Babies are expensive. Buggy, cot, clothes, nappies, wipes... it all adds up to be a hefty price - one that many of us struggle to pay.
So, obviously, we look at ways to cut costs; be it with secondhand clothes or non-branded nappies, there are plenty of ways to save money.
However, there are a few things you shouldn't cut corners on: the car seat being the main one.
This is the most important thing you will ever buy, and it needs to adhere to all safety restrictions - something that cannot be guaranteed with a used seat.
And that is exactly what happened to this mum, who bought three secondhand car seats recently.
Taking to Reddit, she explained:
"Before baby arrived I bought three used car seats (one for Mum, Dad, Caregiver.) I was really careful to ensure they weren't expired and asked if they'd been in a car accident and gave them (what I thought) was a thorough visual inspection.
"My husband has been using the most expensive one we bought since it was black and 'cooler' looking.
"Yesterday Hubs text me asking if I knew the Styrofoam was cracked in his car seat.
"I figured it was probably a chip or something since he's a little over-cautious.
"I just pulled it out of his car this morning and OH MY GOD the Styrofoam is COMPLETELY cracked down the entire length of the seat. With the cover on it looks FINE but it's completely unusable!!"
Cautionary tale of used carseats. from BabyBumps
Thankfully, notsweetenough1 figured out something was wrong before anything bad happened, and immediately put it in the bin.
"I'm so thankful we never had to test it's integrity and baby is safe and we discovered it before it was too late. It's going straight in the trash with straps cut.
"I honestly don't know if the lady who sold it to me knew that had happened or if it had been in a wreck or just defective or what.
"But if you're going to buy a used car seat make sure you pull up that cover and check the foam!"
An important warning for all new parents; share with your new mama friends.
