With a pregnant belly and a two year old, I finally decided a few months back that it was time to cave to the must have’s and buy a changing table, since my daughter has no interest in using the potty and getting down on the floor or leaning over the sofa or bed wasn’t working for me anymore – especially since she went through a phase of absolutely hating having her nappy changed, and kicking, fighting and screaming most audibly.

The changing table needed a changing mat as it didn’t come with one and we liked the look of an activity arc to keep babies busy during changing time. Little did I know having that one little bit of added attraction was going to transport nappy change time in our house forever.

The Changing Mat with Activity Arch from By Carla is wider than our changing table, so it folds up on one side. It doesn’t bug us at all, but the dimensions are worth noting if you have a specific space to fit it. If you’re just going to be using it in on the floor or a flat table top, it should be fine.

The mat has a Velcro strip to which is attached a removable, washable towel liner, so baby isn’t lying directly on the PVC mat. This also makes it superbly easy to clean, because any messes or leaks can be popped in the washing machine along with our regular nappy wash and the plastic can be wiped down no mess, no fuss.

We love how bright and colourful this changing mat is, and the fact that it’s totally unisex in design. No dull beiges or stereotypical colours here. And with a two year old, the different colours and prints on the slightly upturned side have been a fantastic mid-change distraction and talking point.

The real hands down winner on the Changing Mat with Activity Arch, however, is the actual Activity Arch. It is such a perfect distraction to a two year old, it has made all our lives a happier place. For babies the three hanging bits come in two designs that you can simply flip over – the one side is just black and white and the other has colours for when they get older. There’s also a child-safe mirror which I’m sure a baby will find plenty of amusement from.

The arch is in a holder and can be turned to above the baby’s head, or above the face, the centre of the body or totally out of the way. It can even be removed if you need to.

The downside to this Changing Mat with Activity Arch is the price. At £29.99 it’s not on the budget end of the market, but for colours, usability, quality, and ‘features’ it’s a winner and I’m really glad we have it!

I’ve been using the By Carla Mum And Baby Support Pillow in bed at night since around 25 weeks pregnant, and it is my constant bed time companion.

This is a pillow I can melt into. It is firm, but not rigid, and despite looking quite ‘solid’ in the pictures, it moulds into your body in a way that gives fantastic support.

It is quite a long pillow, which means that I can cuddle into it with my arms, but still have it between my knees, which is really helpful in keeping me on my left side as I tend to end up on my back through the night, otherwise.

Another exceptionally useful function is as bump protector – my toddler still ends up in my bed most of the night and performs a perfect windmill, often resulting in blows to my anatomy. With the By Carla Support Pillow firmly in place, the blows never come near me.

This pregnancy support pillow comes with a removable cover, and in a particularly forward thinking move, they’ve included a second cover, so while one’s washing and drying, the other can be in use and the pillow protected.

It also comes in a reusable zipped bag, so you can travel with your pillow, or store it when it’s not in use.

I’ve not used it as a breastfeeding or bottlefeeding support cushion yet, but it is firm enough that you could put your baby on it to protect them, and I think it would be perfect for letting them lie on too, belly on the pillow, to roll out wind and trapped air. I did that with my daughter  a lot but on a square pillow folded in half, so this is pretty perfect.

The covers are funky and the pillow is fantastic quality. I highly recommend this as a pregnancy sleep improvement strategy.

By Carla do a Bib and Splash Mat Set that’s currently in pride of place on my living room floor.

The 70x70cm splash mat is ideal for use when painting, colouring, cutting and other crafts, as well as for messy play or playdoh and even for snack times – or meal times when you’re weaning. It creates a fantastic easy to lift up and dust off, then wipe clean surface.

The bib is a long sleeved, flat fronted bib making it ideal for play time when you don’t want the clothes the get dirty – especially with paints or a chalk board – and it has a pelican bib that you can fold out to catch food during meals.

The splash mat and bib are made of plastic, but rather than being PVC they are something called  PETA, which is apparently a chlorine-free vinyl that’s starting to be used in lots of products as a replacement for PVC. It’s not a perfect substance as it’s still a petrochemical product and not entirely tested, but it’s already better than PVC.

It’s nicely finished off with a binding to keep the edges reinforced, and the bib has a Velcro tab at the top to keep it in place.

There are two designs, the Nougat, which is zebra-like black and white stripes , and Playtime, which are simply gorgeous newborn-ish sized hand and foot prints in a variety of colours  - pink, purple, blue and green – with yellow binding. I would say both are pretty unisex in appearance.

The Bib and Splash Mat Set come in a carry bag made of similar materials, but undecorated, and it’s a perfect storing place for when they’re not in use.  My daughter also loves carrying them around in their ‘handbag’.

She loves the set and often asks to wear her ‘apron’.   We were also really surprised by the price. We guestimated the price at £20 - £30, but Amazon are selling them at £12.99.