New mattress for moving to big cot at 6m?

[namestealer]

DS is rapidly growing and will need to move out of the next to me and into the big cot soon. I know for newborns they recommend to get a new mattress for each baby (which I did), but it's not clear if it's the same advice for 6+ months? The mattress we have in the big cot has only been used by DD (his sister)

I wouldn’t think twice about re using if it was my own or immediate friend/family 👍🏻

Honestly I wouldn't bit it depends on your anxiety levels.

they give this guidance based on the lowest common dominator (ie assuming we are all morons)

Assuming Its a reasonably new matress that isn’t
A. Mouldy
B. Heavily dusty
C. Isnt stored in a house with heavy smokers

I'd crack and save yourself a few hundred.
My 2 both has the same crib and matress which we got from a friend -I had zero concerns or issues

I actually did buy my kids all new mattresses as babies, we have 3 DC. But it's personal choice and I wouldn't think anything of people who have chosen not to, I can definitely understand that.

Edited to add: Saying that, with DC3 we didn't bother with a smaller crib at all and just put them straight in the cotbed, so that was one less new mattress to buy anyway.

I think technically it's the same advice, but we re-used our mattress. My eldest moved to a single bed and my youngest got his old cot bed with mattress. I wasn't about to replace it given it was less than 3 years old. Half the time they end up in our bed anyway and our mattress is older than that!

It would depend - how long since it was last used and where / how has it been stored?
Hand-me down from sister who has literally just gone into a big bed to relinquish the cot for the baby - no worries, I’d use it.
Sister hasn’t used the cot for years and the mattress has been stored in the loft / garage - nope, get a new one.

It’s the same advice, how long has it been since it was last used? Where was it stored? Can you afford a new one?

My two use the same next to me mattress and then the same cost mattress although DD2 never slept a night in the cot so it made no difference

It's not been used since May last year when DD moved to the single bed, but the cot and mattress have stayed in her room (baby's room when he moves is currently DH's office so need to do some rejigging). Yes we could afford a new one, which is making me think we might as well

It's fine to re-use as long as it is firm, flat, and fits the cot with no gaps. I've bought new mattresses if the cot has come from someone else, but if it was my own mattress I'd be pretty confident it was in suitable condition.

Under those circumstances I’d reuse it

I would just use the existing one if it’s still in great condition.

I wouldn't bother buying new. Reuse it. It sounds like the existing mattress was used for just a sibling and has been stored sensibly in a temperate environment, so unlikely to have mould spores etc or other issues!

Lullaby trust says this, which is enough peace of mind for me:

"Some research has found a higher risk of SIDS when using a second-hand mattress from outside the family home, although the link hasn’t been proven."

Keep the cash! Put it towards baby classes or future childcare bills. Or stick into savings/premium bonds for baby. ☺️

I would save your money for something else, assuming the mattress is in good condition. I intended to replace ours for DC2 as that’s the advice I’d heard but when I looked into it, everything said as long as the mattress is firm, flat and free from mould, dirt or damage then it’s fine to use. We always used mattress protector sheets so it looked brand new.