To use these things for second baby?

[dramajustfollowsme]

I know I am a hoarder at heart. Growing up with my mum who was down to her last pennies because Dad was FA definitely resulted in me keeping things "just in case."
However, I have improved and have had a few big clear outs.
I kept all of Dd's baby clothes unless stained or stretched or bobbly.
Bibs I've kept unless really badly stained. I've kept all the muslins as I figure they are just used to mop up sick anyway.
Dd2 is due in a few weeks and I've got the stuff out and been washing it all. MiL keeps nothing. New everything, every season, including gardening equipment.
She says I should have thrown all this stuff and baby toys, gym, playmat and jumperoo, out and buy all new. She also makes the point that the baby will get presents so I don't need to keep all the old things.
I say, the stuff is expensive and perfectly usable again. Do people really not use things again for subsequent children?
I would rather wait and see what, if anything we get as gifts then take it from there.
I just hate the idea of throwing them out and spending a fortune again.
She also went mental when she discovered that I keep doubles of gifts dd receive and re-gift them. I put £10 in her bankie each time I re-gift something. Apparently they are all her toys and she should get them all. No child needs 3 of the same dolls, imo.
I am just not sure if I am right or if my background is making me keep things unnecessarily.

I like things new. I bought 100% new for DD1 and made sure it was all pristine. I've never bought second hand...

However DD2 came along and had all of DD1's stuff... Because its not 'second hand'... It's just yours!! To buy it all new would be crazy!

Apart from anything else, if DD1 hadn't had so many things of kind DF, I wouldn't have been able to buy our splendid mountain buggy. My one full price, baby related total extravagance.

It was the only 3 wheeled buggy in town, very unusual 16 years ago. Not something you could have got second hand even if eBay had existed.

It went absolutely everywhere and suited our life style perfectly.

For baby equipment, bar safety and hygiene items then its fine to reuse should you want to. Clothes when babies and toddlers too but i do feel sorry when they are older than that and rarely get anything new simply as they werent born first. My sister hated it and always said she felt second best and had no style of her own.

I haved saved special items for the memory box but passed on everything else so would have to buy all new again if I change my mind but likely would have anyway. Buying new doesnt have to cost the planet as long as the old items are used by somebody else.

Your mil is horrendously wasteful. Her choice to buy new stuff for herself but does she really chuck everything out? Makes me cringe.
We could have afforded new for ds but made do with 2nd hand/ebay and gifts mostly. If there is ever ds2 I tell my husband I would expect to buy nothing new for him when small and even if there was a dd then she would probably spend a lot of her time in ds' clothes- I try and acquire neutral stuff for that very reason.

she's mental and horrendously wasteful. I reused everything from ds 1 to ds3, including the bobbly and stained stuff (for nursery). they all got new bits along the way if course but I've probably recycled 10 or so items of clothing over 10 years that were badly ripped and given 3 or 4 toys to the local hospital. its all going to my sister now who's having her first baby so see what she wants to use. I am not on a budget but hate to hear about this kind of waste. its also cute to see things on the different babies and, in my family, we like it that all the babies will sleep in the same cot - we keep things nice, it was an expensive gift from my mother and its a bonding thing.

not mental, that's the wrong word - she is unusual, odd and being unreasonable - apologies

I have hoarding tendencies too, but they've actually been an advantage since we had our second DS.

After DS1 (now 6yo), I didn't throw anything away. I kept all clothes (even down to Tesco bodysuits), steriliser, bottles, bottle insulator things, sippy cups, baby cutlery and plates etc, all toys, books, high chair, portable seat that can be used at the table, sling, seat, baby gym, moses basket, sleeping bags, bedding ... Everything you could imagine.

Then when we had DS2, I barely bought anything as I didn't need to. DS2 did the decent thing, and despite being born three months further into the year than DS1, he was heavier, so all the clothes we had for DS1 are season appropriate for DS2.

Its great! DS2 is now 2yo, and he does have some of his own things, but I don't buy things for the sake of it. The toys etc that we bought for DS1 are exactly the type of things I would buy for DS2 in any case.

We are fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy new things for DS2. But at this age, he hasn't got a clue what was bought for him and what was bought for DS1. But I get that he will get to an age where he is more aware and will have opinions on what he likes. Until then, he will be wearing and using DS1's things!

YANBU.

In fact it is my turn to sound mental now..... I love the fact DD and DS wore the same little babygros. I consider them to be our family's babygros. I adored getting them all out and washing and ironing them for DS.

me too pasta - and photos of them at the same age wearing the tiny cute newborn things that were bought with such excitement during each pregnancy.

the downside of this of course is that ds3 has way way too many clothes! luckily he is the messiest so gets through a lot.

neither of mine get much new, in fact I just had 3 bags of hand-down clothes today.

when eldest has finished with them, they'll be away for a year or so then youngest can have them. it works.

I even give them secondhand birthday presents if I see something suitable.

I had a DD, then 4 yrs later a DS. When we weren't going out,or he was going to bed for the night, I would regularly dress DS in pink babygro's. He looked particularly fetching in a lovely Hello Kitty one that I didn't want to part with. Therefore, YANBU and your MIL is odd.

Definitely makes great photos Forago. Also so many memories of DD have been reawakened by snapping DS into some of her lovely white 'gros.

Definitely makes great photos Forago. Also so many memories of DD have been reawakened by snapping DS into some of her lovely white 'gros.

There are very few things I would not re-use. Mattresses I would not reuse, but everything else is fine to pass on provided it is in good condition.
I only replaced other items that were damaged or badly stained. (Did also buy a lot of new clothes, but only because I had a girl then a boy, had I had 2 DDs I would not have bothered to buy much at all).

I wouldn't reuse a mattress either and I wouldn't a car seat unless the kids were very close together in age (I've seen a infant carrier stored in a loft for just under 3 years shatter like glass with a fairly minor impact)

I love it when DS2 grows into something DS1 used to wear. Particularly when he was a baby - loads of memories!