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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

What would you buy/accept second hand?

33 replies

primarynoodle · 08/02/2016 19:42

First baby! I'm only entitled to SMA which is shit so probably will only be able to take 5 months off... any money saved on 'stuff' might give me a few extra weeks with my baby so what would you/ would you not buy 2nd hand?

So far the only thing that i can see being a big nono is reusing mattresses but a second hand cot/moses basket is safe?

What about pushchairs? Car seats? etc

OP posts:

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PennyHasNoSurname · 08/02/2016 19:43

Dont buy a second hand carseat.

Dont buy a second hand mattres.

Everything else is fair game.

rosieliveson1 · 08/02/2016 19:44

Second the above, new mattress and new car seat. All the rest is fine second hand :) Congratulations and good luck

frangipani13 · 08/02/2016 19:45

I'd probably take a car seat that was in good condition from a good friend or family member that I knew for a fact hadn't been in an accident... definitely get a second hand pram if you can. They're a rip off full price! wish I had done this

Original poster

primarynoodle · 08/02/2016 19:46

I thought as much. What about breast pumps?

Also, is it necessary to wash the fabric of carrycot pushchair attachment?

Sorry... not really sure what im doing at all

OP posts:

BikeRunSki · 08/02/2016 19:49

^Today 19:43 PennyHasNoSurname

^Dont buy a second hand carseat.

Dont buy a second hand mattres.

Everything else is fair game.^

This

You can wash pram covers if you want/they need it, but they are usually pretty tricky to get off.

moonface1978 · 08/02/2016 19:49

And don't buy anything second hand even until you have spoken to friends and heard from friends of friends. People have attics full of stuff that they can't bear to throw out because it's in such good condition but know they'll never use that they're desperate for a good home for.

ThirtyNineWeeks · 08/02/2016 19:52

I'm using a second-hand Medela Swing electric pump (£10 from a friend of a friend of a friend) and this is my second baby. Used it with my first, too, and she's the picture of health.

Ignore the scaremongers.

Junosmum · 08/02/2016 19:53

We bought everything second hand except mattresses (crib, cot and moses) and car seat.

Got a cot off ebay £10.50, bought car seat and mattresses in the sale, got linen for the cot/ crib off ebay- about £3.50. Bought second hand cloth nappies, £56 for birth to potty. Our pram is a bugaboo cameleon, with accessories it currently sells for £1000 in John Lewis and we got it off ebay for £161 in super condition.

We got most stuff off ebay, a bit off local facebook selling pages and some off family and friends. I started buying early so I didn't feel rushed and could wait for what I wanted at the right price and in the right condition. I found ebay cheaper than local selling pages/ gumtree. I kept a spreadsheet of hat I bought, what I paid and the cheapest price I could find new online. I got £2200 of stuff for £870.

Dolly80 · 08/02/2016 19:54

I'd agree with asking any friends/relatives if they have any equipment you can borrow.

I'm expecting my 2nd and have borrowed a Mose basket both times (bought new mattress). This time I've managed to borrow a crib and baby chair off of a friend as well. Sounds silly but saves a couple of hundred pounds and that's extra time off work.

Bluecarrot · 08/02/2016 19:54

I would wash it, yes. In fact I'd wash anything (gentle machine wash or by hand) bought new or second hand!

Breast pump - it depends on the type. I believe there's ones that you are advised not to buy second hand. I'm not sure why. I never expressed, so no expert.

If you have family who might want to gift bigger things, you could ask for the car seat or cot mattress. My mum bought our pram, so I was able to get a nicer one than o would have been otherwise able to afford.

Junosmum · 08/02/2016 19:55

My pram/ pushchair comes apart completely so I dettolled everything and all the fabric went straight in the machine.

Anything I bought that wasn't in the condition I wanted I sold on.

Dolly80 · 08/02/2016 19:56

Oh don't forget to see if anyone has a pram/buggy to borrow. My daughters has been in our loft for 2 years and I wouldn't have hesitated to lend to someone while we didn't need it. Or ask for one as a gift (my parents bought it for us).

CarrieLouise25 · 08/02/2016 19:57

Just a thought, if you are in receipt of child tax credits, then you can apply for a sure start maternity grant of £500 for your first baby.

Details here: www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant/eligibility

BeaufortBelle · 08/02/2016 19:58

Anything that goes except mattress and car seat unless you know where it came from.

My friends and I passed loads of stuff round.

AThousandTears · 08/02/2016 19:58

Don't forget you can also save money on things you don't need at all!
E.g. Don't buy a baby bath or top and tail bowl. I didn't buy a changing station either.

goodnightdarthvader1 · 08/02/2016 19:59

We bought / were given loads of stuff secondhand, washed it all as well as I could.

