Shop shelves are choc-full of lotions and potions for bathing and pampering your baby, most of them enticingly scented and accompanied by pictures of clean, happy, rosy-cheeked babies. But when it comes to keeping your baby's skin clean, soft

's Future Mother Sleep Easy Essence. The more adventurous can also buy the essential oils themselves and use them for baths, in burners, in creams and so on. It's a good idea to avoid all essential oils for the first twelve weeks of your pregnancy unless

in the fridge for up to twenty-four hours. When you need to make up the feed simply add the correct amount of milk powder and then warm the feed using a bottle warmer or water bath. Some people find bottle warmers convenient, but you may find it an unnecessary

will help, as will avoiding drying products like harsh cleansers and non-moisturising bath and shower gels. If you do like a soak in the bath then try using some bath oil, rather than foaming bath, to seal in, rather than lose, moisture for the skin. You

it with tempera or powder paints and use it to make colourful collagesBath crayons and paints - Have fun together in the bath with soapy bath crayons and finger paints for the tub Keeping a record They may not look like much, but if you keep one or two

bath before-hand helps to relax them ready for the massage (and of course, baths are indeed totally safe in late pregnancy, others may find the massage itself relaxing, particularly as they become more adept at it. And if the intimacy of perineal

as an eye bath (to clear something out of the eye or soothe irritation) and to clean wounds. Thermometer - digitals give the fastest and most fuss-free readings. Liquid soap -a mild one that is suitable for children. Cotton wool - to bathe wounds. Tweezers

that the baby's umbilical cord is healing well, helping out with any feeding problems you may have, or simply giving advice for other aspects of your baby's care from bathing to sleeping. If you want her to be there when you give your baby his first bath

you carry around, and how. To ease backache try a warm bath to soothe your joints or stretching or antenatal yoga or other stretching exercises to help keep you supple. Around this time of pregnancy it's also quite common for women to experience

or so. Essentially a birthing pool is like a very large bath filled with water maintained at just below normal body temperature. The pool can be used simply as a means of support and pain relief during labour or, if circumstances allow, can also be used