Buying second hand for a baby......where would you drawn the line?

JodyBPM

1st child - car seats and mattresses

2nd child - nothing - but the car seat/mattress were ours used from child no.1. I wouldn't have bought a second hand car seat/mattress from someone else.

Some people do say that new baby needs new mattress, but I couldn't see what was wrong with the one used by his older sister, so he had that.

Only 14m between ours though, so pretty much one out, one in! I don't think I would have re-used an old mattress that had been hanging around in the loft for a couple of years or something like that!

I used 2nd hand re-usable nappies though! I know some people think that's rank, but frankly, I had a nappy habit to feed, and they are pretty expensive. I always gave them a good hot wash or two before using!

knithappens

matress, thats it really.

Mupette

when i was expecting ds, my ex bought a second-hand pram for me, it was minging, the seller didn't even clean it.

I hated it but knew we had no money so accepted that this was the best i was going to get. Although my parents took one look at it had a go at the ex and told him not to be selfish.

I think about the question, and whilst we are all suffering money wise, if i was in a position to need baby equipment then i would go second hand, as long as it was in vgc.

My best m8 is 23 weeks preggers tomorrow, 3rd child, first two are teens, she is the type who will insist on new each and every time.

Once the baby is born you get ton's of stuff from friends and family.
you don't need half the stuff that's on the market.
apart from mattress and car seat i can't think of anything that your really really need brandy new, apart from peoples attitudes of snobbery, because the baby magazines say you should have new.

z1985m

can someone explain the no to second hand car seat? just curious.
we bought pretty much everything new, picked some clothes from a bag i was given and used a wee chair rocker thing (whatever you call them, just the wee chair things you keep in your living room, have wee mobiles hanging from them?) for a wee while till i got a vibrating one (godsend! lol)

id probably say no to bibs! all my wee ones bibs were all stained, wouldn't have dreamnt of giving them to anyone.

Mupette

z1985m wrote: »

can someone explain the no to second hand car seat? just curious.
we bought pretty much everything new, picked some clothes from a bag i was given and used a wee chair rocker thing (whatever you call them, just the wee chair things you keep in your living room, have wee mobiles hanging from them?) for a wee while till i got a vibrating one (godsend! lol)

id probably say no to bibs! all my wee ones bibs were all stained, wouldn't have dreamnt of giving them to anyone.

unless you know the car seat history, you have no way of knowing if it has been involved in a car crash, if it has then there could be cracks and all sorts, and then it really isn't as safe.

I guess if you knew where it has come from and know it has been treated well and has no damage then you should be ok.

JodyBPM

z1985m wrote: »

can someone explain the no to second hand car seat? just curious.
.

It's because the safety of a car seat is reduced if it has been involved in an accident or had a hefty bang etc. Therefore it would be inadvisable to use a car seat where you didn't know the history of it. I'd say that 2nd hand car seats one child passed down to another, or from a close friend or family are fine, though, as you know that they have been treated right, and not been in an accident or dropped/banged around etc

xoxo_2

Mattress, car seat (unless history is known), blankets, dummy & bottles, sterilizing equipment, any lotions or food/milk, breast pump, toys for baby... ummmm

I think pram, cot/crib (minus mattress) and clothes are the only things I would buy second hand if my budget couldn't stretch to new. I'm a bit germ-phobic so wouldn't like second hand things from strangers

Rachel83

Another one for not buying second hand mattresses or car seats I did reuse the car seat bought for my first though. Everything else i don't mind, toys clothes etc. Good scrub with soapy water or bung in the washing machine,

noynoy

we had everything second hand with the exceptions of..nappys i was lucky lucky here because i bought mine off preloved and a second hand shop and both where at second hand prices but each one had only one that had been used once..the council gives incentives for using reusables so i bought wraps for both children using the incentive then i used the nappys again for my youngest, he used his elder brothers cot and mattress and car seat
the cot and car seat and carrycot we got for my eldest was given from a close relative but we put new mattress on them, and my mum bought my eldest sons buggy . I hated the buggy so sold it. Then when my second son came along i went for a double buggy that was fab but i prefered baby wearing so i sold the buggy again and bought a cheep fold up buggy from france for £30 and made my own sling for the baby then at 18 months he was too big for the sling so i bought him a bigger frount facing carrier
I kept a spread sheet and on my youngest not including formula or breast pads i spent in the firt 2 years of his life just £250 .BUy buying and selling second hand

rach

I'm currently 31 weeks and have just about everything we need, most of it second hand. We have been lucky to be given stuff, did buy a new cotbed mattress, was going to get a new carseat but the road safety lady at the council I work for is lending us her infant carrier one as it's a work one that only gets used for demos a couple of times a year! We'll get a new one when it's time to move onto the next seat up. We also have a new buggy as my mum wanted to buy us one, and some new sleepsuits and vests (some 2nd hand too, but often the new can be as cheap). I have lots of 2nd hand reusable nappies, can't see why not if they're going to be washed and aren't stained.

Taking off the pushchair which my mum spent £200 on (maclaren from birth one) we have spent £300 which includes all nappies & wraps, everything for the baby's room (including curtains from ebay etc) some clothes, 2 baby carriers. I'm pretty proud of that!