Date Added: October 03, 2008 08:00:51 PM

You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

As a first time mum, you run the risk of buying a mountain of ‘must haves’ and ‘can’t live without’ baby items that cost you a small fortune….which you then never use. The one product that I have genuinely found to be indispensible is the Bug in a Rug baby wrap. My friend bought one for me when I was pregnant with my second child. From the moment we left the hospital, on a freezing Autumn day, our little bundle was well, snug as a bug in a rug! Gone was the dilemma of what to dress the baby in on the car journey home. The baby wrap looks rather like a fluffy blanket but a clever one that has a hood and legs. It is made of lightweight luxury polar fleece so the perfect choice for cocooning your newborn without overheating. Velcro fasteners mean that it’s a cinch to unwrap and the split leg design means that (hopefully) you won’t wake up the little one when you put him or her into the car.

When it really came into its own though, was when we went skiing. We had previously gone skiing with our first child – an absolute nightmare of impossible to get into snowsuits, bulky jackets, lost mittens and soggy socks. This year I was determined it would be different and it was. I splashed out on an ‘Extreme baby wrap’. What a difference it made. For starters, like the traditional baby wrap it is made of luxury polar fleece which is soft and cosy enough to make ours start snoring as soon as they get inside. (I don’t know if it is a co-incidence, but being happy babies during the day seems to give them sweet dreams at night too!) The ‘Extreme’ also comes with a water resistant outer layer, perfect for a bit of play in the snow. It also offers SPF 50+ sun protection, essential to protect your little one. What really makes it stand out from the rest is how easy it is to use. No more pulling and pushing resisting arms and flailing legs into narrow fitting arms holes and trousers. After discovering ‘Baby Rug’ I have never bought another coat for my baby. Oh, and they look nice too. My 12 month old already has an eye for fashion and favours the chocolate and pink version.

I have just lent my Baby Rug to a friend to trial. That was three weeks ago and I haven’t seen it since. Like the song says: you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. www.babyrug.co.uk