Home And Family

It hardly seems long after you抳e bought your 1st copy of Pregnancy & Birth Magazine (to chart the growth from strawberry to melon) before it抯 suddenly time to shop till you drop! Armed with a list the envy of any shopaholic, it抯 off to John Lewis, Mothercare or your local baby shop for the essential purchases. From muslins to bedding, from prams (Mammas & Papas or Mclaren?) to the essential 憈ake me home?car seat (Brittax or Maxi?). It抯 an exciting baby-rush purchase day and suddenly you realise your 憁elon?will soon be a baby at home!

You’ve decorated your nursery, bought the Winnie the Pooh cot bed from Mothercare and baby furniture from Ikea, now you just need the other essentials. The best advice for mums to be is to consult mums with babies already, learning from their experience!

They will be able to tell you what was their best buy and what they bought for their baby, often because it looked good, but they never use! Once you have sought advice then buy a magazine, Pregnancy and Birth and Prima Baby were my favorite.

The most exciting purchase during your pregnancy is often the pram. It抯 something you will have for at least 2 years and reflects your personality! Always think about your circumstances before buying your pram; do you live in a home with no hall, do you live in a town house, how big is the boot of your car, and will you get fed up with the trendy candy stripe?

Try to ‘think practical’- not always easy at 6+months pregnant. Once you have chosen your 3 in 1/travel system/front facing pram the rest of the list seems less daunting! Mothercare and John Lewis are just two of the stores that have advisers if you like the personal touch.

You will need everything from muslin squares to nipple cream. Don’t forget to decide how to announce the birth of your baby too! When finished go sit somewhere for a well deserved fruit smoothie, don’t worry not long till it will be champagne!