We’ve had the Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator and Room Vapour lying in the cupboard for ages because we’ve been lucky enough to not have any sickness so far. However, my daughter has had a bit of congestion recently so I thought it was a good opportunity to try both out.

The Nasal Aspirator is a fantastic idea, and the first thing I can say about it is that it does work. It is approved for use from birth, and the way it works is that you put the nozzle at the entrance to the baby’s nose and suck on the nozzle from the other end. There’s a chamber that all the gunk goes into, and a filter and a long tube that prevents it from going anywhere near your mouth. 4 Little 1 assure you that you cannot ‘over-suck’, so you’re never going to end up with a mouthful of snot.

I must admit though, that it grossed me out. Despite knowing that nothing’s  going to touch my taste buds, it did turn my stomach a little, and for me personally, I think I’ll stick to the breast milk in the nostril method for clearing congestion, but if that’s not an option, or you’re not as queasy as me, this is a fantastic system, and definitely better than a baby that’s struggling to feed or sleep due to congestion.

The Room Vapour, on the other hand, is fantastic stuff and I love it. The lemon, tea tree and pine fragrance is gorgeous and even though I’m not struggling with my breathing, it clears my airways and makes breathing easier. It can be used from birth, by putting a few drops in a bowl of warm water in the room the baby is sleeping in, the room fills with the beautiful aroma, and clears the airways, making a better night’s sleep.

Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap is the USA’s No. 1 selling natural soap brand and a leader in organic and fair trade skincare. Famous fans reportedly include Drew Barrymore, Sandra Bullock and Eminem, and make-up artist Bobbi Brown championed the brand on The Oprah Show, saying: “It’s probably the finest soap in the universe. I’m obsessed with it. I cannot get enough of it!”

Now Dr Bronner's is lathering its way into British homes and hearts. So what's so special about it? The magic of Dr. Bronner’s is its affordability and versatility, with 18 uses from 1 bottle of liquid soap at £4.99 per 236ml bottle. Best used with a cloth, towel, loofah or sponge you can use it to clean your body, your mouth & teeth, your fruit & vegetables, your bathroom and kitchen, your clothes and even your pets!

It's available in 8 main varieties, the original being the famous tingly peppermint - “nature's own unsurpassed fragrant Deodorant!” - followed by Lavender, Eucalyptus, Citrus, Almond, Rose, unscented Baby Mild and Tea Tree which can even be used to treat minor cuts.

The soaps are most popular for at-home washing, but are also the soap of choice for many campers and hikers. They contain no synthetic foaming agents, thickeners, preservatives, fragrances, dyes or whiteners and use 100% post consumer recycled (PCR) cylinder bottles and paper labels. Completely biodegradable, the soaps are made with certified Fair Trade and organic ingredients sourced from India, Ghana, Palestine, Israel, and Sri Lanka.

Dr Bronner’s tell us that they take their organic credentials very seriously unlike many “natural” body care companies who masquerade their synthetically derived ingredients by using floral water as the main natural ingredient, while the functional ingredients are petrochemical derived and thus non-sustainable.

The 100% Pure Castile Soap recipe used in Dr. Bronner’s soap is a simple, ecological, vegetable based formulation, named after the Castile region of Spain where olive oil soaps where invented long ago. The high foaming lather of the soap is from its high coconut oil content, which makes a more luxurious and rich lather compared to any detergent formulation commonly found even in “natural stores.”

Dr. Bronner’s superfat their soaps with organic hemp and jojoba oils for a milder, smoother lather and use natural plant-derived vitamin E and citric acid to protect freshness. Apart from flavouring organic essential oils such peppermint, the base soap ingredients are Water, Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm and Organic Olive Oils, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils, Citric Acid, Vitamin E.

So what did our reviewer think? The first item we passed their way was Dr Bronner's Organic Baby Balm. Here's what they had to say:

"Loved the packaging.  The sliding lid is fantastic for taking around in the nappy bag.  The product dosen't feel greasy and absorbs very quickly.  Perfect for our baby's dry skin.  Even I have used this as a moisturiser on my elbows and they feel great now!"

Our reviewer loved this item and although they thought it was a little on the expensive side at £3.95, they  felt the price was justified because of the organic nature of the item.

The second item we reviewed was liquid soap from Dr Bronner's. Our reviewer felt the travel size of the packaging made it perfect for an overnight bag. But how did it work?

"I couldn't bear to use it as a toothpaste replacer - too soapy.  I used it as a shower gel using a sponge.  Bottle was not flexible enough to squirt it out like a shower gel, so I would have liked to see a product that was more suited to a shower gel application. At £5 for 236ml I felt this was expensive for an item that I do not really use except for in the shower.  I did try some in the bath for bathing my daughter and it seemed OK."

Finally, the pure castile soap. Our reviewer, a Dad, reckoned this feels really good for cleaning the face. He even tried it out for shaving:

"Had a shave with the pure castile soap and a shave brush and found my face was very clean although I had to moisturise afterwards as my skin had dried out.  The foam was softer than a traditional shave foam but thought it was a good alternative.  My face felt a lot cleaner aswell."

