Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what baby items did you reuse.?

50 replies

WheresAllTheGoodInTheWorld · 20/05/2019 21:51

So v early days into pregnancy and have a 14m old.
Weve kept loads of her stuff. Except the baby bath as too bulky to store and she bathed with us as she hated the bath. Bouncer again she hated it and was bulky.

We kept 99 percent of her clothes. Swaddle wrap things, crib bedding (not the crib or mattress as was second hand with new mattress and looked tired)

We still use her pushchair but is immaculate and have the crib bit for it.

We kept things like the wraps etc and I've said even if a boy. The pink patterned ones won't hurt as spares or even just to use. Dp is against this and says I'm being tight. They were only used for a few weeks. Same for sleeping bags barely used. And no one except us sees tjem

All vests were white as we're the NB sleep suits. But also if a girl have majority of her clothes. Lots still tagged.

Brought the mam bottles so they don't need a steriliser. Had loads of unused tests and some used (wasn't sure to keep or not)

Have still got the hooded towels that again she was too long for withing 2 months.

Obvs if a girl it would be a doddle. If a boy thinking of selling the pink stuff and usgung cash to purchase other stuff.

Its not that we can't afford to buy all new. But we went ott with dd, despite knowing lots wouldn't get used and wasted so much money that could of gone to better things.

And this time I'll learn the first month or so will be sleep suits mainly as I stupidly got loads of outfits before that were a faff to put on or by time they fit the weather changed.

OP posts:
TestingTestingWonTooFree · 20/05/2019 21:54

Reused pretty much everything. Now handing it on.

Ilove31415926535 · 20/05/2019 21:57

I had a girl then a boy. Boy wore pink sleepsuits/was wrapped in pink blankets quite frequently, and he's grown up quite normal! Grin I drew the line at putting him in her skirts (unless he wanted to wear them for dressing up) but can you really be arsed selling pink things to buy blue things when you've got 2 kids? Nah! Wink
You'll probably get loads of clothes as presents too, particularly if you have a boy this time round, I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe get some neutral sleep suits and some blue socks if you have a boy, and want to make it obvious for other people. Don't stress about it too much, and please don't buy new spitty bibs - they just get puked on!

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 20/05/2019 21:57

Cot, pushchair, glider, changing table, steriliser, sling, changing bag, highchair. Any gender-neutralish clothing (had a girl then a boy).

Anything suitable that still worked, basically!

Marmite27 · 20/05/2019 21:57

We reused everything apart from a couple of bottles and tears. But DD2 was breastfed, so didn’t need them anyway.

I can see why if you had a boy you wouldn’t want to use some clothes you had for your daughter, but things like sleeping bags? why wouldn’t you use them? For several reasons, cost, the environment, not having to go shopping!

Use anything that’s reusable!

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 20/05/2019 21:58

Oh yeah, and sleeping bags, other bedding and muslins.

Ilove31415926535 · 20/05/2019 21:59

And to actually answer your question, we reused nearly everything. I bought a new mattress for the cot, but only because it had been in the attic with the mice Grin

allergyhelpnewbaby · 20/05/2019 22:01

I’m 7mths pregnant and have a 3 year old. We got rid of the prefect prep and steriliser but other than that I will be reusing everything. I would rather spend the money on holidays and days out.

kayakingmum · 20/05/2019 22:02

I'm expecting my second in about a month - just over 2 years since my first so a similar age gap to your two :)

We had a spare single bed which DD now uses as her proper bed - with guard. The plan is DS will go in her cot bed after a few months. He'll also be wearing any unisex clothes we have. We've got lots for the first born stage, but not so many for the later months. I'm planning on donating any really girly stuff.

My view is - reusing makes total sense environmentally and financially. Its not about being stingy, it's about not being wasteful.

Fatted · 20/05/2019 22:02

Pretty much all of it. There was two years between our kids I refused to buy any new clothes etc. Even if we had a girl, I would have kept all our boys clothes etc.

We got a next to me for our second. Eldest out grew his Moses basket very early and went straight into his cot bed from then. So for youngest, we got the next to me which was much bigger than the moses basket.

We also got a new lot of bottles. We used tommee tippee for our first and splashed out on Dr Browns for the youngest. And a second hand double buggy.

