Mega for mum & baby
Having a baby suddenly become a whole lot more real for Monica. Thanks to the variety at the Albany Mega Centre, Monica and her husband David, were able to get everything they needed for pregnancy, maternity and baby - all in one place.
Yesterday morning, Monica and David had their 20 week check-up. Mother and baby are both doing well and dad’s relieved and excited. Driving back to work, Monica suddenly had a moment of panic as she realised she was over halfway through her pregnancy. The baby will be here before we know it, she thought to herself. At work, Monica’s boss talked to her about maternity leave cover and writing handover notes. She suddenly felt very disorganised. Getting home that night, she talked to David about her concerns and they agreed that getting started on baby shopping would make her feel better.
Monica smiled to herself as she and David drove through Albany to the Mega Centre the following Saturday. They parked outside The Baby Factory and entered the store only to feel overwhelmed by options. They wandered around trying to take everything in, not really knowing where to start. Monica’s sister had talked about car seats, strollers, basinets, changing tables, bath seats and so many other things but she hadn’t really talked about how to choose them. They didn’t want to get it wrong.
The shop assistant came over and very quickly assessed that they needed help. She showed Monica and David a checklist of things they’ll need and talked them through the priorities. They focused on choosing a stroller, changing table and bassinet and, with the support of the shop assistant, they were able to assess options and make decisions they felt good about. They couldn’t help buying other things as well, like merino undergarments, stretch-and-grows and booties – they were just so cute.
At Bed, Bath and Beyond, they found a set of beautiful yellow baby bathing towels and a white woollen baby blanket. They were so soft and pretty. Down the road at Chemist Warehouse, they discovered a whole baby section full of soaps, oils and creams for baby and mum.
Monica then went off to Cotton On. Her clothes were definitely tighter these days and she was feeling the heat more and more at work. She found two loose t-shirts and a shirt, both made of light cotton that would be perfect for the hot late summer in Auckland. At EziBuy she found a dedicated maternity section and bought a skirt and a pair of elastic waisted pants. She generally hated maternity clothes but at this point being comfortable was all that mattered.
While Monica searched for pregnancy clothing, David popped into One Story. He found a whole selection of unique IKEA baby and kids products. The first thing that caught his eye was a doll’s house wall shelf. He knew Monica would love it and it would look great in the baby’s room. He also found a Mammut children’s chair in a beautiful shade of green. He wondered whether they were having a boy or a girl.
After a few hour of setting up, Monica and David sat back and admired the progress they made in baby’s room. Monica still didn’t feel totally ready for the baby arrival but she didn’t feel as unprepared as she did earlier in the week. David remarked how easy it was getting all the baby things at the Albany Mega Centre. Monica agreed as she thought about the other things on her checklist from The Baby Factory. They’ll get them at their next visit to the Mega Centre, she told herself.