After a mc and two possible chemicals, my LO was born earlier this month (see my post 'SabrinaKat's Good News'), so it is possible to get the happy ending! I was worried, nervous and anxious throughout my pregnancy, but my advice is:
1. Take it one day/one hour at a time.
2. If you break into 'milestones', e.g. the 12wk scan, the 16wk scan, feeling the baby finally move, etc., it is perhaps more manageable mentally.
3. If you don't want to buy anything because you're superstitious - that's fine!
4. If people tell you everything will be fine and you are having a bad time, just smile (unless it's the doctor looking at a scan with good news!)
5. If you still remember the mc/lost little one and feel a little sad, that's okay!
6. If people ask you if it's your first, it's okay to say 'yes' -- you're not forgetting the lost ones, just making it easier for yourself with strangers.
7. It's okay to worry every single day, but also visualise yourself with baby in your arms sometimes too!
8. If something doesn't feel right, TELL YOUR DOCTOR (ultimately, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure in wk32 -- made it to wk36, said to my ob/gyn -- I don't feel right, blood work showed PE, and baby delivered that day (we're both fine)
9. It's okay to NOT think about the pregnancy sometimes -- there's nothing wrong with you for feeling disconnected -- it's a protection mechanism and NORMAL
10. Nothing is a greater feeling than when LO is placed in your arms and to sigh later and wonder about the lost babies is OK.
and LOU, we bought pretty much nothing either -- and with baby 'early', friends and relatives brought loads of emergency stuff to the hospital (and my OH ran down the hall with clothes for a 6 month old when I called him to say I was having an emergency c-section)
best wishes