For those with newborns, or who are pregnant.....

What items would you find acceptable to buy used? What items do you insist have to be new? Reasons?

Well...I never got a babyshower with my son. So we bought everything. I became very fond of garage sales etc.

The crib HAD to be new for safety issues to me
The carseat HAD to be new safety issues as well
some clothes had to be new
Bassinet HAD to be new. Just preferred it new

Used I bought
the swing
bouncer
some clothes-I was pretty picky and looked em over well etc. I do get hand me downs from my best friend and Ethan wears em all
pack n play
bottle warmer (which I never used so am glad I paid like a buck for it)

Everything I had for my second 2 was new when I got it.

For Alex I had a used high chair, dresser and a bunch of hand me down clothes from my nephews.. I can't remember what else right now lol

Well, I have new stuff BUT, I think pretty much everything can be used and be just as good :shrug

Looking back, I do wish we would of bought a used (but good shape) crib & dresser instead of spending the money we did on a new one. My main reason for buying used stuff would be just to save money. At the time everything looks all nice, but really, you can find just as good quality for a way cheaper price w/ it being used.

Crib, dressers, swing, clothes, bottles, etc.

I would buy the carseat new though.

Everything else but those 2 items I mentioned we bought, everyone bought for us. Had they not of, we would of def. been shopping off of Craigslist and what not.

Pretty much everything with the expeption of a few clothes items are new. DH grew up with all hand me downs and used stuff and he feels that since he can afford it he wants her to have new. But she really doent have alot of stuff and the new stuff we buy are usually about the cheapest.

We bought Riley's crib and pack and play new, as well as his carseat/stroller combo. But we bought crap off of Craigslist, like the Pooh highchair for really cheap and only gently used! My old employer offered me her breast pump, but thats just too wierd for me.

At first we wanted everything to be new, everything to be "perfect". But that goes away, kinda like Rach said, and you wish you would of bought used... But to each her own. :)

i got some used stuff from my aunt when i was pregnant with madison...
stroller
pack and play
high chair
couple of blankets
changing pad and covers for it
i used a bassinet that another aunt lent me but madison wouldn't sleep in it

for hayden i used all the stuff i had for madison except my mom bought a bassinet from a garage sale that had hardly been used. and of course new clothes :P

i did use the crib that was my crib when i was a baby for madison until we moved to hawaii.

I agree with Kristi. For the carseat and crib, I preferred buying it new. However, I reused the crib with Shelby and plan to use it for this one, as well.

Everything else, I have no problem with buying used. Almost everything a baby under 1 year old uses will only get used very gently and for a VERY short period of time. Both of my kids were only in each sized clothing for less than 2 or 3 months. So, each outfit only got worn a handful of times. I do think some stuff should be new just for the sake of having some new stuff (if you can swing it) but no way in hell am I going to go out and buying a whole closet full of GAP and Gymboree for an infant that is going to wear each outfit 2 times or less. If you can find gently used things for half the price, I don't see why not. If you wash and clean the things you get, I really don't see the big deal with it.

Our swing and high chair were bought new with Jaxon but both got reused for Shelby and will probably be reused again. Why the heck not?

If you have access to cheaper things that are what you're looking for, I don't see a single problem with it.

When I was pregnant with Shelby, I went to garage sales and found SO SO SO SO SO many BRAND NEW outfits (some with tags, some without) that looked like it was just brought home from the store... for a $1-$5 a piece! And we're talking VERY cute full outfits ranging from Carters to JC Penney's brand. I felt silly to not take advantage of a deal like that!

The only thing I have not bought used and probably wouldn't is bottles. I use Dr Browns and I"m just really weird about that. They aren't "cheap" per say, but they aren't so expensive that we have to cut corners. Plus, both my babies used them and loved them and I'll try to use them with this one also. So, reusing them with my own children, I don't have a problem with.

I say get good deals where ever you can and put the saved money that you would have spent new into some sort of savings account! I think that's making MUCH better use of the money!

We have a used cradle & swing and some clothing like socks. the dresser was my old dresser and we have a toddler carrier that is used. everything else is new, but all of it bought with the intention of reusing with the next child. We had a couple baby showers so we got a lot of stuff bought for us.

Well with Breanna we bought almost all new stuff since she was our first. Everything except the bouncy seat was new. With Johnny he got alot of hand me downs from Breanna. Her crib, swing, some onesies, some socks, some sleepers, blankets, burp clothes, stroller, etc. I have him using her old mattress cause we bought it new and Breanna is the only one that ever slept on it. However, I'm not one for used mattresses. I will never go out and buy a used mattress and I would never give one of my kids the mattress John and I had been sleeping on (cause let's face it we all know what happens). jmo. We did buy him a new carseat though. I'm not one for used carseats either. I just don't think that is safe.

With our first everything was new, because we had no one to lend us stuff and DH felt that she should get new stuff. plus since she was the first grandchild everyone bought us everything, with 2 and 3 the reused the same crib, i did have to buy a new carseat, gave the old one away. and because he was a boy he got some new clothes. But I would also buy him stuff from garage sales and thrift stores, but boy's clothes is soo hard to find. With number three she got some new clothes, but I saved nearly everything from dd so i reused tons of stuff. I don't mind getting stuff second hand, but things like the carseat have to be new for me.

We are going new with the crib. I will be reusing a lot of George's things, like the bouncy seat, swing, bumbo. If its a girl... my sister is sending me all her clothing. If its a boy, we will have to buy new. The seasons are off, so I wouldnt be able to use much from George *that and Ive got some of it selling on ebay!*.

I bought George a britax carseat a couple months ago, and I will be buying this baby one too. The stroller carseat combo was a waste of money IMO. Ill probably wind up buying one of the sit & stand strollers a little ways down the road.