It's raining, you're late for school, and the children's wellies come out of the cupboard for the first time in months. But do they still fit? Why the welly check matters, what to look for in children's wellies and socks, and how retailers can turn a rainy-morning scramble into something better.

Your skin is your largest organ. In Part 2 of our Preparing for a baby series, I look at chemicals in pregnancy: what goes on your body, from skincare to the clothes you wear for nine months, what the evidence says, what it doesn't, and the simple swaps both parents can make.

A trade show is where you see a brand's heart. At Harrogate International Nursery Fair 2026 three stands stayed with me: Will & Finch, a changing bag designed by a stay-at-home dad; EcoKinly, the Irish reusable nappy brand that asks parents to start with just one; and Newlife, the charity turning brands' dead stock into equipment for disabled children.

To celebrate 15 years of the Junior Design Awards, Junior Magazine created a bonus Best Small Business award: Gold to Talou, Silver to Huddle Baby, Bronze to ODA London. All three also won Gold in their own category. Meet the small brands beating the established names, and why the judges chose them.

Preparing for pregnancy starts before the baby. In Part 1 of a three-part series, I look at what the research says about weight-loss jabs, Botox, fillers, food and plastics before conception, why it's a shared responsibility for both parents, and what I'd love to see change.

Harrogate Nursery Fair 2026 runs from 18th to 20th October: more than 50 exhibitors across four halls, a new New Brands Zone, and the BPIA Concept & Innovation Awards finalists. Who exhibits, who visits, the trade press worth meeting, and where to find me on Monday.

The SEFAR directory opens today with over 40 resources: The Nest's curated network of consultants, partner businesses, organisations and charities for maternity, baby and children's product brands. It is not a list you work through alone. We get to know your business first, then make a warm introduction to the right person.