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

hngrymummy

I misread the topic title as "Buying a second hand baby" :rotfl::rotfl:
Be so much easier than giving birth.

Mrs_pbradley936

I have to talk about grandchildren but I have bought a pre loved travel cot, car seat and books/puzzles by the dozen. I am far more likely to be forgiving if a book gets torn or scribbled in and I only gave 20p for it in a charity shop than if I had paid £12 or more in W.H. Smith's.

Obviously if something is worn out, ripped, grubby etc you would not use it for a newborn.

jellyhead

I wonder why people buy a new mattress for the cot, but not for a pram or travel cot? what's the difference? just curious.

I bought a second hand travel cot, but the mattress went in the washing machine. I know lots of people who pass prams around, and I have used second hand prams after his first one (which I bought new) wore out.

Not sure why people say no to shoes -when children can walk then no, but if they are just soft leather pram shoes does it matter? my sister used our daisy roots. she also used my steriliser and breast pump.

spendaholiceejit

Hi Jellyhead,
The mattress changing is to do with SIDS research where there may be a link between bacteria breathed on a mattress then inhaled by a different infant. I dont think it's proven 100% but the research was enough that health professionals suggest a new mattress for each child.



In regards to everyone about the car seats, I wouldn't buy a second hand car seat personally. Although I would reuse my own car seat for each child thereafter. Also, plastic deteriorates after 5/6 years so it can can compromise the safety of the seat in impact if you have an aged seat; a belt loop could snap etc...

Other than that I think it's pretty much your own discretion.

Siemo

Re second hand mattresses - do people buy a new mattress for each of their own children then? Never even crossed my mind as it was still in perfect condition after being used for 2 years by DS1. I'm wondering who does the 'research' - funded by cot manufacturers maybe?!?!

property.advert

I bought some clothes for the unborn baby (John Lewis new born) which turned out to be too small once she was born Best second hand for our friend ever !

The great car seat robbery is the plague of the 21st century budget challenged family. All the makers plough untold millions into advertising to make you think you are almost certain to kill your child if you deign to use a car seat which someone else bought and used for 5 minutes before they gave it to you. Utter cobblers all round.

Sure, plastic degrades and of course, a car seat which has been in a major smash just might have an inherent problem but what are the odds that your second hand car seat has a problem ? What is absolutely certain is that using a second hand car seat is a million times better than not using one at all. That is the quandary facing parents all over the country.

In the supermarket car park at the weekend I saw a youth driving the car with the window down and the baby between him and the steering wheel. I told him not to be so stupid as to use the baby as an air bag but all he could do was spew a mouthful of verbal abuse in my direction. Had I the power, I'd happily have taken the kid away from him and locked the cretin up for a few years.

lauren_1

spendaholiceejit wrote: »

Hi Jellyhead,
The mattress changing is to do with SIDS research where there may be a link between bacteria breathed on a mattress then inhaled by a different infant. I dont think it's proven 100% but the research was enough that health professionals suggest a new mattress for each child.

Is that is? seriously, i bought a mattress from mothercare 4 years ago for my ds, the top layer zips off for washing too.

Has no one ever heard of 'steam cleaning' if its good enough for the NHS and their cot mattresses its good enough for mine.

snugglepet20

I think it is ok to use a second hand mattress if it is one of the totally waterproof ones because then you can wipe it all and get rid of any germs or dust. The problem with other kinds is that even if it looks clean inside could be full of another babies vomit and nappy leak remnants not to mention mould and dust mites! Between siblings is ok if the mattress has not been stored anywhere like the loft or garage due to damp and mould spores. NHS mattresses are the totally waterproof kind BTW (for hygeine purposes).

shirlgirl2004

I would prefer to live in a more minamalist way than buy second hand for baby. Most of the things that we "need" for a new baby we don't actually need. Babies don't need special toys, a pram, a cot, bottles these are all things we choose to use.

A second hand car seat would be a big no no for me. Most manufacturers say that they should not be used when more than 4 or 5 years old because as we know plastic degrades in time especially when left in the sun which those designed for toddlers are.

jellyhead

spendaholiceejit wrote: »

Hi Jellyhead,
The mattress changing is to do with SIDS research where there may be a link between bacteria breathed on a mattress then inhaled by a different infant. I dont think it's proven 100% but the research was enough that health professionals suggest a new mattress for each child.

Hi,

I've read about that, yes - but why doesn't the same bacteria cause problems in a pram? babies fall asleep in prams too, and how hot would a wash have to be to remove any bacteria?

I think what I read said you can use the same mattress for more than one of your own children, but obviously don't take my word for it! Come to think of it my sister used my mattress too because when I passed the cot on to one of her friends she preferred my mattress so she swapped before delivering the cot to her friend. It had a removable washable cover.

Although I bought lots of things second hand I would never buy from a smoker. I know the smell can be washed away but the info the hospital gave me while I was pregnant said that smoking could cause SIDS. Things stick in your mind I suppose, and make people not want to take the risk. My sister had no qualms about using anything I passed on to her. She hadn't read any of the leaflets though, because she felt 'got at' by all the anti-smoking messages, and the pressure on her to make her boyfriend stop smoking.