Re: So what did you NOT need/use?
Wow! For us, these were two of the most used items. We travel at least a few times a year, and the travel cot (playard) came in VERY handy. We had no problems following her usual bedtime routine no matter where we were. The rocker came in handy for us up until her 2nd birthday – probably a bit longer than most kids.
I don’t think there was anything we bought that we didn’t use or feel the need for. I hadn’t bought a bassinet 'cause a lot of people told me it’s a waste, but we ended up getting one as a gift, and to my surprise, we used it for the first SIX months!