What do I need to replace and what can I use again?

[bytheMoonlight]

I have saved a lot things from dd that I could use again with this baby but I'm not sure what I should replace. I know I'm meant to buy a new matress for the moses basket but I do need to buy new sheets etc?

personally the only thing I wold definately buy new would be bottles, teats things like that. mattresses will depend on the condition they are in. If not been paticularly soiled and not worn then personally would re use. This is what I did for my 3. Everything else as log as it is clean and not broken in anyway should be fine. Things may well look tatty and you might want to replace though.

I have reused everything i can
Pram
Moses basket
Cot
Bedding
Towels
Clothes (the unisex ones)

I bought new mattresses and a sling

Ruby I've saved everything in your list from dd!

Mattress is as good as new but I am worried about reusing becasue of the SIDs advice

My crib mattress looks pristine. Why do they want us to replace them?

The only thing we are replacing is the bottles/teats etc. We have to get a fair bit of other stuff, but carseat, mattresses etc are being reused. The moses basket mattress is plastic covered and the cot mattress had a waterproof sheet on when we used it for DD, will get another waterproof sheet though.

Just a thought.....

If you are supposed to change the mattress each baby (or there are 'links' to suggest this may be advisable) what do people do if co-sleeping?

why replace bottles, teats I can understand but surely the bottles are ok?

I think the advice is not to co sleep Alice.

I think it depends where your mattress has been stored. If there's a chance damp or mould spores could have affected it then buy new. If it's been on the bed in a normal temperature etc, then maybe it would be OK.

I bought new teats but not new bottles, new dummies and then never used them anyway, and just replaced a few things that had worn out, like muslins and the batteries in the mobile etc!

We got new bottles as the steriliser, bottles, teats etc came as a set and was cheaper than buying separately. Plus the whole thing with the bpa? Was going to look into it all, but now no need.

I'd say new bottles, teats and mattress (DS1's old one was in a horrible state after many potty training accidents and illnesses) - we also ended up buying new bottle brushes and a steriliser as the old ones looked quite manky.

I bought new bottles because after months of washing and steam sterilising they were quite scratched and discoloured and just generally past their best.

If the old bottles contained BPA, then there is a risk the chemical could be leaking from the plastic if you overheat the bottles at all. That's why most bottles now are BPA-free.

Thanks Japhrimel

I think I read somewhere that the old mattress will have the imprint of the baby that previously used it.

I don't think you need anything new.

I have the NHS SIDS advice - doesn't mention new mattresses. Elsewhere online seems to suggest if mattress in good condition ok for younger siblings to use.

Good point, Alice, I hadn't really thought about sleeping with a baby on a mattress DH and I have used for over ten years! I think we are about due a new one, so we might co-incide that with the new baby, just in case we do decide to co-sleep.

As for co-sleeping - The Department of Health advises you shouldn't co-sleep if one or both parents is a smoker; if one or both parents has taken drugs or drunk alcohol; if you are unusually tired; if one or both partners are very, very overweight; if the sleeping is done on a sofa, armchair or waterbed.

However, co-sleeping can be done safely. There is a persuasive body of evidence that suggests that safe, careful co-sleeping might actually help protect against SIDS, as babies regulate their breathing in accord with their mothers, and sleep less deeply. Obviously it's a contentious subject, but there are persuasive arguments on both sides.