Still possibly overwhelming but I found it helpful: Baby Registry Basics - Lucie's List
Those were super helpful to me.
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I know you love your ego.
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With our first we started with a stretchy wrap carrier, diapers, a couple of swaddles, a bunch of face washers, and a bassinet and some clothing. We did cloth diapers so had wet bags with those and even if not cloth diapering, a couple of wet bags to put changes of clothes in that can then hold soiled clothing after a change is really great. I did need to race out and get breast pads.
Those basics were pretty good. I had a few other things too like nipple cream, a couple of bottles, etc. Eventually we bought a pram that did lie flat, but that baby wanted nothing to do with it until she was able to sit independently. When she got bigger we upgraded to an ergo carrier.
If breastfeeding I highly recommend feeding friendly clothing. I have spent 3.5 years breastfeeding now and regret not getting more appropriate nice clothing right at the start.
I also really liked having a little basket that I could carry around the house in one hand. I kept face washers, breast pads, my phone, ipad, water bottle, etc in it and always had it next to me while feeding. I could always tell Mr Pancakes to grab my basket if I was baby trapped.
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What do you mean by face washers?
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Paging Dr Freud.
I’m going to blame auto correct. Ergo Carriers. I love ergo carriers.
Cogito, ergo sum
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Admittedly a SAHM so no need for office clothes lol. But I did pants, nursing tanks, and shirts on top. I still do 
My favorite nursing tanks were these first the newborn days, and then kept using them as PJ tops for overnights.
SUIEK Women’s Nursing Tank Top… SUIEK Women's Nursing Tank Tops Maternity Cami with Shelf Bra Cotton Breastfeeding Clothes at Amazon Women’s Clothing store
These for daytime and I still wear them Every single day 
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And NGL, a new phone was my best pregnancy purchase. I spent SO much time trapped under a baby, and took SO many photos.
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Hmm must be a regional term. Little terry squares. Flannels/wipes maybe. I used them to clean up vomits, leaking breasts, when I spilled food on the sofa, etc. Having them always in arms reach was great.
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Oh oh! My mom calls them spit rags, haha. Washcloths may be another term.
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We have so many of these and they are used so much. We have Terry squares in the bathroom and a mix of Terry, flanelette and cotton ones I made from ripped sheets in the kitchen. Babies are mess bombs.
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My mom always sews a pile of them for any expecting family members. I’m hoping I’m the recipient of her next batch!
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Yes. Photos, social outlet, mental health care (forums/ chat groups/ etc of all kinds were crucial for me staying mentally healthy), entertainment as ebooks, videos, movies, texting partner to say I needed help without waking Baby, 24/7 access to all of the above.
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Ok the toddler is with dad and I have more time. There are so many things that are personal preference (or baby’s personal preference). I think a strategy of getting the bare minimum and budgeting for a lot of 3am purchases/buy nothing asks is your best strategy.
For example, after reading all about strollers and car seats, I snagged a used fancy stroller that had a bassinet attachment for like $50 and was super proud of myself. But Pipsqueak had severe reflux so she was miserable lying down flat, and we lived in an apartment with 15 steps from our front door to the car or the street. There was no way for me to safely get her out of the house with the stroller (especially post C-section) so we always went on carrier walks.
I got a free pump backpack from insurance and we use that as a diaper bag but if not, we would have just repurposed another bag and it would have been fine.
We also skipped a bassinet and went straight to a crib with a bed in the same room.
So echoing what others have said: safe place to sleep, a few footed sleepers, probably some bottles and formula on hand (you’ll get lots of free samples), and some diapers/wipes and that’s really the true bare minimum.
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Oh yeah, that was one of my 3am purchases when Pipsqueak was about 3 weeks old lol
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This first bit of advice is what we used to make sure we were ready. We had at least 1 option for each category, and read a bit on what the options are so that if something wasn’t working, we weren’t panicking about what to do. We just looked at other options and (mild panic, because first time parents) bought the option we thought would work best now baby had made preferences clear.
Mixed feeding of pumping/ formula/ breastfeeding is very much an option. Most other things can be mixed options as well. You can do cloth nappies just during the daytime. You can have a stroller that lives in the boot of the car for when you drive places but only use the baby carrier on walks around your streets. You can have baby sleep half the night in a bassinet and half in your bed, and so-on.
Example:
First baby. Cloth nappies daytime only from about 4 months. Started in cot, realised baby hated being in a space that was too big and bought a co-sleeper that attached to our bed at 4 weeks old. I had an armchair I fed in part of the time, and I fed in bed part time. I used a baby carrier (Tula was my favourite, I love clips) after a few months, from birth it was a stroller. Our weather is mild, so a convertible carseat was best.
Second baby. My muscles are nonexistent. I used a baby wrap once and realised I was physically unable to. I’ve used the Tula clip carrier a small handful of times. She liked being upright so I just sat in bed with her sleeping on me. We haven’t used a cloth nappy on her, and she’s 11 months now. I bought a lightweight travel pram that folds completely flat, and I have used it heaps. We have a travel cot, and that was great for taking her on trips.
FEEDING: i would find a lactation consultant or two in your area and book an appointment for 1 week after baby’s due date. If you need an extra one earlier then you can always book after baby arrives, but that way you know help is coming! Honestly, I would do this even if you’re planning to bottle feed with formula exclusively. So find one that is definitely willing to use formula and not one who spouts “breast is best and the only way”.
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There are a million baby mattresses and they all look the same. How do you pick one?
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I lean hippy, so some of the materials certifications mattered to me.
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I just picked one of the top ones on Amazon. This is what we got. Graco Premium Foam Crib & Toddler Mattress – 2021 Edition, GREENGUARD Gold and CertiPUR-US Certified, 100% Machine Washable, Breathable, Water-Resistant Cover, Ideal Firmness for Infants https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010S7VZI0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_N224H788DZRFJRMMNC3F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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I bought my cot (crib) from IKEA, so that was where we bought our mattress.
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