It's not my normal territory, you know, Mothercare. Because I'm not a mother, and I don't really…read morecare, which generally absolves me from ever needing or feeling the urge to go into this shop. This all changed the other day, when my brother and his wife had their first child, a beautiful little girl called Peggy. I started to care. I understood what this care thing is about, and I became a mother. As I said it all changed. No wait... I just cared, I didn't become a mother. So anyway,now ticking one of the boxes, I entered Mothercare alongside my brother, to buy a Moses basket and some other baby related items? I always assumed (not that admittedly I thought about it much) that Mothercare was just a big impersonal superstore, much like a massive Sports shop, where essentially you would be left to your own devices, and things would be scattered around everywhere just waiting for the recession to seal the last nail in it's coffin. But actually it was not. Inside, it was surprisingly tidy and well kept, and the store assistants were empathetic and friendly to new, anxious mothers and fathers, as well as enthusiastic and helpful. As well as baby clothes, Mothercare is a prime place to get all your practical motherly/fatherly hardware, such as prams (which are on display like cars in a showroom), mobiles, cots, and nursing bras. I wouldnt recommend this shop as a cool place to hang out (obviously), but I would to mothers and fathers who want a serious shop for their little ones, and a friendly face to help them do it.

This Mothercare is situated in the lower level of Churchill square, near ELC and a discount toy…read morestore. It always seems very jam packed with stock to me. Good displays of highchairs, pushchairs and cots etc so you can have a good look see before buying. Products also sold are toddler's clothes, shoes, toys and a small selection of books. This shop also provides a very valuable free service of a changing and feeding room at the back of store, free to use with running water, nappy disposal and discreet area to breast feed. There was until recently an Olan Mills photo studio in this store which closed in December 2008 due to financial difficulties.

You know when you see those kids that are casually but precisely dressed like in an advertising…read morecampaign? Well, I'm guessing their parents shop at Toby Tiger. A tiny store in the heart of the North Laines, it sells a breath-taking selection of beautiful, brightly coloured romper suits, pyjamas, skirt, dresses, trousers, tees, hats, mittens, wellies and blankets. Some of them are in tasteful stripes and spots that would compliment Cath Kidston homeware, others are in simple rainbow shades of blue, pink, yellow, green, etc. They also have a selection of tasteful printed garments with dinosaurs, robots, pink apples and embroidered slogans like Drama Queen and Cheeky Monkey. To buy one or two items would set you back £15 to £50. To buy a whole wardrobe that would make your kids look like they're young, hip and advertising-worthy? You might need to remortage.

A friend of mine used to work in here, so despite having absolutely no need for anything that they…read moresell, I used to pop in and out quite a lot and just couldn't help myself from nosing around and ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the little clothes and toys As far as babies and kiddies' shops go, this one is a little bit more special than most. Rather than the cheap, plasticky tat that a lot of toy shops sell for kids, most of the toys sold here are wooden, painted in lovely bright colours and seem to be really good quality. Their 'Charlie and Lola' stuff is very cute too especially the t-shirts with funny little slogans. Because the stuff is good quality, branded, or both, expect to pay a bit more for it. But unlike some of the toys out there, these aren't going to break in five minutes flat. The classic wooden designs also mean that they're unlikely to go out of fashion. Because, y'know, there are so many fashion-conscious toddlers about nowadays...

Jo Jo Maman Bebe is a pretty typical baby-themed shop. Racks of baby clothing, ranging from onesies…read moreto fancy dress coats at fairly expensive prices. Basic outfits ran from 12 - 18 each. A tiny hat was 4, and some knit booties were 10. Also available are toys and books; including several bath toys and accessories. Jo Jo offers a maternity section at the back of the shop, including breastfeeding bras, pyjamas and casual attire. Along the ground was a comfy-looking body pillow. I remember when my younger sister was pregnant, she was always looking for one of those...Maybe next time. In summary, I wasn't overly impressed with this shop. There wasn't anything unique about it, and things were a tad pricey.

