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Pregnancy

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

Hand me downs for first baby?

45 replies

Wotsits4357542 · 22/05/2020 16:17

I’ve been given a bag of baby clothes from a friend of my moms. I think it’s a nice gesture and had a few bits out of the pile she was giving away. My mom said she understands if I don’t want it because it’s my first baby and I’d want everything new. I’ve already bought a lot new, but it was nice to be given them and I’ve had a few newborn vests out of it. Now my mom had said that I wanted other people’s views? Would you have second hand vests if someone gave them you and you liked them?
The rest I’m going to give to someone who needs them like a charity or advertise for free as theirs plenty left. I think I’m over thinking it!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
riotlady · 22/05/2020 16:48

Yes, DD lived in hand me downs when she was a baby!

The only things that need to be new are car seat as others have said and cot mattress.

Wotsits4357542 · 22/05/2020 17:07

Thanks for the advice about the car seat. Am going to buy new anyway as want a Venicci travel system, waited very long for this baby so have the money to spend on things like that. Absolutely accepting anyone that offers clothes though! Been told by so many people not to buy so many newborn clothes as they’ll be out of them in two minutes so second hand are great! X

OP posts:
bananamuffin99 · 22/05/2020 17:10

We bought our travel system new, it was a good price and tbf none of our friends with babies even know we're having a baby yet. We could have waited to see if they offered, but like I said it was good price and I think we were just excited to buy it!

I think we will do a mix of brand new, hand-me-downs and 2nd hand. I'm not proud or snobby, but having said that if I see a cute little outfit I might struggle not to buy :)

sel2223 · 22/05/2020 17:23

I'm a FTM (to be) and had so much stuff given which I'm really grateful for.
I'll hardly need to buy anything clothes wise....everything is immaculate and worn once or some not at all with labels still attached! I've also had unused blankets, bibs, hats, mittens, muslins etc.
I have no issue with accepting hand me downs.

ChelseaCat · 22/05/2020 17:30

There’s nothing wrong with second hand, but there’s also nothing wrong with wanting new things either. Each to their own - just do whatever you’re comfortable with. It’s no one’s business but yours (and your baby’s!)

flowertoday · 22/05/2020 17:41

Hand me downs are great in all sorts of ways. Babies don't wear clothes out as they grow so fast. Recycling/ reusing is best for the environment and avoids more waste and clothes going into landfill. When my children were babies kind relatives gave me money instead of another outfit and told me to spend it on myself. Great advice, new mums need that Smile. In reality babies don't care what they wear at all Grin
Some new baby outfits you really love are brilliant too.

okiedokieme · 22/05/2020 17:43

Mine had hand me downs, why on earth not?

taptonaria27 · 22/05/2020 17:43

Pre worn vests are softer!!

firstimemamma · 22/05/2020 17:47

I got a massive black bag full on second hand clothes and it was great. Some lovely things in there like vests from next which we never would've bought new. I washed everything and it was fine, also it was better for the planet.

KellyHall · 22/05/2020 17:48

My dd is 3 years old and I've only insisted that her knickers are new! And if she hasn't done anything too awful in them, I give them to the nursery to use as spares when she outgrows them.

justforthis21 · 22/05/2020 17:50

My sister kept me in baby clothes for all of my children - we has same number/sex but she was a couple of years ahead of me. I loved it because I would remember my nephew wearing an outfit and then could put it on my own son.

When I was pregnant there was also a bag of maternity clothes moving between a group of us (mostly work-type clothes) You'd get them and then when you delivered would pass them on to the next one pregnant having added a couple of things.

Constantlurker · 22/05/2020 17:53

About 80% of stuff my first born had was either second or third hand. All from my sister but everything went through my niece and nephew before it got to us. It makes no difference to us at all as they're in clothes for such a short amount of time most of it was still like new. Then it meant that I wouldn't worry so much spending a bit on an outfit I loved as I was barely buying anything. It's all going to be brought out of the attic and washed for baby 2. I can understand maybe not wanting to take second hand clothes from someone you don't know, in case they have pets/smoke etc. But otherwise i wouldn't worry about it.

bowchicawowwow · 22/05/2020 18:10

I love hand me downs and was always grateful for a bag of outgrown stuff. By the time I had dc3, they had nothing new at all!

FizzingWhizzbee123 · 22/05/2020 18:13

You’d be amazed how many Poonamis one baby can do in a day..... and you’ll be grateful when it’s the hand me downs which are getting stained! I would accept them all, hang onto the until baby in here and you know roughly how many clothes you’re getting through (it’ll be more than you think and you won’t want to be doing washing every single day) and then you can sort and keep your favourite bits and pass on anything that you don’t need.

thethirdbar · 22/05/2020 20:28

pretty much the entire wardobe for our impending twins is handmedowns from friends - i've bought about 8 new things in total. in my ideal world i would love to buy everything new but we've had so much to buy, and new baby clothes get hardly used so they're all in great condition even though they're secondhand.

MummyShark97 · 22/05/2020 20:30

of course! if you're happy, know what's been handed down is safe and you like it then it's down to how you feel and that's what matters x

Pygmyseahorse · 23/05/2020 00:15

We did for dd, I got a load off ebay and a couple of hand downs from cousins etc

We did have new but financially it made sense to accept as much or buy second hand. Especially in the few few months where they grow so quickly!

This time we will buy new vests and newborn white sleepsuits and then dd hand downs if its a girl or I'll get bits off ebay as well as new

Save the waste, save money.. As long as they are clean and in good condition.

I was chatting to my friend the other day and find this fitting.. Having a laugh about kids running a mock and she said she dresses hers in cute clothes because it's easier to handle them when they are playing up if they look cute rather than in an old grey stained sleepsuit!

Superscientist · 23/05/2020 10:32

We are hoping to do as much as possible second hand. It is taking some persuasion to get my parents on board as they only want to buy new stuff. My dad has a thing about second hand clothes as I think when he was a kid other kids were picked on for wearing second hand clothes. I pointed out that a baby doesn't know or care what it is wearing!
My neighbour is 8 months ahead of me and brought round a bag of maternity clothes the other day and has said she will drop round some newborn /0-3 month clothes when her little one grows out of them (I'm due in August). We are trying to find as much as possible on ebay and places. We furnished most of our first house on Freecycle as we were short on money we got some brilliant items that we could never have bought new. We are in a better situation money wise so we try to buy second hand rather than on Freecycle. We do give things away - it surprising what to someone is junk and others a lucky find. We had an old battered kitchen sink the person that collected it wanted to make an outside kitchen for his grandson to make mud pies in.

mouse1234567 · 23/05/2020 12:35

I have bought no new clothes and at the moment it’s all hand me downs. Good for the environment and the wallet. In these tricky Financial Times I think it’s wise to save when you can and all parents say is that they grow so quickly!

lotusbird · 23/05/2020 13:30

We bought new clothes for DD as we didn't know anyone who could offer hand me downs, and I didn't like the idea of buying secondhand from strangers on ebay. At least half of her clothes were also bought new as gifts anyway. I think it's up to the individual and whether you can afford it - we opted for cheap brands for newborn stuff and could comfortably afford it. I have to admit I liked the fact that they were brand new and hadn't had another baby's poo leaked all over it. We didn't have to buy too many changes of clothes as it was quite rare for her to need multiple changes, she was never very sicky or prone to accidents.

Now DD is a toddler, about 70% of her clothes are hand me downs from my Dsis (she'd already got rid of newborn clothes so didn't have any to offer at the time, but she's passing on all my neice's clothes from now on).

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