I have to admit, I’m prone to a little superstition (much to my chagrin!), so I’ve been avoiding talking about what’s increasingly obvious: I am now 37 weeks pregnant! Admittedly, I’ve a few packs of teensy NATY nappies at the ready; have ensured (with a suitcase of help from my gorgeous aunt and cousin) that she’ll have some options during Sydney’s unpredictable November weather; and even started to search for the Moses basket. But beyond that, I’ve avoided spending any time or money setting up ‘a nursery’.

However, it seems I’m bucking the trend, as a UK study has found that soon-to-be parents spend an average of almost £4,000 on the nursery, making it one of the most expensive rooms in the house. And who can blame them? There are more gorgeous options on the market now than possibly at any other time in the history of parenthood.

While my measly £0 (AUS$0) nursery spend is for reasons more than simply economy, after researching our feature on the Moba Moses basket and its health credentials for babies, and discovering the delightfully soft fibres (not to mention brilliant designs) of WeeGoAmigo’s swaddles, I’m rethinking that ‘plan’. But which baby items are ‘the great essentials’? I’ve already discounted the change table (no space, and really, is it necessary?), the travel cot (we’ll drag the Moses basket with us if we must), and the baby beanie (it is summer in Sydney after all). But what am I really going to need?

Inevitably, this question has also sparked a great debate between the various editors and contributors on this site. So, from next week, we’ll be featuring our honed down Baby Starter Checklist and showcasing some of the world’s best of each essential, as guided by the wisdom, wit and most excellent expertise of Catherine O’Dolan (ex-Editor in Chief of Junior magazine), backed up by expert product reviewers from around the world.

In the meantime, I’ve got 14 days to get sorted… not panicking… not in the slightest!