If you're anything like us, we love giving and receiving a great gift! Yes those newborn beanies and muslins are cute but there's so much more out there to make new-parent life a little bit easier.
So here's our list of 10 things that we actually used for our little kookaburra.
1. Sleep store - Woolbabe 3 seasons sleeping bag
Cannot rate this highly enough. Such a versatile weight sleeping bag and you can dress your little kookaburra up or down depending on the temperature. I didn't need to worry about my little kookaburra being too cold or too hot in the middle of the night. I also had peace of mind that she was safe without being tangled in a blanket.
2. Farmers - Teeny Weeny By My Side Co-Sleeper
Well worth the investment. Truly a godsend particularly after a c-section. You can fold down the sides and have this right next to your bed. You can also pick up good quality second hand ones on Facebook Marketplace
3. Two-way zip bodysuits
Please don’t torture yourself with buttons in the middle of the night. Trust me. Two-way zips are the way to go. We love Bonds, Kmart, Postie and Wilson and Frenchy!
4. Baby carrier
There’s a lot of different styles on the market so we recommend you do a bit of research. We love the Sleep Store guides. Some days your little kookaburra will just want to be held and not put down. So helpful if you need to get things done around the house or if you have to chase after another toddler. We've gone for Ergobaby.
We found out about this amazing oil in our antenatal class. It’s a blend of eucalyptus oil and magic that are actually helpful when you or your little kookaburra have a cold. We often stock up in summer as these fly off the shelf during the winter cold season.
This wouldn't be a real top 10 list without our favourite store. We had one of these in the lounge for easy access! And remember, while you're at the store, you don't tell Kmart what to buy. Kmart tells you.
Check out the reviews for this. I exclusively breastfed and built up my stash on this and this alone! Unpopular opinion - don’t spend on an electric breast pump until your little kookaburra has actually arrived - it’s hard to predict what your breastfeeding journey will look like.
8. Cot mattress protector
Best advice ever during those late night messes. Make up a cot in the following order: mattress protector, cot sheet, mattress protector, cot sheet. If there’s a mess, simply take the top cot sheet and mattress protector off and you’ve got a made-up cot ready to go.
9. Munchkin and Bear - Playmat
Ok so this isn’t a NZ company but we adore their waterproof padded playmat and their modern designs. I was so pleased that I didn’t have to settle for a rainbow coloured playmat in the middle of our lounge. Our little kookaburra was super spilly, this made clean up so easy. Now it’s an awesome playmat for our toddler. We actually bought two of these because we loved it so much. Heads up - you often have to pre order these as they are so popular. If you’re looking for a NZ based company, check out the Wriggle Crew playmats.
10. Little Kookaburra - Wooden clothing dividers
I still remember that really overwhelming feeling at my baby shower and the confusion that kept bubbling up inside as I would look into the mish-mash of clothes in my little kookaburra's closet. I actually drew up the design for these in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep! These were key to completing my nesting phase.