New Vs. Secondhand
- Thread starter keninhk
- Start date
Anything you only use for a few months (like bouncy seats, swings, bumbo seats etc.) I would recommend getting secondhand if you're more on a budget. Crib wouldn't be a problem either (although I had the IKEA white crib which was simple but lasted for 3 years with the side taking off later), get a new mattress though and there are plenty ways to dress up the room with fun and cheap stuff without breaking the bank. IKEA does have some good options. A stroller is probably worth it unless you can get a good deal for a good condition stroller, same for a high chair, depends on type too. Can't hurt to look, you don't have to take it. I would say the majority could be second hand. Only things I can think of now I would get new are mattress, bottles, changing pad / covers, and other mostly hygienic items ...
Thanks for your reply, Ikea's got a few colorful toys I definitely will get later.
The stroller I brought was a display the sales assistant said they opened it new just this week.
Still looking at cots, they all look similar however it seems there are 2 main sizes - normal and extra large, the latter being able to turn into a kids bed a few years on.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile
The stroller I brought was a display the sales assistant said they opened it new just this week.
Still looking at cots, they all look similar however it seems there are 2 main sizes - normal and extra large, the latter being able to turn into a kids bed a few years on.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile
carang
Registered User
when looking at cots, check to see how the sides drop. do you need to use your hands? or is it hands-free, and you can use your knee? is the matress height adjustable or just the sides?
lastly, try picking up and putting down a pillow into the cot when it's on it's lowest setting.
one of our cots, was great, the sides came down just with a push of the knee. so, if i was by myself, i could easily lower the side while carrying the baby. also, this same cot had an adjustable height for the matress, so i wouldn't have to bend so far over the sides of the cot. fantastic.
the other cod we had, was awful. the matress height wasn't adjustable and the sides were too tall for my arms, so, if i was carrying the sleeping baby, i could only reach down to about 2" from the cot.... which meant, i had to 'drop' the baby the last 2"!!! woke him up every time!
lastly, try picking up and putting down a pillow into the cot when it's on it's lowest setting.
one of our cots, was great, the sides came down just with a push of the knee. so, if i was by myself, i could easily lower the side while carrying the baby. also, this same cot had an adjustable height for the matress, so i wouldn't have to bend so far over the sides of the cot. fantastic.
the other cod we had, was awful. the matress height wasn't adjustable and the sides were too tall for my arms, so, if i was carrying the sleeping baby, i could only reach down to about 2" from the cot.... which meant, i had to 'drop' the baby the last 2"!!! woke him up every time!
2010-NewDad
Registered User
Latest recommendations from US Consumer Product Safety Commission prohibit drop-side cribs entirely. Seems sensible to me.
I got almost everything secondhand and have faced no problems:
1. Clothes - so useful having a range of secondhand clothes to choose from as it's impossible to know what will suit your baby. Both my babies were smaller than anticipated. Baby 1 used mostly clothes that buttoned up the front as his milk would come up if he was moved around too much (thus the regular onesies were a no-no). Baby 2 took well to the regular onesies and barely used the button-up stuff.
2. Stroller - glad I bought a secondhand one because actually I wasn't that happy with it. I would have been annoyed if I bought it full price. Buying secondhand gave me the option to ditch it and buy another. Though I haven't done that yet. Also did not end up using stroller for first 3 months
3. Baby carrier - turned out both babies didn't like it. So glad I didn't spend a fortune on it.
4. Cot and mattress - bought secondhand, being used by my second baby. No problems and looks nice also.
5. Breast pumps - These I got from my sister and sis-in-law. The great thing was that I have two pumps for the price of zero. I can leave one at work and one at home. The US authorities do not reccommend sharing pumps though. Please note that even if you share a pump, you can buy the the plastic thing that touches the breast separately.
Actually, it would be easier to say what I didn't get secondhand:
1. Diapers and wipes (obvious reasons)
2. Lotions, soap etc.
3. Bathtub
4. Steriliser (you can just boil in the pot, but I found the microwave steriliser more convenient)
5. Bassinet
6. Baby rocker (needed only later when baby can sit up)
For 3,4 and 5, I bought new stuff only because I got tired of searching for secondhand options. I would have been happy to buy those secondhand too.
I can think of very few things that shouldn't be secondhand. Maybe the nipples of bottles?
1. Clothes - so useful having a range of secondhand clothes to choose from as it's impossible to know what will suit your baby. Both my babies were smaller than anticipated. Baby 1 used mostly clothes that buttoned up the front as his milk would come up if he was moved around too much (thus the regular onesies were a no-no). Baby 2 took well to the regular onesies and barely used the button-up stuff.
2. Stroller - glad I bought a secondhand one because actually I wasn't that happy with it. I would have been annoyed if I bought it full price. Buying secondhand gave me the option to ditch it and buy another. Though I haven't done that yet. Also did not end up using stroller for first 3 months
3. Baby carrier - turned out both babies didn't like it. So glad I didn't spend a fortune on it.
4. Cot and mattress - bought secondhand, being used by my second baby. No problems and looks nice also.
5. Breast pumps - These I got from my sister and sis-in-law. The great thing was that I have two pumps for the price of zero. I can leave one at work and one at home. The US authorities do not reccommend sharing pumps though. Please note that even if you share a pump, you can buy the the plastic thing that touches the breast separately.
Actually, it would be easier to say what I didn't get secondhand:
1. Diapers and wipes (obvious reasons)
2. Lotions, soap etc.
3. Bathtub
4. Steriliser (you can just boil in the pot, but I found the microwave steriliser more convenient)
5. Bassinet
6. Baby rocker (needed only later when baby can sit up)
For 3,4 and 5, I bought new stuff only because I got tired of searching for secondhand options. I would have been happy to buy those secondhand too.
I can think of very few things that shouldn't be secondhand. Maybe the nipples of bottles?
carang
Registered User
i guess it would depend ENTIRELY on how they are designed whether or not it is sensible....
2010-NewDad
Registered User
Not really - the more moving parts, the more chance to go wrong. Same for any device.
You can read their report on it - if I remember correctly there were thirty US deaths in the last decade due to drop side cots. Of course, the chance of this happening to any of our children is minimal but seems a no-brainer to me to follow sensible current safety recommendations from reputable agencies who have studied the subject it a lot more than us.
carang
Registered User
30 deaths out of how many babies? (ctually there are on average just over 4,000,000 babies born in the usa each year... and while i agree safety should be a concern.... 30 out of over 4,000,000? that's 0.00075%)
as i said, it depends on the design.
surely making the matress too low and the sides too high, so someone with shorter arms has to "drop" their baby into bed isn't an intelligent design?
as i said, it depends on the design.
surely making the matress too low and the sides too high, so someone with shorter arms has to "drop" their baby into bed isn't an intelligent design?
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