Originally posted by: Papagayo
Breast Pump (Get the good kind that does both at once)
Lots of baby blankets
Get the special pillow that you wrap around your body, makes it easier to feed the baby..
Rocking Chair
Baby Swing (a must)
Stock up on Caffine
Be prepared to become an emotional tempon for your wife..
Keep a close eye on your wife for any sign of depression after the baby is born..
QFT. You must be a parent.
My wife went through 2 cheaper breast pumps before we just decided that Medela was the way to go. Don't be tempted by a $30-40 pump. Suck it up and put the money down on something that works and save a ton of time and frustration.
Every kid is different, so some of the "essentials" will probably go unused. Our son has never liked a pacifier or sucking his thumb. He's just done without and that's fine by us. He also doesn't like to be rocked in a rocking chair, so we've got one of those taking up space, now, too.
The best thing about having 2 of you to raise your child is that you will get frustrated at times, so you can take over and give your fiance / wife a break when it's needed and she'll do the same for you.