Question about reusing a crib mattress...!

ruthyanny · December 2012

I have been googling this and have come across conflicting answers. What do you all think about reusing a crib mattress. My little guy is almost 4 and the crib mattress we used with him was used for a good 3 years. Would you reuse it for the new baby or just get a new one? Ive read some articles that state a reused one can increase the risk of sids, but then others say there is no issue. Just wondering the general consensus Smile

Thanks

PnkDingo · December 2012

General rule of thumb in my family/circle is that every baby gets a new mattress and a new car seat.

penguingrrl · December 2012

It never occurred to me not to reuse the crib mattress I already have. I'm honestly not worried about it, especially since I'm sure the baby will end up spending at least some nights in my bed (realistically both girls did, we take proper precautions for cosleeping) and my mattress is 8 years old.

amberrae45 · December 2012

We are using my SILs old crib mattress. I don't think its really that big of a deal if you reuse one, especially if you know where its been and it was used with a protective cover. However to each their own.

drpayne · December 2012

PnkDingo:
General rule of thumb in my family/circle is that every baby gets a new mattress and a new car seat.nbsp;

I don't get this at all. DS used his infant seat for 6 months and its less than 2 years old. I see no reason. To get rid of it.

PnkDingo · December 2012

I honestly couldn't tell you. I'm a FTM, and woefully under-prepared at the moment due to financial constraints. It's just how my family and people around here have always done it.

Currently I have a mattress my sister bought with my nephew's toddler bed, but it was never used because he refused to sleep in the toddler bed, and I'm looking at convertible seats rather than a carrier

penguingrrl · December 2012

drpayne:
PnkDingo:
General rule of thumb in my family/circle is that every baby gets a new mattress and a new car seat.nbsp;
I don't get this at all. DS used his infant seat for 6 months and its less than 2 years old. I see no reason. To get rid of it.

There's absolutely no reason not to reuse a carseat. There is a strong recommendation against buying a used carseat, but that's because you don't know the history of the carseat to know whether it's safe or not. If it's been in your care since it was new (or someone you truly trust, a sibling or close friend) there's no reason not to reuse it.

Things you can't see but could cause carseat failure (and thus reasons not to buy a used seat and also things NOT to do with yours):
1. Seat has been in an accident. A carseat must be replaced after any accident and this should be covered by insurance.

2. Harness has been submerged in water or cleaned with a stronger cleaning agent than Dawn. These weaken the straps on the carseat and there's no way to tell if someone has done this to the harness.

3. Seat has been checked or gate checked on an airplane. Because it could have been dropped from a distance while being handled or it could have had heavy luggage fall on it in transit, a seat that has been checked is considered the same as one that has been in an accident and must be replaced.

4. You won't know if the seat has been recalled for safety reasons.

5. Seats do expire (exact time varies by manufacturer, most infant seats have a 6 year expiration) and you want to be sure you get a non-expired seat.

ericalee27 · December 2012

We are reusing ours for DS2. DS1 slept on it for about two years, but it's in great shape and still feels very firm.

MouseInLux · December 2012

We're reusing ours but that's because it's never been in storage, DD used it for 16 months then it moved to the new nursery. If its been sitting in storage I probably wouldn't because you don't know if any spoors etc have gotten into it

Justinlove · December 2012

If DD1 wasn't still using it on her toddler bed, we'd reuse it for this LO. The crib mattress at my parents' house has seen many a cousin sleeping on it.

amandagen · December 2012

We're reusing ours also. DS used it for close to 3 years, but it still feels very firm. I had a friend tell me we needed a new one so I googled too, lots of confusing info out there, but I figure the mattress is in great shape and has not been used by anyone but DS, so I'm sure it's fine.

EMCK98 · December 2012

A friend is giving me hers. It is a few years old. It is saving me from having to buy another thing brand new.

I would reuse it!

ruthyanny · December 2012

Thanks so much for all the replies! The mattress we have is a waterproof one and I also used a waterproof protector with it so I think I'm just going to reuse it. Thanks again!

pitterpatter129 · December 2012

drpayne:
PnkDingo:
General rule of thumb in my family/circle is that every baby gets a new mattress and a new car seat.nbsp;
I don't get this at all. DS used his infant seat for 6 months and its less than 2 years old. I see no reason. To get rid of it.

We are reusing both carseat and mattress. However, we didn't really use either one with DS. We switched to the convertible carseat at 3 months and he bedshared with us except for naps until we moved him to a regular bed at 14 months... If it's in good shape (or in the case of the carseat, not expired), I don't see why not reuse it. However, a three year old might have done a lot wear to a mattress. If it's not firm anymore or has tears, I might consider purchasing a new one.