The pregnancy test just came back, and you're already having visions of the perfect nursery. Here's some advice from those who've been there: Before hitting the stores, talk to other parents and make a list of what you and Baby will really need and use. Doing so can not only prepare you and your baby for those first few months, but also keep you from breaking the bank on gadgets that will wind up in the back of the closet.

"In addition to cribs, change tables, strollers, car seats, playpens, baby swings and all of the other big-ticket items, you'll find hundreds of other items vying for your attention and a share of your baby equipment budget," says Ann Douglas, mother of four and author of Family Finance: The Essential Guide for Parents (Dearborn Trade, 2001). "Some of them are definitely worth picking up, like those quilted pads that help prevent your baby's head from flopping sideways in a car seat. Then there are those products you and your baby can definitely live without – like the baby-wipe warmers. The trick, of course, is to figure out what you need and what you don't need."

Dr. David M. Fleece, a father and a pediatrician at Temple University Children's Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pa., couldn't agree more. "When you go to Babies 'R Us, you're going to be overwhelmed, so it's good to have a plan."

Here are some tips to help develop a plan and get you started on stocking that nursery.

"The first thing to think about is safety. You want a safe bed in a safe house. You'll want to buy a crib that's relatively new; most of the older ones won't conform to safety standards, and you want to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your house," says Dr. Fleece. Depending on the type of heating system and home you have, you might want to consider a carbon monoxide monitor, too.

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