As Penny said, no secondhand mattresses. No secondhand car seat. Everything else is fine.

BikeRunSki · 08/02/2016 19:59

Check out NCT nearly new sales in your area. They happens every autumn and spring (next wave starting soon) and you can get some brilliant bargains.

You don't need to be a member

here

Original poster

primarynoodle · 08/02/2016 20:01

We are quite lucky actually as a (rich!) friend had her final baby in october and ours is due in July and shes desperate to gift us some very good quality things such as a cot, crib and clothes - was just wondering how safe it all was but i shall gratefully accept it all now :) thank you everyone!

I will ebay travel systems for a good discount then buy the appropriate car seat new then.

And sadly i just miss out on ctc and the sure start grant :( but this baby will be a pfb for all grandparents so can imagine we will get bought rather a lot anyway!

Now to work out what is actually necessary and what is an utter waste of money...

OP posts:

kiki22 · 08/02/2016 20:07

If buying a second hand pram have a good look at the seat check it reclines, check all the wheels are on property, check it folding down and going up ake sure it move properly, a friend of mine got on that looked fine but the wheels were broken and fell off soon after.

To save money I'm not buying feeding equipment, sling, new mattress etc until the baby is here I'm putting the money away so I don't waste on something I don't need. My first I bought a good few things I never used I hated wearing the sling it made me too warm and DS hated it total waste of money. I'm planning to pick out things I want but wait to see if we will need it

Paperblank · 08/02/2016 20:08

We've had so much stuff lent or given to us and will pass on anything we can. Babies can be expensive but like anything you can spend silly money or be more realistic.

We had a car seat from DSIS which I knew 100% was in perfect condition but if I hadn't been 100% sure I wouldn't have had it.

Most stuff can be washed/cleaned and let's face it your baby won't know that the moses basket is third hand.

Zebrasinpyjamas · 08/02/2016 20:17

I bought minimal stuff pre-baby to save money. You will get given loads of clothes and toys. I didn't get a breast pump for a few months (still wasn't worth it as I was rubbish at expressing unless DS was crying ).
Essentials are pram, cot or moses basket with a new mattress, a few clothes, car seat if you will use a car and for us a vibrating chair was essential as it calmed DS and meant I could put him down. Everything else I bought as I needed it. Beforehand I couldn't imagine what features of any product would be important or unimportant so I couldn't decide!

Dangermouse1 · 08/02/2016 20:20

Yes, ask friends, family, people at work if they have anything they will lend you. I am always trying to palm off baby/toddler stuff on people as it's taking over my house - you are genuinely doing them a favour!

Also there are lots of items which you might think you need but really don't. This will save you much more than buying unnecessary clutter second hand.

For example, you don't need both a moses basket and a carry cot. Carry cot can double up as moses basket OR if you have a lie flat pram you can do without a carry cot. You don't need a playmat, you could just use a blanket / soft rug. You don't need a changing table (unless you have a bad back possibly), just a changing mat on the floor. Things like baby carriers / slings are best bought when you have a baby to try them out in (and are optional if you have a pram). Baby clothes (as in trousers/dresses) are completely pointless, you only need vests, sleepsuits and cardies/hats/snowsuit for outside. Any kind of breastfeeding scarves / tops are unnecessary - and v expensive. Just get some cheap vest tops to wear under your clothes or use a muslin or a scarf you already own.

Artioo2 · 08/02/2016 20:20

The manufacturer advice on open system breast pumps like the Medala Swing is not to use secondhand because of the small risk of bacteria getting into the mechanism where it can't be cleaned. There are some diseases that could be transmitted in this way through breast milk.

Not an issue if you know the previous owner like ThirtyNineWeeks (because you can be confident of medical history and no nasty diseases rather than her research covering a sample size of one) but I wouldn't buy one off eBay personally. The risk is tiny, but why take it if you can avoid it?

Primaryteach87 · 08/02/2016 20:23

I bought mattress and car seat new. Although in hindsight I wouldn't bother getting a new car seat as long as you know that it hasn't been in an accident. It cost us a small fortune. Definitely buy an isofix base second hand. Everything else we got second hand.

aimees75 · 08/02/2016 20:30

First time round were given a cot and second hand mattress (off good friends so knew that it was coming from a good home). The mattress was an organic expensive ones that we never would
have been able to afford ourselves. We've passed the first mattress along with the cot to good friends of ours, as now been given a stokke with expensive organic mattress second hand again for our twins due this week. I know not everyone is lucky enough to be given this kind of stuff, but I think you have to use uour own judgement.

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