Do I need to buy a new cot mattress for dc2?

[Augustbaby18]

The cot mattress is 3.5 years old, and has been in a room, not being used, for a year. It's in good condition, but we didn't use a waterproof sheet for dc1 (I didn't know we were meant to).

Dc2 is close to outgrowing the Moses basket, so she'll need to go in the cot bed instead. Do I need a new mattress for her?

I would because there is still a risk and a new mattress is cheap.

i wouldn't - instead I might put an new cover on it? Surely as long as it has clean sheets and you know it has been smoke/pet free then it should be OK?

I don't think I'm going to.

Personally I used ours again but that’s because we had a washable waterproof cover on the mattress from birth.

The reason it’s a risk is the bacteria that lives inside the mattress from baby vomit etc. As you didn’t use a cover originally I’d recommend getting a new mattress or at least a proper waterproof cover first.

Yes you do.

It's been sitting gathering dust and breeding bacteria and you can get a new one for £30

Looks like it's a trip to Ikea tomorrow then, thanks for the advice everyone.
Dd1 had the spring mattress, and they're £75 now! I'm sure they weren't that much 3 years ago.

For goodness sake; this is why allergies are so prevalent now. Just use the mattress!

Yes you need a new one.

Justkeeprollingalong Used mattresses increase SIDS.
Op foam is fine babies are so light they don’t need spring .

Is the mattress a material that you can wipe clean/ wash? Mine had a removable washable cover and the mattress itself could be cleaned as it was covered in a waterproof material. I used the same mattress for dd and ds

P.s. there is a higher risk if you used a mattress from another family rather than a mattress for siblings

I used the same one for my three kids

Lullabye trust advice:

It can be common to use a second-hand mattress either from friends and family, or from your previous children. There is some research that found an increased chance of SIDS when using a second-hand mattress brought in from outside of the family home, although the link is not yet proven.

To help reduce this risk, if you are using a second-hand mattress make sure the mattress you choose was previously completely protected by a waterproof cover, with no rips or tears and is in good condition. The mattress should also still be firm and flat to keep your baby sleeping safely.

I personally would bet £5 that the link between used mattresses and SIDS is actually because lower income families are a) more likely to use second hand mattresses and b) higher risk in other ways - hence why it seems to matter less if they're siblings, because families of all incomes do that. BUT while I would bet £5 I wouldn't bet my baby's life, so I bought second hand cot and pram carry cot but bought new mattresses for them and would buy again for any subsequent child.

I went to Ikea and bought the only spring mattress that they do. It's where I got the cot and mattress from 3 years ago.

Then when I went to put the mattress in the cot, it's too big! I feel like an idiot for not checking the sizes. I guess I just assumed they would still be the same.

But the mattresses and cots are all 140 x 70, so they must have made them bigger at some point?!

Cotbed mattresses are bigger than cot mattresses