Jojo Maman Bébé makes me so homesick for France- the cute name, the window displays with french…read morecursive writing, all the lovely babies clothes in practical shapes and striped fabric! They have brilliant cashmere babies clothes and hats that I want in my size. And the maternity wear is so reasonably priced and good quality! This is the perfect place to stock up on good maternity basics- skirts, trousers, t-shirts in every length and colour that you could need to get you through nine months of bellydom. They have all sorts of practical baby things as well- blankets, mobiles, toys, diaper bags. I checked out their website after I went in to see the quality and was so impressed by the even larger range of goodies online, I happily ordered a gift for my friend to be sent to her door.

I love the name- as a fan of both Dickens AND babies, I very much enjoy this witty play on words. I…read morehave been in this shop a surprising number of times, considering I am neither a mother nor pregnant. Once I went in looking for a gift for a new mother and once I found myself drawn in by the pretty nightlights... Great Expectations is a large store full of all sorts of mother and baby items. They specialize in eco-friendly products, including cotton nappies and they also stock all sorts of fair trade toys too! They have an impressive array of prams and push chairs, including some really jazzy, high-tech looking ones. I swear some of them have better suspension than a car! I didn't realize what a serious operation push chair purchasing was...so many considerations...style, colour, size, not to mention price...some of those things are EXPENSIVE! Aside from the bigger, practical items, the shop is also a great place to pick up baby gifts...they have some really sweet little outfits and the nightlights I mentioned earlier are gorgeous; they play a little tune whilst figures spin around the light-shade. Almost everything in this shop is ridiculously cute. Calling all yummy mummies: if you haven't yet discovered this place, pop in and take a look!

Great Expectations is much more pleasant to shop in than several of the baby-themed stores in the…read moreNorth Laines. The sales clerk was friendly and helpful, and the shop itself was a lot more spacious. Much of the stock was baby equipment - prams, basinets, baby gyms - neatly set up on display. Other items included organic clothing, toys, and cloth nappies. I'd recommend checking this shop out for baby supplies if you happen to be near the area.

I've been really disappointed on my last couple of visits to Mamissima, not by the shop itself, but…read moreby the attitude of the staff. If you are going to run a high end boutique with high end prices, the service has got to match, but on both my visits I haven't even been acknowledged on entering. I could understand this if the shop was busy and other customers were being dealt with, but on both occasions I have been the only person here! The shop assistant (owner?) has either had her head in paperwork or been too pre-occupied with her mobile phone. Although I've had a browse, I've never been inspired to make a purchase as the atmosphere is so unwelcoming. The products themselves are lovely, although quite often overpriced, and would make a nice treat, but with this attitude it's just not going to happen. With Jojo Maman Bebe just around the corner, whose staff are always so welcoming and friendly, I know where I'll my spending my cash in the future.

Mamissima is a lovely one-stop-shop for baby and maternity wear. Both sections featured high…read morequality, though a little pricey, clothing in many styles and sizes. Baby sleepers were between £19 - £25, for example, and the tiny but cosy winter hats were around £18. Maternity clothes actually looked fashionable, which is a plus, and included a range of maternity jeans. The front of the shop contained baby toys and equipment : snuglies, mobiles, stuffed animals, etc...all looking to be of nice, long-lasting quality.

When I was a nipper, there was a choice of Lego, plasticine or crayons and paper to play with…read more These days, young kids have access to a whole world of toys, games, craft kits and fancy dress costumes. I know because I've just visited Daisy Daisy and the sheer volume of different things made me feel dizzy. They stock wooden tricycles, kites, pop-up boxes, dolls houses, farmyards with animals, mini-tractors, fire engines and a whole section of stuffed toys, dolls and craft books. There's special sections for Juniors, 0-3 year olds and Mother and Baby as well as wall art, height charts, coat hooks and lights to stimulate and educate your nippers. I quite fancied one of the Wild West costumes but the manager insisted they didn't have my size.

My little nephew is too young to enjoy most of the toys at Daisy Daisy - the section for babies was…read morelimited to one shelving unit and wasn't all that exciting. The rest of the shop, however, made up for it. The two levels are stacked with toys and books for a wide range of interests and ages. Some worth mentioning: art supplies, costumes, wooden train sets, plastic and wooden figurines, doll houses, puppets, puzzles and kitchen sets. Tiny jars near the front contained retro toys like spinning tops and those plastic army guys with parachutes. The shop is really kid friendly, with brightly coloured murals on the walls and many shelves at kid-height.