1 Arcania Apothecary Mother and Child Top to Toe, from £10; 020 7586 4411

Frantic new mums are always thankful for a multi-tasking beauty aid. You use this natural wash to clean your hair and body, and it is gentle enough for baby, too, so it’s ideal if you’re bathing together.

2 Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Leg and Foot Crème £11, from Debenhams

This zingy, circulation-boosting peppermint and rosemary cream wakes up tired, aching pins. Stock up before the birth to ease swollen pregnancy legs, but make sure thst you have enough left for after the big arrival, when you’re so sleep-deprived, even a cattle prod wouldn’t wake you.

3 Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil, £32

A cult buy for mums-to-be, this oil can be relied on to ward off stretchmarks from the second trimester. The likes of Helena Christensen swear by it for keeping the skin on the tummy stretchy and supple while pregnant.

4 Organic Pharmacy Miracle Nipple Cream, £20; theorganicpharmacy.com

Dry, cracked nipples are a small price to pay for ensuring your baby is supplied with nutrient-rich breast milk. You might even be able to avoid the painful bit if you regularly smear on this soothing St John’s Wort-based cream.

5 Mama Mio Tummy Toner, £45, and Shrink to Fit cream, £45; mamamio.co.uk

Created by three mums, the hip Mama Mio range contains the sort of life-saving products gym-starved new mothers long for. The Tummy Toner makes skin look instantly smoother, thanks to its exfoliating papaya enzymes, while the Shrink to Fit cream – containing a complex called Adiposlim, which has been proven in lab tests to reduce cellulite – visibly lessens postbaby chub.

6 Erbaviva Baby Blues Oil, £15; 020 7503 7376

This soothing and balancing massage oil, with rose, bergamot and clary sage, really helps to lift spirits in the weeks after delivery.

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