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Welcome to Mumsnet's shopping board. Whether you are after a new family car or a great new coffee machine this is the board for you. Share product recommendations and reviews here. Related: Discuss clothes and fashion on our Style and beauty forum. Check out Swears By to find the products Mumsnetters love and our reviews section to see the best baby and child products put through their paces.
Shopping
replacing baby stuff for subsequent babies esp car seats
monkey · 27/06/2003 12:45
I have wondered about if I need to replace things for new baby - admittedly itching to just buy something for 'it' just for the sake of it.
Car seat - now been used for 2 babies. Still unbelievably clean - looks immaculate, BUT worried it might be dodgy - possible done badly in tests, but mumsnet reviews not working & can't find this one in safetly tests - bebe confort elios ( old one - 'bout mid 1999) - anyone know?
Matress for cot - again seems fine, but now used for 2 babies, almost consecutively since mid 1999 to date.
General question - is it silly extravagance, or do people generally buy new stuff for new baby, of just make do with presents & hand-me-downs?
aloha · 27/06/2003 13:08
I would get a new mattress but not a new car seat. I have the same car seat and I thought it looked the most comfy. Would happily use it again.
elliott · 27/06/2003 13:42
car seat - no, hadn't occurred to me. Since its yours, you will know whether its been in a crash or not!
I will replace the cot mattress though - ds's looks grim!!
Pushchairs? Now there's something that DEFINITELY needs replacing
Marina · 27/06/2003 14:11
We are getting a new pushchair (probably a nice Maclaren Techno XT with lambskin in thanks to some helpful hints on another thread!) and a new cot mattress but expect to re-use the cot itself, the Moses basket and the car seat - if it was safe in 1999 and you have not been in an accident it is still safe. We will also reuse as many baby clothes as possible, I am filled with hope at the idea of another little bod filling out all those babygros and rompers.
zebra · 27/06/2003 14:45
I think that I heard a reliable lifespan for carseats is 5-7 years. After that they may not be as protective as they need to be. Guess you're kind of on the border, Monkey.
We usually just replace stuff when it totally wears out. I just had the metal frame in a Tomy backpack shear off completely, and one of our McClaran strollers has nearly worn out its wheels.
miriamw · 27/06/2003 14:56
I must say that I was surprised at how many people still bought us baby clothes for our second son - only 2 years younger than ds1 and born at same time of year so our existing stuff is the right season.
We splashed out with new dummies! But also another pushchair as we couldn't put a buggyboard on our old one. All paid for by MIL! Oh and we got a new car and carseat (had to go for the estate to fit all the junk in required by 2 under 2y3m...)
Bron · 27/06/2003 21:22
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
codswallop · 27/06/2003 21:23
Nothing replaced. In fact My childern hace all slept on My old cot mattress when they are at M and Ds house
codswallop · 27/06/2003 21:24
ps We had so much stuff bought for thoird son - he can barely wear it all - 18 sleep suits!!
morocco · 27/06/2003 22:38
I might be very out of date but I think that it's recommended to replace matresses after every baby to reduce chances of cot death. Not a very glam purchase though I admit.
I've only got the one child but know people with 3 and one on the way - what did you want as presents for the 2/3/4 baby? If people gave you clothes or toys did you just think they were mad or like having something new just for the new arrival?
zebra · 27/06/2003 23:35
I think you have to know the parents. I have friends who hate putting the same clothes on the next child. But I wouldn't want any new clothes or toys if I have another child. Instead I would love some new cloth nappies (just to try them), and anything practical -- like detergent, gift vouchers, chocolate... prezzies for each of the older children would be fine, too.
WideWebWitch · 28/06/2003 09:11
I wasn't even considering a new car seat but I will be buying a new cot mattress. I've got a Britax Rock a Tot which ds had (he's 5.5) from birth - 9mos although it's been leant to a friend for the past 4 years. She's since had another 2 in it. Zebra, what's this about having to replace it? It hasn't ever been in an accident so it should be OK surely? Monkey, we're poor atm so won't be getting anything new if we can help it. Although I really want a lightweight 3 wheeler buggy from birth since my old one is a Mamas and Papas massive pram/carrycot/pushchair combo in a not very fetching blue and yellow check IIRC (it's at MILs) I'm hoping I'll get away with buying a few clothes and dummies and not much else. I can't even think what else I'll need, eek! Any suggestions welcome. I've got:
Buggy from 6mos
High chair/swing thing
Cot
Ds's old toys
Rock a tot 2nd stage car seat
So if I buy some nappies and go to an NCT sale I reckon I'll muddle through.
