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Original poster

Cot mattress - did you buy a new one for second child?

29 replies

CMac · 02/08/2006 20:32

Just that really. I would buy a new one without thinking if i'd inherited a cot from another family but am not sure if it's necessary when it's just being passed down from an older sibling. Does anyone know the science behind the recommendation that you change mattresses between users - is it something to do with SIDS?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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giraffeski · 02/08/2006 20:34

Message withdrawn

Beauregard · 02/08/2006 20:36

I bought a new one as i wasnt sure what the recommendations were.

tassis · 02/08/2006 20:37

tell us more about the mad cot mattress woman??

SenoraPostrophe · 02/08/2006 20:39

no they've changed the advice. It used to be that they said it was ok for siblings but they don't say anything about getting a new mattress any more.

I think it was all a big upholstery conspiracy

SenoraPostrophe · 02/08/2006 20:40

hmmm, perhaps I am the mad mattress woman?

giraffeski · 02/08/2006 20:40

Message withdrawn

SenoraPostrophe · 02/08/2006 20:41

look!

SecondhandRose · 02/08/2006 20:42

She obviously owns a cot mattress company. We bought a new one but only because DH used the first one to lay wallpaper on which he then pasted (like you do).

beansprout · 02/08/2006 20:42

I remember her too - mad as a badger (that has shares in a mattress company).

We had a SIDS death in the family when I was pregnant so I really didn't appreciate her pseudo science on what is a very serious subject.

SenoraPostrophe · 02/08/2006 20:43

oh that mad mattress lady.

I have posted the info below a million times though. I want people to be free of mattress guilt tyrranny.

giraffeski · 02/08/2006 20:44

Message withdrawn

SpaceCadet · 02/08/2006 20:45

i personally would buy a new one.

SenoraPostrophe · 02/08/2006 20:46

sc did you look at my link?

SpaceCadet · 02/08/2006 20:48

but not because im a mad mattress lady!! just because dd has just moved out of her cot and her mattress looks a little worse for wear!

welshmum · 02/08/2006 20:49

Didn't bother buying a new one for ds, no problems so far (he's 15 months) not that that proves anything, just read a bit and couldn't see the argument.

SpaceCadet · 02/08/2006 20:49

yes i did SP!

SpaceCadet · 02/08/2006 20:50

im just going on what my cot mattress looked like after dd moved out of her cot last week..but it had been used for 2 years!

Tommy · 02/08/2006 20:50

we didn't, if that's any help....

SpaceCadet · 02/08/2006 20:53

my personal view though is if your mattress looks fine, then why bother getting new?

Original poster
CMac · 02/08/2006 21:06

Thanks for links/comments. I have a bit of an issue with the way cot and crib mattresses are marketed at the best of times with words such as 'breatheasy' used for the ones that cost 3 times more than the bog-standard ones. Even though you know they're probably no better than the others there's that little bit of you that thinks ...what if?

SP - did old 'official' advice say anything about new mattresses?

OP posts:
Scoobydooooo · 02/08/2006 21:10

we did not bother either because ds's mattress still looked brand new so i have used it for dd, i could also unzip the top of th mattress & put it in the wash at 90

notagrannyyet · 02/08/2006 21:51

DS1 & DD used same mattress.
My sister then borrowed cot but bought new mattress for DN. We got cot back and used sister's mattress for DS2.
When DS3 was born we bought new again, but used same mattress for DS4 & DS5.

Cot is now in the attic awaiting first grandchild.......think it might be a long wait!
Will probably end up giving cot to a museum.

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 08:19

CMac - yes - the old advice was that you should not buy a second hand mattress, but that it was OK to re-use one child's mattress for another sibling.

sc what did you dd do to her mattress? ds's is fine for the next one

naswm · 03/08/2006 08:24

I didnt buy a new one for DS2. I knew the history of the mattress, it was less than 2 years old, and I cleaned and aired it thoroughly (although one child got out of it one night and the other got in it the next!).

I think the SIDS 'risk' is to advise against using old second hand mattresses where you have no idea of who has used it, where it has been stored (eg dirty loft) and how old it is.

All in all my cot mattress has been in use for nearly 4 years - and by the time DS2 moves in to a bed it will be fit for nothing! It is very 'thin' in places!!

KTeePee · 03/08/2006 08:55

Used the same one for all three children