seat,or travel system, definitely take into consideration what you drive.  I drive a Jetta and the stroller from our travel system is WAY too big to fit in the trunk so I always ended up having a smaller stroller that I just kept in the car and the huge one only ever got used for walks around the neighborhood.  Carseats for my car were quite the challenge too!  When shopping for a double stroller we took the car to babies r us and had one of the employees come out to the car with us to test the stroller we liked for trunk compatibility.  If you can, take a mom with you when you register for baby items!  As for a pump or other nursing related items, I recommend waiting until nursing is well established before making any big investments.  Also, take into consideration how much you'll need a pump before getting one.  If you're just going to be pumping the occasional bottle for daddy to feed the baby, a smaller cheaper one will do.  However, if you're going to be pumping at work, you'll want a good electric double pump.  Once I had really established breastfeeding with my daughter (she was about 3 weeks old) I bought the cadillac of double pumps and I love it!  Now that I'm a stay at home mom it would definitely be overkill if I were just shopping for one. 
Just remember, you can always get something later if you decide you need it.  Good luck!

ohh and even tho i changed the bag on the diaper geine everyother day- it got maggots... so i threw it away.

Great replys! I myself like the diaper champ because you can keep it by the changing table and just throw the diapers in it and you can use regular garabage bags. I agree wipe and bottle warmers are a waste of money. If you happen to bottle feed and have city water then warm tap water works just fine....if you have a well, then buying gallon water jugs and keeping at room tempature works great....which both of these saves so much time and it's not needed for baby to have a very warm bottle. In the beginning I liked having a smaller infant tub/seat thingy that just fit in my sink.....basically it just help support the baby in the sink. I'm like the other poster that said not to invest in a breast pump until you know how you will use it and how often you will use it. I never had good luck using pumps and I even rented one of the professional grade ones with my last baby. Like another poster said, if you have a pack n play with a bassinet top, you don't necessarily need to buy a bassinet (but I perfer to have one because it's easier to move around and smaller, so I can get it closer to my bed at night). Must haves for me were a swing, bouncer (I liked to set mine on the kitchen table while I was cooking so baby and I could see each other), exercauser and high chair (the space savors are nice that was mentioned). Though I have a boppy that I bought cheap at a garage sale, I found I didn't use it much with my last child and not sure how much I will use it when this baby comes....it probably will be used more to prop the baby up on the floor to see better. I also had a bumboo chair with my last and didn't hardly use it. And as far as the travel systems goes, they are nice to have when the baby is small because the carseats just pop on and off the base and stroller making it much easier to manage a small baby (especially in cold weather when you can have one of those covers that go over the seat on it and you don't have to over bundle the baby to keep them warm....as they can overheat in the car that way.....plus snowsuits add extra bulk to the baby in the carseat...making it unsafe for baby, as baby needs to be snug in the car seat). Of course, bibs, burp clothes, hooded bath towels, diapers, wet ones, diaper cream, baby wash/lotion and a few blankets are all must haves! Onesies are great for extra warmth in the cold weather and it's nice to have those little mittens for their hands in the beginning so they don't scratch themselves! Like Lexa, I liked the gown style jammies during the night time as well because it makes for easier diaper changes!

I was just thinking about you.  I guess your wish to have the baby by Sunday didn't work out.  Soon!!  My hubby is out of town most of this week (5 hour drive away) so I'm crossing my legs until Thursday!  I'm hoping all of the "changes" that I've been experiencing don't bring on labor until after he comes home! Until then my BFF (we met at kindergarten orientation and have been friends ever since) is on call.  Good luck to you!