So this means any product that makes eating a calm and enjoyable experience is attractive to the consumer. Whether it's a heat-sensitive, soft-tipped spoon, a travel pack feeding case with well-fitting lid, a bottle that reduces colic in young babies, a highchair that can be adapted to the right height, or a gadget that ensures making homemade dinners doesn't take all morning - they will all appeal to the parent who feels life has become one constant round of feeding, with added stress. It's not so much playing on parent's fears as offering practical help right when they need it that makes a product sell.

Breastfeeding in itself requires some equipment if a modern mum is going to stick with it. Breast pads, a breast pump, a steriliser that doesn't take too long and of course a supply of good bras.

Bottles are again in the news on the question of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), which is present in polycarbonate plastics. This chemical may actually leach into the baby's milk if the bottle is overused and scratched, which can happen when parents use the dishwasher to clean them. The chemical is reported to have potential hormone changing effects. A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), says that the estrogenic chemicals (such as BPA) are found in urine samples and that they have a strong link in diseases such as cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities. But they cannot prove that it is uniquely BPA, so the debate continues. The public however aren't willing to take the risk, so stocking BPA -free bottles makes sense. Mam, Baby Born Free and soon, but not yet here, Avent are soon to offer a BPA-free product.

As with all products safety has to be the most important factor. With highchairs the harness has to be well-fitted and properly adjusted to the baby. It need to be easy to keep clean, comfortable and if at all possible, straight forward to store away in the average sized kitchen.

The range of highchairs is huge, but at this time, most parents do not have a a big budget to spend, so offering good value for money and seriously practical features are key.

When organic farming began to make a comeback about six or seven years ago, a number of companies saw the opportunity. Organix and Hipp made the biggest impact and have developed into mainstream supermarket suppliers. Fresh Daisy, Truuuly Scrumptious and Mums 4 sugar-free yoghurts set up small, but high quality businesses.

Today there is also Plum Baby, So Baby and and many others, some of which freeze their freshly cooked meals and dispatch them in boxes to last a week or even a month at a time. Demand is high, as even parents who don't eat organic themselves, feel it's important that their babies do. For most busy parents convenience plays an prime role in their buying decisions, so if ever you've wondering what to stock just think, ‘Will this make a mealtime calmer for the parent?' If the answer is yes and the price point is good, go for it.