But I, like millions before me, soon got to grips with ‘baby speak', and before I knew it, began talking about muslin squares, cot bumpers and cosy toes along with all the other new mums at my local mother and baby groups. I even started to hunt out items that I couldn't find in the big stores, and this is when I began to find out about all the small businesses operating throughout the UK who were specialising in niche baby products.

My first encounter was finding out about reusable nappies, where I discovered that contrary to the old image of a square piece of terry towelling being folded into a triangle, the cloth nappies of the 21st century are shaped, super absorbent and even come in trendy colours. Then I discovered that the same is true for almost all aspects of baby clothes and accessories. Take changing bags, for example. Most mums need a changing bag to keep their baby paraphernalia in when they're out and about, and there are some trendy ones out there now - many a mum these days proudly sports a cool-looking printed slung across their buggy handles.

Slings are another area where specialist online retailers come into their own. While the high street shops tend to stock the ones that are rather like rucksacks, with padded straps and lots of clips, many mums prefer the more traditional fabric slings which often have their own set of accessories - I've even seen one website sell leg warmers specifically for babies in slings!

What I've mentioned so far is just the tip of the iceberg but should give a taste of the sheer range of merchandise available for mothers and babies. What I think is most interesting to note is that all of the suppliers I've referred to are small-scale internet retail enterprises; in many cases launched by new mums who spot a gap in the market (and who have been christened ‘mumpreneurs').

The promotional niche

So where does babywear fit in the promotional clothing industry? "It won't compete with the adults' volume basics market," comments Prama Bhardwaj, managing director of Mantis World and founder of the Babybugz range of promotional babywear. "But it's a great niche with lots of potential profit for the savvy decorator who wants to add something new to their offering."

Katie Stewart, md of baby and toddler wear brand Larkwood, adds: "There is an ever-increasing number of pre-schools, nurseries and day care centres that require their own decorated garments."

This potential is undeniable as the media attention given to birth and motherhood continues to grow. The Baby Shows (www.babyshow.co.uk), aimed at both new mums and mums-to-be, attracted 74,000 visitors in 2007 and featured over 285 exhibitors. All of these companies are likely to have marketing budgets and this surely spells opportunity for garment decorators.

Not only that, babywear also makes a great gift item for occasions such as birth announcements, naming ceremonies and christenings. These are not unlike like weddings in that parents like to do them in their own personal way. There are now many novel ways in which to do it other than the usual card and photo; new developments in digital technology mean that small-volume, bespoke items can be produced at low cost and with little set up charges.

Another thing to bear in mind is that babies grow - fast. A nine-month-old baby will have a completely different set of clothes in less than six month's time. So there's also great potential for repeat or multiple orders.

Another essential aspect for many mums is the soundness of the products. You only have to look at the amount of baby food that is organic to realise that this is an important consideration. The same goes with clothing. Organic cotton is an increasingly popular fabric for babywear, as is fair trade; while a surprising number of retail websites out there promote the fact that they're UK-based as a thing to be proud of. "Organic babywear is definitely on the increase," comments Prama, "arguably more so for babies than adults or kids, as parents are careful to give their little ones the very best they can."

Similarly, Katie says: "Natural fabrics are always popular for childrenswear due to their handle and inherent comfort."

In terms of technical requirments, all garments and accessories must be thoroughly tested for toxicity and strength of attachment, she adds. "And it is important for manufacturers to look at the aspects of wet and dry rub - no-one moves and slides around in garments more than a (wet or dry) baby, thus all colours need to be fast to rubbing."

Even if a parent shows no interest in the ethical source of his/her child's clothing, the chances are they'll be pretty interested in the safety aspect, so it's always worth emphasising the zero toxicity of the materials used to make any clothes for this market. "Product safety is really important," says Prama. "At Babybugz we have a strict needle policy and all our fastenings are the highest quality YKK and nickel free to avoid breakages and allergies."

In terms of ease of decoration the products are no different than adults' clothing - decorators just need to be aware of the market, suggests Katie. "All ends on the back of embroideries must be very closely trimmed and any large prints shouldn't hinder the stretch of the fabric," she says.

So if you are novel and ethical, can be flexible and bear in mind that babies are transient little beings that change and grow faster than most parents would like, you might just be in a good position to investigate this growing market.

Babywear basics

Potential markets for babywear:

1. TV programmes or channels devoted to having or bringing up babies (eg. House of Tiny Tearaways, The Baby Channel)
2. Cartoon characters devoted to babies (eg. Teletubbies, In the Night Garden)
3. Magazines and exhibitions that are devoted to babies and/or pregnancy
4. Companies producing baby products (eg. nappies, baby food)
5. Groups and societies geared towards new mums and babies (for example Babybugz is used by organisations promoting breast feeding, such as the National Childbirth Trust)
6. Institutions such as nurseries, and government initiatives, such as Surestart and the freebie gift packs for new mums
7. Smaller companies or organisations - often set up by new mums themselves, including retail mail order / internet order brands
8. Interestingly many ‘aspirational' brands are good users of babywear - from Harley Davidson motorcycles to Manchester United Football Club
9. Souvenirs is a very popular sector - who can resist buying a cute little garment for their baby nephew/grandchild/godchild?

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