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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask what things you have or would buy second hand for baby?

28 replies

ktt512 · 21/06/2016 17:15

Hi all,

I'm expecting my first and i'm on a budget, so would like to get some stuff second hand, but I'm not sure what stuff, if any, is best to get new as opposed to pre-used? Other than a mattress!

What kind of things did you or would you buy second hand? Would you buy buggies or car seats or cots or nursery sets etc?

Thanks :)

OP posts:
wornoutboots · 21/06/2016 17:19

anything except mattresses and car seats.

Ragwort · 21/06/2016 17:19

I got everything second hand (given to me by friends) - we had our baby late in life when all our friends had completed their families so we were very generously given loads of stuff - including three push chairs!

I did use a second hand car seat, I trusted my friends entirely when they told me it had never been involved in a car accident.

The marketing strategy for baby equipment is very, very clever - parents are made to believe that 'if they love their children enough' they will always buy brand new stuff. Don't fall for it.

ConcreteUnderpants · 21/06/2016 17:20

Most things are ok second hand.
The only things I wouldn't buy are used mattresses and car seats. Anything else, grab a bargain!

Mrsweasley123 · 21/06/2016 17:20

To be honest I'd get anything second hand, apart from a car seat.

TheseAreTheDays · 21/06/2016 17:21

Anything bar car seat (ineffective if has previously been in any collision as there could be hidden stress cracks in the frame so you're relying on honesty of seller and when it comes to safety I wouldn't take risk); cot mattress and breast pump. Other than those three I think anything else is fine used - the cot itself, Moses basket if using one, sterilizer, monitor, clothes, bottles, and whatever other extras. Good luck!

owl89 · 21/06/2016 17:21

I bought some clothing bundles off eBay. Most of the stuff looked brand new and they grow out of them so fast. I also got a gliding crib in excellent condition and just bought a new mattress.You can get some real bargains off eBay. I got Tommee Tippee steriliser, bottle warmer and travel steriliser for £3.50 in excellent condition as it was collection only on eBIf. If you put collection only when searching on eBay you can get some great bargains :)

Shelby1981 · 21/06/2016 17:21

Anything except mattress and car seat!

NCT sales and other nearly new sales are fantastic - two other companies are mum2mum and baby and children's market, you can usually find the details on Facebook.

Griphook · 21/06/2016 17:22

Everything, other than a mattress, so cot, Moses basket, bumbo, I probably wouldn't buy a 2nd hand buggy, unless it was a higher end one, as the ones I've brought from eBay seem to of had problems but they were quite cheap to start with.

Or bottles thinking about it

nutbrownhare15 · 21/06/2016 17:27

Bought new car seat and mattress. Got second hand cot (£15), changing table (£10) travel system (£70), travel cot (£10), sling (£25), clothes came from my sister and lots of charity shops. So much second hand stuff is hardly used, I've even found new with tags stuff in charity shops. Clothes especially get so little use when they are small and you will prob get quite a few new outfits as presents so not really worth buying new. Check out ebay, gumtree, preloved and local facebook selling pages as well as charity shops.

londonmummy1966 · 21/06/2016 17:28

I agree - as much as possible - except car seat and mattress unless you know where the car seat came from. The one thing I did splash out on were new wrap front baby vests (in my time only available from Petit Bateau unless you made a trip to France) as the wrap is easier than over the head when you aren't used to manipulating newborns. I preferred to get new vests as you wouldn't believe what comes out their rear end.

If you live in an area with a reasonable number of young children it is worth keeping an eye out at charity shops - we have a Fara Kids nearby and it is absolutely brilliant. Also a post on your local Freecycle explaining you are expecting and asking for baby items may well come up with useful stuff.

doleritedinosaur · 21/06/2016 17:34

Just got a second hand pushchair for DS & it's brill.

I've bought Moses basket & stand secondhand but got a new mattress for it.
Cot secondhand from family but new mattress.

Clothes from charity shops & friends plus Facebook baby selling groups.
Toys & all his garden toys are secondhand.

Basically I look for it secondhand then if not buy it new but Ebay & Facebook have so much on there.

I get him new vests though & bought a travel system new.

nutbrownhare15 · 21/06/2016 17:34

We bought a reconditioned monitor on ebay and it works fine. John Lewis do cot sheet seconds. There are local selling fb groups specifically for prams and children's clothing labels eg next, boden, frugi

clippityclop · 21/06/2016 17:39

New mattress, new car seat but anything else is fine. They grow so fast, save your cash for the future. And don't waste money on a changing table, use folded bath towel on the floor or your knee.

