I attended a baby shower for a good friend recently, and as are all baby showers, it was a happy, uplifting affair. It was also extremely funny. Well, at least funny for me. You see, this is a first baby for my much younger friend, and as most of the attendees were in her same age range and still childless, I felt a little like Grandma Moses.

No, not because I have a flock of crows nesting around my eyes – I happen to be the queen of wrinkle-fighting creams and firming potions – but because, with three children of my own whose ages range from 9 to 14, I have enough experience to fill a dozen What to Expect ... books. So I found myself called upon to impart wisdom and experience to this much younger, and woefully naive, set of ladies.

I fielded questions ranging from the pain of childbirth to the pain of getting hubby to help, from breast versus bottle to cloth versus disposable. The questions I found most intriguing: "What should I do?" and "What do I really need before the baby comes?"

It was apparent, by the wide eyes, "wows" and "no one told me thats" that perhaps my years of childbearing and rearing have afforded me more than stretch marks that resemble the topography of Tibet and magenta eye circles from countless sleepless nights. To that end, I humbly share with you the top 10 things you should really do and have before bringing home your baby:

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