WideWebWitch · 28/06/2003 09:46
Gosh, lent to a friend, not leant! Just decided I should make a list of what I need and noticed my typo.
WideWebWitch · 28/06/2003 10:01
Monkey, according to ROSPA you should replace older car seats since any damage (even if you know it hasn't been in an accident)may not be obvious to the naked eye and/or an older one may not conform to current safety legislation. Which means I probably have to get a new one too, which is a PITA.
WideWebWitch · 28/06/2003 10:06
Monkey, I found your seat at The AA car seat tests while looking for general safety info on mine and it seems to say it's OK. The Rock a tot is OK too but I'm not sure of the model of mine.
monkey · 28/06/2003 12:30
thanks for all the effort! I found this report - but mine isn't the bebe confort elios safe side, it's just elios, so the older (and looks quite different) model, but this might just be the upholstry. I saw a report for the elios dated 2000 which gave it a much poorer rating to its current one. I'm just thinking because when we replaced ds2's car seat checked out safety reports & found that ds1's car seat (mothercare) had done appalingly in Which? tests, I think, so badly they refused to even give it a rating., so obviously we replaced both. Anyway, thought it best to check, as I'd read a 'bad' report for 2000, but can't find reviews of the older model. So even if you buy a car seat that must have passed tests to be on the market, it doesn't mean they ARE safe.
We've never lent it to anyone, and in fact only used it as car seat for 2nd child - didn't even have a car 1st time round, so it was our bouncy chiar in the house! anyway, yesterday tried to get it in back seat bwn 2 current car seats, but it won't fit! Not sur where we go from here. I suppose I should ask this on a diff thread, but I was going to move ds1 up to a high-back booster - like Britax kid (15 - 36 k). He's 4 in August. He was just shy of 15k but seems to have lost weight recently, and I actually think he's more like 14k now. But he is still long, average height really. I know you should be guided by weight, but his head is now sticking over the top of the car seat back, so I'm not sure if he's protected in this seat (suitable from 9 - 18 k). Is it ok for his head to be higher than the back of the seat? At this rate (& I'm not joking, it'll be another year before he passes 15k comfortably).
www, I know it's a pain, but I would definitely replace your car seat, if it's been lent to someone for that much time, but then I'm a worrier aas you've worked out!
monkey · 28/06/2003 12:42
thanks for all the effort! I found this report - but mine isn't the bebe confort elios safe side, it's just elios, so the older (and looks quite different) model, but this might just be the upholstry. I saw a report for the elios dated 2000 which gave it a poor rating compared to its current one. I'm just thinking because when we replaced ds2's car seat checked out safety reports & found that ds1's car seat (mothercare) had done appalingly in Which? tests, I think, so badly they refused to even give it a rating., so obviously we replaced both. Anyway, thought it best to check, as I'd read a 'bad' report for 2000, but can't find reviews of the older model. So even if you buy a car seat that must have passed tests to be on the market, it doesn't mean they ARE safe.
We've never lent it to anyone, and in fact only used it as car seat for 2nd child - didn't even have a car 1st time round, so it was our bouncy chiar in the house! anyway, yesterday tried to get it in back seat bwn 2 current car seats, but it won't fit! Not sur where we go from here. I suppose I should ask this on a diff thread, but I was going to move ds1 up to a high-back booster - like Britax kid (15 - 36 k). He's 4 in August. He was just shy of 15k but seems to have lost weight recently, and I actually think he's more like 14k now. But he is still long, average height really. I know you should be guided by weight, but his head is now sticking over the top of the car seat back, so I'm not sure if he's protected in this seat (suitable from 9 - 18 k). Is it ok for his head to be higher than the back of the seat? At this rate (& I'm not joking, it'll be another year before he passes 15k comfortably). He seems too big for Stage 2, but too light for satge 3, so not sure what to do.
www, I know it's a pain, but I would definitely replace your car seat, if it's been lent to someone for that much time, but then I'm a worrier as you've worked out!
mieow · 28/06/2003 16:54
I think that the understanding with mattresses is that you do not have to replace them for each child. When I had DS it was adviced that you replace mattresses for each child but when I had DD1 it had changed as there wasn't enough evidence that it causes cot death.
Wills · 30/06/2003 21:36
Oh blast mieow - wish I'd read this thread a few months back. I've now unfortunately thrown the old mattresses (that dd used) and have order the new.
codswallop · 30/06/2003 21:39
I think they proved no link between matresses and cot death.
I dont change my matress every 2 seconds...
monkey · 02/07/2003 09:38
that's just saved me not only the cost of a new matress, but more, the aggro of trying to get rid of the old one.
Bron · 02/07/2003 10:16
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
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