The Hidden Truth About Hand-Me-Downs Every Experienced Mom Knows

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When I shared the news of my pregnancy with my son, gifts started pouring in almost immediately. My mom was quick to send a shipment of diapers, while my mother-in-law contributed adorable outfits. Plus, a friend who had recently welcomed a baby girl began passing along a treasure trove of items.

Initially, it was a collection of neutral newborn outfits—side-snap shirts, swaddles, and plain onesies. Then came unopened cans of formula, small diapers that were too snug for her daughter, lotion samples, and various bottles with nipples. I felt incredibly thankful, knowing that these essentials could become quite the financial burden, and I was thrilled to have a stockpile of supplies before my little one even arrived.

Once my friend transitioned her daughter to a crib, she offered me her bassinet. I hesitated at first; I figured we’d just start our son in his crib. But we accepted it anyway, and it turned out to be a lifesaver. After my C-section, we practically lived on the couch for the first week, which made it much easier than trying to climb in and out of bed. She also gifted us a baby papasan chair, which her daughter never used, but our son adored it and took most of his naps there.

Overwhelmed by my friend’s kindness, I promised myself that when the time came, I would pass on as much as I could to future parents. As luck would have it, my brother and sister-in-law were next in line. In my eagerness to spread the love, I quickly learned that the act of giving away baby items often serves a dual purpose: it helps declutter your home!

It’s astonishing how much stuff you accumulate once you have a baby—clothes, crib sheets, toys, and more. Between hand-me-downs, gifts, and what you buy yourself, you can easily find your space overtaken by tiny clothes. Seriously, our child had an entire drawer of socks before he even made his debut!

When he was born, weighing over eight pounds, most of the newborn clothes didn’t even fit him. After hearing my brother and sister-in-law were expecting a baby boy, I bundled up all the outfits my son never wore and shipped them off. Why keep them? They were brand new, and he had outgrown them already. GET THEM OUT OF HERE! I NEED MORE SPACE!

Every time my son moved up in clothing sizes—from 3 months to 6 months and then from 6 months to 9 months—I cleared out the old clothes, putting them in a diaper box. Once the box was filled, it got taped up and sent off to my brother and sister-in-law.

Speaking of diapers, when my son transitioned from size 1 to size 2, we had a surplus of diapers left over. Those traveled to Florida too, along with a few extra burp cloths and receiving blankets (seriously, how did I end up with so many?!). I always keep an empty economy-size diaper box handy to toss in the next batch of baby items that need a new home.

When my son outgrew his Bumbo seat (another hand-me-down), I was able to fit it into the diaper box, along with more baby clothes. And when he transitioned to bigger bottles and faster nipples, you guessed it—I sent those down to my brother and sister-in-law as well.

After I stopped breastfeeding, I sent my sister-in-law all of my breast pump accessories, bottles, and storage containers. What was I going to do with them? Definitely not keeping them for nostalgia! She even got most of my maternity clothes. Goodbye, stretchy shirts!

And since baby socks seem to shrink in the wash, I ended up mailing my brother and sister-in-law a whole drawer full of them.

I’m thrilled to continue the cycle of sharing. I appreciate all the generosity from friends and family, and I’m happy to pass along what we no longer need. They’re eager to receive it, and I know that once their baby arrives, they’ll be in the same boat, ready to hand off their surplus to the next soon-to-be parents, just like I did!

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Summary

Hand-me-downs are more than just a way to save money on baby gear; they also help parents clear out space while fostering a cycle of generosity. As children grow, passing along outgrown items to friends and family becomes a wonderful way to support one another in the parenting journey.