recycledbaby.co.uk

Oh you have to see these baby trousers made from old jumpers….. they are the cutest! I am so going to make these.

OK so I bombed on getting recycled bedding for my moses basket. I went on a tour of my local charity shops but I wouldn’t keep my dog in most of what I found. Well, it actually was a tour of highs and lows. I did managed to get a beautiful handmade sheet and pillowcase but it’s in pink with little flowers on it and clearly for a girl. I’m guessing my little one won’t notice but will I scar him for life if I put him in pink bedding?  The rest of what I saw was just yucky and remained on the shelf.

So I went on eBay and everything on there is either new or in bundles complete with moses baskets. So I have to put my hands up and say I went to a baby shop with my mum and bought new baby bedding. Sheets and blankets, really cute ones in cream that are not gender specific so there is no crass socialisation of my little one. I also bought a new mattress but then you have to buy new mattresses so that’s OK! My mobile phone is playing up today so I’ll try and get a pic of the pink bedding (divine) on later.

April 2008

I’ve got a cot! I was complaining about how bad I am at eBay on the radio the other day and suddenly the text was alive with people offering me their old cots. It’s amazing how many people have got baby stuff lying around years after their kids have grown up. Anyway – my cot has come from a Mercia listener, Michelle in Nuneaton. She texted to say she had one lying around and I’ve been round and picked it up.

She was so sweet about it. You could see it was a really emotional thing for her to give up. When she offered me the cot she said she had texted almost straight away and then had a conversation with herself asking if she was really alright with giving the cot away. She figured that, as she hadn’t really even thought before texting, she must be ready. She said she had finally come to terms with the fact that she wasn’t going to have anymore children. Now that is the story of someone who has arrived at a big moment in their life, a place of personal understanding. It was a really big deal for her to be able to come to terms with not having more kids. That’s a hill of grief to climb. Initially I felt bad because I had put her in the position of having to deal with these things but then I realized, she had already dealt with them, she just hadn’t realized it.  

The cot and all her son’s baby stuff had been carefully packed into the loft where it had stayed for many years. Her son was now a teenager who was rapidly becoming a tennis ace, playing at county level, and the chances of him having a little brother or sister were slim. Mostly because she had no time to spare after ferrying her son around to all his tennis practice and matches! When I went round to pick up my prize she looked happy and proud of her son and her work so far. She had every right to be happy and proud. He seemed like a lovely kid who was doing really well at something he really enjoyed. What parent could ask for more?

The cot itself is perfect. Wooden with the rotating balls at each end and in really good condition. A new one would set me back well over £100 so I’m saying I’ve got a result. I love that I get to share in other people’s stories and add new chapter to the story of this object. It’s given something a new life and given me a privileged insight into someone elses family. This recycled baby business is fun.

Our baby's brand new second hand cot

April 2008

I’m no good at eBay. I wish I was because I keep seeing stuff on there that I really want for the baby but I get outbid EVERY time. I’ve seen fantastic cots that I think would be amazing in the nursery but I put a bid on and try to win but there are some seriously determined mammas to be out there. I know white cots are trendy but people are paying nearly new prices for them on eBay auctions. I’m clearly just bitter because I keep getting outbid but I don’t have time to just sit around waiting for auctions to end and I really don’t want to spend fortunes on a nearly new cot. Is there an evening class in buying stuff on eBay? Maybe I should sign myself up to that now – or the whole recycled baby project is going down the pan before it’s even got going properly. Anyone with any tips please feel free to share!

This was how it all started in March 2008

Right it’s Green Month on Mercia and we’ve all been doing our bit to be greener. Lord knows we’ve recycled enough paper to make a mountain of loo roll and all the lights have been switched off when we leave. We’ve been asking you to commit to a greener lifestyle and now it’s my turn. I’ve decided that my contribution is going to be a recycled baby. I’m not going to get a used baby from the used baby stall like Madonna and Angelina. No. I’m going to make a promise to try and use as much recycled and reused stuff as I can as the baby grows up. Yes this is my recycled baby project and as you can’t just hand a baby back at the end of the month, I’m in it for the long haul. Will it last? I’ll let you know.