Just before Christmas, I was feeling incredibly sorry for myself having been placed on bed rest by my consultant - somehow I’d contracted influenza in pregnancy. It wasn’t much fun at all. I was overwhelmed with Dexter’s childcare needs whilst resting up my increasingly stressed-out Bump, and I’m not known for my patience at the best of times. It really did put an enormous strain on Christmas and led to muted New Year celebrations to boot. Happy to report I’m doing much better now, but I was a whingey mare for a few weeks!

Whilst partaking in my daily moan on Twitter, Nova Harley spotted I was having a bad time and offered to send me something to cheer me up. I was beyond surprised when the postman turned up a few days later with the change bag I’ve been lusting after for months on end.

Despite trying to save this bag for the birth of my daughter, it’s had a few outings with me now. It’s just too beautiful to lock in a nursery!

As my stress-levels are soon to take a stratospheric leap with the addition of Mini Madam to the daily mix, I need a huge bag that suits either gender and that Craigy won’t mind dashing to the loos with when we’re eating out. I also wanted something classy that will take the edge off the fact my hair is unlikely to see straighteners in the mornings anymore, and I’m bound to set off from the house at some point with leaky boobs and no breast pads, wet wipes stuck to my bum, or my nursing top disheveled to the point of indecency!

Nova Harley’s Ultimate Baby Bag Collection promise to solve of all these problems for busy mums everywhere, whilst giving them something truly gorgeous to admire when everything else is going tits up around them.

Creator and designer, Nova Harley has put together a fabulous range of aesthetically pleasing luxurious bag designs that have been draped over numerous celebs and style-conscious mums. Nothing about any of them screams “I’m a mum!!!” and my friends are always amazed when they discover it’s not a regular designer handbag.

I plumped for the Manhattan bag in lemon. The bright, soft, yet incredibly durable leather and simple barrel bag design wouldn’t be out of place on a catwalk. I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere else and it invites comments from just about everyone who sees it. Dimension-wise it’s incredibly generous without being a danger to other pedestrians when slung over your shoulder. I’ve taken it to various press conferences now and managed to fit in all my bits (laptop, Canon, notebooks etc) PLUS all Dexter’s essentials.

As regards versatility of wearing, you can detach all straps and carry as a handheld, pop on short straps for flinging over buggy handles, or a longer body strap for your shoulder. The fastenings for all straps are incredibly secure with studded presses and metal clips for peace of mind. There are leather feet on the underside of the bag to prevent any wear.

What’s more, with 13 picture-labelled pockets you’ll never forget the scented nappy bags ever again. These compartments come in various sizes and guises - some zipped, some velcro fasten, some leather trimmed… but all are wipe clean in case the Sudocrem lid liberates itself from the mother pot. With pockets for bibs, medicines and keys amongst other things, one quick check before leaving the house and you’re good to go. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve shut the front door behind me and discovered I’m locked out until Craig gets back from work. All too often Dexter and I have sat in the local pub sharing a Diet Coke bought courtesy of the emergency £1 coin from my coat pocket usually earmarked for the trolley at Tesco (my purse is unhelpfully sat on the kitchen worktop).

As with most designer brands, The Nova Harley Manhattan also comes with a thermo insulated black bottle tote and a large waterproof black padded change mat. These fit beautifully in their corresponding pockets leaving plenty of room for everything else.

To say “It’s perfect” doesn’t quite seem to go far enough to describe how in love I am with my bag. It lives next to my bedside table at night and I won’t let Dexter anywhere near for fear of chocolatey fingers or toddler drool. It’s not going to be my hospital bag for this baby as I can’t stand the thought of it sat anywhere with a clinical smell or getting even the lightest of kicks by a Croc-clad midwife. It’s my baby and I love love love it.

Currently at £198, it’s not cheap. But quite frankly, who cares when you end up with something This stunning and pap-worthy.

I was not provided with this bag in exchange for my thoughts. It was an honest-to-God treat from the lovely Nova Harley. She was insistent I take the gift with the spirit in which it was intended, but I can’t resist showing off that it’s going to be stuck on my arm forever more when Mini Madam arrives. Thanks darling, it’s cheered me up no end and I simply love it.