Logo Babyangel

Babyangel founder Rebecca Cass says business is blooming, but it's baby steps for now.

The mum of two and former neonatal nurse set up the company in 2007 to provide home help for new parents.

BabyAngel also holds courses for parents-to-be, and makes and delivers food parcels ordered by thoughtful friends and family members.

"One thing I knew from being involved in the local Plunket centre is that lots of mums don't have family support and often when you've just had a baby you spend a lot of money on prams and all sorts and you go down to one income so our services make a useful gift."

The food parcel service is especially popular and now accounts for 70 per cent of business, Ms Cass says.

Parcels range from $80 to $360 and are made to order by Greytown restaurant Wakelin House and couriered anywhere in New Zealand within 24 hours.

"At first I got friends at a local restaurant to make the food when it was needed and I'd put it in a chillybin and drop it off. But I realised ... there was a bigger opportunity there."

Despite the business' baby bent, about 60 per cent of customers use it for "things that have nothing to do with babies", she says.

"We get a lot of orders for women with breast cancer. It might be a young daughter overseas on her OE who can't be there to support mum."

Ms Cass contracts six experienced mums five in Wellington and one in Auckland to provide home help, including cleaning and advice on caring for newborns.

"It was important to me to find women who have had children. They have a lot of skills that are valuable but aren't necessarily recognised by professionals, including multi-tasking. They just know what needs to be done."

Those buying home-help packages for new parents tend to be grandparents and companies.

Ms Cass says the business has trebled since September, when she set up e-commerce facilities so customers could pay through the BabyAngel website.

"I would love to see BabyAngel in countries all over the world, so you could, for example, send someone in England a parcel, but we have to get the systems working very well from here first."

"I'm doing things carefully and slowly."