Baby items you can safely borrow
August 9, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Baby Savings, baby products
One major way to cut down on baby costs is to borrow like there’s no tomorrow. However, some items are better purchased new, like a car seat and some research notes that baby crib mattresses are safer new. You can likely buy both a car seat and crib mattress used (or borrow one) but if you’re going to save money by borrowing other items you may as well buy these new.
Baby items you can safely borrow:
- Baby clothing
- Blankets, burp cloths, and other baby textiles.
- Cloth diapers. If washed and dried these are perfectly safe and clean, even used.
- Baby toys, books, and other baby play items.
- Strollers.
- Slings and carriers.
- Baby furniture; cribs, changing table, etc.
When you borrow a baby item make sure: With any of the above items first check the item over. For example, a stroller should still roll smoothly and have no missing parts. Furniture should be splinter free and in perfect working order unless you’re willing to fix it. You should also check and make sure nothing has been recalled before accepting it.
Maybe you can also safely borrow:
Baby bottles and nipples: If they’re BPA free and not too grungy or cracked.
A breast pump, which some people are against when it comes to single user pumps but you can buy new tubing for some single user pumps which makes the pump perfectly safe. Pumps purchased from hospitals, from lactation consultants, and from professional grade pump companies use “closed pump systems” which means your milk never comes into contact with any of the pump machinery so borrowing is perfectly fine. Discuss this with your health care provider, but I’ll just toss out there that the likelihood of you catching something from a breast pump that’s been washed is seriously slim.
Borrowing cuts your baby gear costs considerably so it’s nice to know that used baby gear can be safe. What baby items have you borrowed?
[image via stock.xchng]
I love that picture!