At £3.50 for a 140g bar our reviewer felt this was reasonably priced, albeit more expensive than their usual brand.

"I would normally buy a brand which is about a third of the price but the Dr Bronner bar does not break down like my usual brand. I would be happy to pay for a better product like Dr Bronner's that is natural and organic, and I feel safe that this is a safer product to be bathing my child in."

With each of the soaps, our Daddy reviewer would have preferred a scent but did acknowledge that they seemed like very good quality soaps, despite the lack of scent.

Dr. Bronner’s is available UK nationwide including Liberty, select Waitrose stores and leading health shops including Fresh & Wild, Planet Organic and Whole Foods. To find your nearest stockist call 0845 072 5825 or visit www.kinetic4health.co.uk

If you're an expectant Mum you're probably that little bit more cautious than usual about what you put in your body and on your skin. Pregnancy can make you more sensitive to side-effects from your usual lotions and potions, and yet many expectant mums find themselves buying new products specifically aimed at pregnant women in a quest to ease those niggles and discomforts.

So finding a brand you trust and a range of products that actually work is important. And while complementary remedies might not be part of your usual weekly shop, they can be a good bet if you've got a baby on board.

So when we were offered a range of products for new and expectant Mums from Napiers, we decided to put them to the test so you don't have to!

Napiers is one of the UK's leading brands in complementary and natural health remedies. The first Napiers shop and clinic was opened in Edinburgh in 1860 by Duncan Napier, a respected botanist and herbalist. Today they still manufacture some of Mr Napiers' formulas and tonics using traditional methods, and have one of the largest teams of professional natural health and herbal practitioners in the UK.

There are four Napiers clinics and retail outlets dotted around the country as well as a rather handy online shop which stocks a wide range of herbal medicines and natural therapies. Here's our verdict on the items we sampled:

Nursing Tea £6.45
Billed as a great-tasting combination of herbs, Napiers' nursing tea is supposed to promote breast milk production and help tone the uterus after birth. We gave it to Isla, a new Mum who instantly admitted that she'd much rather have a nice cup of PG Tips! But after a few days she was hooked.

"I've no idea whether it affected my milk supply or worked its magic on my uterus but it was refreshing to drink something that tasted clean and healthy," she said. "It's not cheap but it's the sort of thing I'd really appreciate receiving as a gift after giving birth. You get so many babygros and teddy bears but something like this, which is a bit indulgent because of the price and yet good for both Mum and baby, is an ideal, thoughtful gift for a new Mum"

Beautiful Belly Massage Blend £9.50

This natural massage blend from Napiers contains essential oils of mandarin, roman chamomile and frankincense in a base of skin conditioning plant oils. Massaging it into skin daily should help keep stretch marks at bay! I must admit to being sceptical about this because after two babies I know only too well that some people are just cursed with stretchmarks, no matter what lengths - or lotions - they go to to avoid them! But expectant Mum Keira gave this her seal of approval.

"I've tried several different stretchmark prevention creams and this is obviously much richer and more oily than some but it also feels wonderfully indulgent and soothing. It's not one to put on before you get dressed in the morning as it is rather messy but it makes a lovely post-bath ritual and the smell is strangely comforting."

Organic Ginger Tincture, £9.95
Napiers herbalists recommend the ginger tincture to ease the symptoms of morning sickness and feelings of nausea in early pregnancy. I can't report on that but I can tell that a few drops of this in a mug of hot water with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of honey is lovely if you're suffering from the sniffles!

Expectant Mum Hannah was dubious about this but admitted she's not a fan of ginger in general. "It did seem to work," she says. "But I found I had to take quite a few drops for it to work and I just don't like the flavour or smell of ginger. It's pretty expensive for something that you might not enjoy taking."

Organic Raspberry Leaf Tea, £4.50
This organic tea is traditionally used to prepare the uterus for labour through its toning and strengthening action. It's not safe for use in early pregnancy, so do check packaging before use.

Expectant Mum Emma said; "I've never really used loose leaf teas before, I usually opt for  the standard bagged variety, so it was an interesting experience to try the Raspberry Leaf Tea. When I opened the bag, I expected to be hit in the face by a lovely big whoosh of raspberry aroma, but I was a bit disappointed to sniff and just get a tea smell, albeit slightly sweeter than normal. I steeped some in some boiling water for a bit as per the instructions, and noticed immediately that the tea smell generally got a bit stronger. I left it to steep for 10 minutes then came back to finish the tea. By this stage, the smell had intensified, and the liquid was a nice brown tea colour. I added a dollop of honey and gave it a try. I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the tea very much. I'm not a huge fan of flavoured teas in the first place, and assam is usually my bag of choice. I don't think it will be a regular drink during the end of my pregnancy."

Personally, I'm convinced by the powers of raspberry leaf tea. I drank vats of the stuff during both of my pregnancies and got off lightly when it came to labour. Coincidence? Who knows. I've even been known to palm the stuff off on expectant friends - one of whom went into labour just hours after I made her drink several cups of this stuff! It's not necessarily a thing to drink for the taste but I recommend giving it a whirl if you have in mind to try a natural birth.

Napiers products are available from www.napiers.net or order by phone on: 0131 343 3292.