TrendLife Baby

The Tommee Tippee Crystal Clear SureSound was incredibly easy to use - we were up and running in two minutes flat.  It comes with the normal sound sensors, but has the added security of a movement and temperature sensor.

Some features we particularly liked:

The lights on the handset mean you can 'see' how loud the baby is crying - useful for everyone, including deaf Mums.

The movement pad works by detecting the tiniest of movements and a (very loud!) alarm sounds if the baby stops moving.

The room temperature helps you to make sure the room is kept at around 16 - 20 degrees (as recommended by health professionals)

Price: £110 - but Mothercare currently have this on offer at £73.33 www.mothercare.com

Hearing your baby's heartbeat can be reassuring between scans or when the baby is moving less towards the end of the pregnancy.

Heart detectors come with multiple headphone points so you and your partner can listen at the same time.  Others come with recorders so you can record the heartbeat and send it to family!

One of the best we have tested so far is the AngelSounds Doppler, £25 from amazon. This allows you to hear the heartbeat from as early as fourteen weeks.

But don’t panic if you don’t hear anything, they aren’t always the easiest to use and your baby needs to be in the right position.  As always, seek medical advice or speak to your midwife if you are concerned.

Top Tip: Use ultrasound gel with Dopplers to maximise the sound heard, this can also be bought from amazon.

What a wonderful gadget!  This 3 in 1 thermometer has the slick yet simple design seen in all of the Brother Max products. it is up and running in seconds and takes baby’s temperature accurately within one second without having to press and reset lots of buttons (a winner for all tech-averse mums!).

The thermometer allows you to take baby’s temperature in their ear, forehead and also you can leave it in the nursery to check the room temperature.  Lastly, it comes with a sturdy handy travel case for when you are on the move too.

A Baby Must-Have gadget in our book!

£34.99 www.brothermax.com

Give them a round of applause for this invention - the extra hand bath sponge from Brother Max! 

Because babies can’t keep their heads up on their own, bathing needs three hands; one to hold their front, one to hold their back, and one to hold the sponge and clean. But pop the super-soft Extra Hand sponge on it helps you find the extra hold you need during bathtime.  It is shaped to grip your hand like a glove and so you can simultaneously sponge but securely hold baby when they wriggle.

£3.99 www.brothermax.com for stockists

This White Hot Safety Bath Ducky from Munchkin is not only a fun toy for your little one, but it lets you know when the bathwater is too hot for baby when the word HOT changes to white on the base.  When it disappears you will know it is a safe temperature.

Munchkin's range is new to the UK and the company is full of ingenious ideas to make parents' lives easier, while the brightl colours make it fun for the children too.

The White Hot Rubber Ducky is £1.99 and will be available to buy in Wilkinson and Asda stores across the country. and online on www.safetots.co.uk

Before you jump in you will need swim nappies so your little one doesnt leave a nice surprise in the water!  There are a few options out there; either disposable ones or reusable nappies which you wash after each use and use with or without a liner.

The disposable swim nappies have the same absorbent centre as regular disposables but they don't swell up in the pool, weighing down the baby.  Like normal disposable nappies they are thrown away after use.

A colourful example of a disposable swim nappy is the Happy Nappy Patterned Swim Nappy which comes recommended by baby swim schools.  They are made of 1mm neoprene and are guaranteed not to let any solid leaks occur, although they can be used alone, they are much easier to clean with a liner and wrap.

Happy Nappy Patterned Swim Nappy £8.35 from www.swimbabes.co.uk  - they also have a big selection of all sorts of other swim nappies and accessories.