Congratulations to your friend! It really is amazing despite the impression you may have from everyone's post! It's just obviously hard work and the sleep deprivation plus hormonal roller coaster makes you feel quite mad! But it definitely gets easier, and everything honestly is a phase, so try not to stress about it.
Do give breast feeding a good try, it was a nightmare to start with but it became a life saver once you get the hang of it. Wherever you are, if baby cries (screams his/her head off) and you don't know what to do, pop a boob in their mouth and it works like magic! At 16 months I was reluctant to stop because of this ability, if she becomes inconsolable for any reason a boob still worked! Oh well, I'll have to learn another magic trick!
If you do give breast feeding a shot, buy good quality nursing pads, not the own brands from mothercare or boots etc, it makes a huge difference. And sleep with a towel underneath you so you don't wake up to a soaking bed, changing the towel is much easier than changing sheets ever morning. Also it's normal to leak an entire bed full of milk in the mornings! I got completely freaked out by this! On this note make sure you have plenty of tops.
As above, you generally breast feed non stop for the first few weeks so keep lots of snacks/drinks/good tv/books next to you before you settle down to start feeding, it will be a long time before you get up again.
The first poo isn't as bad as you imagine it to be (for the mum.) You don't actually explode and everything stays intact! 
18C is very cold so if sleeping in the same room as your baby have s thick duvet for yourself and keep a warm cardi to hand for when breastfeeding all through the night.
Olive oil and cotton wool get rid of the meconium poo much easier than water. And cover the bum/baby in it, it's nice for their skin too and makes the next nappy change much easier.
You will get through lots of baby clothes a day/week as they leak lots from both ends. Poo always comes flying up their back and if you're unlucky will soak you too! You definitely can't have enough nappies/cotton wool/babygrows! And try to keep a change bag ready as for going out with plenty of the above, even a spare top for yourself if you have space, for when baby pukes/poos on you or you leak!
Honestly everyone feels the need to tell you how to do things, from family to complete strangers on the bus or in the supermarket. They some how recognise new parents and have to tell you what to do. Unless they have a baby too, ignore them but just smile! Time makes you forget everything, and they have no idea on the whole. Especially when they tell you babies shouldn't sleep in the day, crazy!!!
I definitely agree with previous posts on letting your partner do things with baby without you being there as he will do things differently and it will really knock their confidence. But babies actually respond better to be handled differently by each parent, so leave him to it. Support each other.
Visitors allowed entry must bring food/shopping and do some laundry/washing up/cleaning an help themselves to tea and whatever snacks they have bought! Absolutely essential. Or get a cleaner, for £10 an hour it is a real life saver than constantly worrying about what needs doing when baby sleeps, you need to sleep too. And I know it gets annoying everyone telling you to sleep when baby sleeps but do try, you need it.
Start doing online food shops now, it's much easier than wondering around with a huge bump, and means you don't have to think when doing it after baby is here, anything new will seems impossible otherwise.
Get outside everyday, but don't expect to get out before midday. It keeps you sane, and when they're lithe babies sleep all the time in slings or when on the move. So you get fresh air and some peace and quiet. Whatever the weather go out, my dd was born in February and it was so cold and wet but it made a huge difference to me to get out everyday. And have a shower too, it doesn't matter at what time of the day. Time becomes a blur anyway.
Do nct antenatal classes or find baby classes you can get out to most days of the week. Try everything and then decide what you want to continue, new mums are what get you through the stress and constant worry/guilt. Talking them makes you see you're all doing the same and all worrying about the same things. Start finding about them all well in advance. And especially the breast feeding support weekly sessions, I loved them for a regulate place to go. They have a wide variety of baby ages so the mums all give great advise on everything. And I've made the best friends from our local baby cafe.
Practice how to use your buggy, rain cover, car seat etc before baby come. When you what to get out you don't want anything to stop you, and just getting baby ready seems to take forever without added worries of how equipment works.
I'll stop now or I'll be here a very long time, and dd needs a nappy change, she stinks!
Enjoy every moment!