A popular overseas trend amongst busy parents is starting to catch on in New Zealand.
It's the night nanny, a common overseas child care service which relieves the parents of caring for their newborn or young child between the ages of 0 to five.
The service, which lasts from 9pm-7am involves feeding, changing, monitoring and bathing. Parents can also seek advice on breastfeeding and routine from the trained childhood worker.
The rise in same-sex couples, working mothers and globe trotting families has lead to the boom of business in New Zealand, says General manager of Night Nannies Auckland, Anka Bartulovich.
"Sleep is a commodity these days and people will pay for it - to invest in rest," Ms Bartulovich told the NZ Herald.
"Women are pulling the same, if not more income than their partners and they need to get back to the coal face faster.
"The massive onslaught of twins being born due to IVF and fertility treatment is another strain.
"New Zealand as a whole is accepting more immigrants so parents are not having family support available. The other reason is grandparents who are still working and not available to care for their grandchildren like they once did.
"Same-sex parents are on the rise, very much we get two dads. I don't know why, I think a guy is happier to pay someone."
Four businesses in New Zealand are offering the overnight service, with the average cost for one night's care about $300.
Bartulovich says cost is preventing the service from entering New Zealand's mainstream culture, but is increasingly becoming a gift at baby showers.
"Throughout UK and parts of Europe everyone from middle class to higher income earners will use a night nanny in some capacity, whether it's once, to seven nights a week for three months," she said.
"Whereas here, to be honest, it's more the higher socio-economic groups."
Bartulovich says the lack of night nurse training courses in New Zealand are part of the cost.
She says this isn't due to lack of trying, after multiple attempts to get one approved by the NZQA in the last 10 years.
Megan Fox, Zara Philips, Gwyneth Paltrow and Minnie Driver are known to have employed night nannies.
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