Nothing has brought me greater joy as a parent though as getting rid of all the baby stuff from our house as we went along! I cheered when DH took the pram to the tip and I finally got my car boot back!

allergyhelpnewbaby · 20/05/2019 22:02

We are buying new mattresses and a couple of second things we didn’t have the first time round.

paintwater · 20/05/2019 22:03

I had my kids 6 yrs apart but everything got passed down through the cousins in between so my youngest is wearing clothes that have been through both my nieces and my nephew and my older son. Most of them were bought second hand too and will be passed to my younger nephew next. It brings me great joy thinking of all the small people who’ve worn them! I found bigger things (pushchairs etc) didn’t last as well and only survived through a couple of the cousins.

TheInebriati · 20/05/2019 22:04

If your DH objects to pink then get some navy blue Dylon wash and go, it works on cotton and polycotton, and they'll turn blue or dark purple.

Foxmuffin · 20/05/2019 22:05

I’ve had absolutely loads given to me as handy downs and am boxing up everything as it’s outgrown to reuse. Only nappies are getting thrown (and if I could be faffed with the reusable ones I’d keep those too).

Me and DH are pretty comfortable and could spend whatever we liked really, but I really don’t get the fascination with brand new everything. The baby doesn’t know.

I’ve been given some third hand clothes that look a bit worn and have to admit I’m in no rush to use those but unless it’s actually worn out I’ll keep everything for next time.

HomemadeGranola · 20/05/2019 22:06

Poddle Pod, Bed Next. My two major things

I've just picked up in the charity shop for £3.50 a brand new mamas and papas bumbo seat thing with toys

Plus clothes. So many neutral clothes I can pass on. Plus I don't care about blue v pink

cherrryontop · 20/05/2019 22:07

Steriliser
Prep machine
Pram
Car seat
Jumperoo
Neutral clothing

UnalliterativeGeorge · 20/05/2019 22:07

We had a DD after DS and she's hugely into diggers so insists on wearing all his stuff after he grows out of it. She refuses joggers and prefers leggings but wears everything else

MissSmiley · 20/05/2019 22:12

I had twin boys after a girl and they used to wear pink sleepsuits under a blue blanket in the pram, no one knew :-)

zebrapig · 20/05/2019 22:12

We've reused pretty much everything second time around. Only thing we didn't really use this time was the bath support as he went in the Shnuggle bath which we bought new for him. Didn't really use the bumbo much with either of them. Mostly had neutral vests and sleeping bags for DD which we've reused for DS. Everything he's now grown out of has been passed on to DB and SIL.

Eminybob · 20/05/2019 22:13

Everything incl all clothes and toys as both boys.
There are 4 years between them so that means 4 years worth of clothes all up in the loft which is a bit of a pain, but will save us a fortune over the years.

Only things I didn’t keep were a walker and the jumparoo as too big to store.

DrWhy · 20/05/2019 22:19

Reused pretty much everything, most clothes could be put with a pink vest or something that meant not everyone thinks DD is a boy! Definitely sleeping bags, towels, buggy, cot, bouncer, toys - I have no idea why you wouldn’t! I also buy quite a lot of second hand nice brands and will then sell on again.

Adreamaday · 20/05/2019 22:19

I had a 2.5 yr gap. Reused everything unless it was broken or ruined. We got a brand new pram as the 1st was second hand and broke. I had a girl and then a boy and even reused the pink blankets, babygrows, PJs and vests as he was only wearing them to sleep in.

MimiSunshine · 20/05/2019 22:21

Currently holding DD2, saved everything and planned to reuse nearly all of the first three months stuff regardless of whether baby was a boy or girl.

As it was pretty much all neutral other then some dresses and very girly rompers etc
But then we didn’t know what we were having both times and I purposely bought things like sleeping bags in gender neutral patterns.

I never understood why people go to town on things that you’d definitely reuse in very gendered colours and patterns.
There is also, next to no 2nd hand market for children’s clothes unless you’re willing to give it away so don’t hold out any hope you’ll get plenty of money back to go out and guy all new again

outsho · 20/05/2019 22:23

You’ll need a double pram with that age gap surely?

Anyway, I had small age gaps between my first three DC so re-used most things aside from pushchair because I needed a double. I have some reusable nappies I have used on all 4 DC which is great and some clothing too.

HomemadeGranola · 20/05/2019 22:24

Bundles on eBay are fantastic

Stealthtoast · 20/05/2019 22:31

We're reusing everything bar putting DS in dresses! We got some great hand me downs which fill the gap for clothes. If the environmental argument doesn't sway your DH (which it should), then think about how much more joy your children would get from a great trip to something with the money you'll save when they're actually old enough to notice