AlpacaLypse · 21/06/2016 17:40

yy everything except safety critical (ie carseats, mattress) we acquired second hand. In years to come you'll need every penny for the avalanche of expenses that can't be covered by astute bargain hunting in charity shops, NCT sales, jumbles etc!

Playduh · 21/06/2016 17:41

I'd avoid eBay for bottles, a mattress and a car seat. They really do need to be brand new.

Anything else is probably fine, if the seller is okay.

londonrach · 21/06/2016 17:45

Everything bar car seat and mattress!

Nan0second · 21/06/2016 17:53

Everything except mattress and car seat. I did buy a spare isofix base off eBay.
90% clothes have been hand me downs. I find a big thank you and a smile (no matter what!) has led to continued generous donations that I really appreciate. Clothing bundles also a great idea. X

Chinks123 · 21/06/2016 20:23

Other than mattresses and car seats as pp's have already said, I probably wouldn't get bottles second hand. I know they'll have been sterilised etc but I just personally love new bottles and teats for a new baby.

It depends on the condition. I was given a baby bouncer, bath seat and Moses basket but they were in pretty awful condition so I bought my own. I was also given a microwave sterliliser, but it smelt and looked abit..funky so again (I thanked them and was very grateful) but bought my own. I bought a second hand bumbo though and have since passed on all dds things to family including the pram, cot, clothes etc.

isitginoclock · 21/06/2016 20:32

If you buy a pram second hand it's good to do your research and buy one which you can see (eg on gumtree or a local selling site).

Hockeydude · 21/06/2016 20:37

I don't like second hand stuff for babies. There are loads of threads on here where people say, oh my buggy has been in the shed for the winter/several years, how do I get the mould off. Then they sell it on eBay. Rank IMO. To save money it's better to buy something that is reasonably priced and sell it on afterwards. Then you recoup a bit of money, more if you have really looked after the item. Also what I did is when I bought something and it was a set or had extra parts or things I didn't want, I sold them in eBay immediately. I do put my kids in 2nd hand stuff, but it's stuff that someone eg an older kid at school recently outgrew and I know it hasn't been festering in an attic, garage or shed.

Junosmum · 21/06/2016 21:55

We bought car seat and mattress new.

Everything else, bar a few clothes were second hand.

To give you an example, we bought a bugaboo travel system (without car seat), including cozytoes, rain cover and car seat connectors for £160 - in the shop for what we got would have been £900.

A hardly used (grandparents house) mothercare cot - £10.50, £80 new.

Snuzpod - £112, would have been £189 new for the one we wanted.

I also kept shopping around for the mattress and car seat and waited until sales were on etc. Got a maxi cosi cabrio fix for £89- should have been £119 but by not being fussy about the colour and waiting to but it I saved loads.

Junosmum · 21/06/2016 21:57

Oh, and our pram, everything came off and went on a hot wash in the washing machine and got disinfected and thoroughly cleaned.

AnnieOnnieMouse · 21/06/2016 22:39

I agree; everything except car seat and cot mattress.
You can get a fair bit of stuff for free on your local Freegle site, great for stuff like baby bath, changing tables, even washable nappies. Later on, for clothes and toys. You can even get maternity clothes if you're lucky. One bonus is that you can ask if anyone has what you are looking for - someone might just be about to give it away.

jayho · 21/06/2016 22:45

Agree with all the above. Also, if friends and family are likely to buy you presents ask for vouchers or clothes for 3 months/6 months not new born. We weren't particularly on a budget but my three wore babygrows for the first 3/6 months so anything else was surplus to requirements.

Oh and, if you can, breastfeed. Saves a fortune, but not an evangelist, do what you can.

converseandjeans · 21/06/2016 22:52

Agree with everyone else - you don't need everything new! I also avoided buying into the idea of getting 'baby' stuff like changing table, miniature sized wardrobes etc... There's no real need to have things like moses baskets either - mine both went into their cot from day one with no problems. We got given lots of stuff & then passed it on along with other new stuff we bought along the way. I was also happy to buy stuff at NCT sales etc. as so much of it was hardly used. Save your money for other stuff & congratulations [flower]