One Saturday afternoon last month, I was lying on my couch watching a thought-provoking, sophisticated film – OK, it was "The Notebook" – when I decided I wanted some popcorn.

A colleague of mine was all set to write this Mother’s Day blog. She had her first child three months ago - a beautiful healthy baby boy - and was excited to share her thoughts on her first Mother’s Day. But then the reality of being a brand new mom set in - sleep deprived, new routines, all the standard questions like “When do they start sleeping through the night?"

Car seat...Check.
Crib with no bumpers...Check.
Diapers, wipes, cute clothes...Check, check, check.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors that work…Check (of course).

As a certified child passenger technician and instructor, working in injury prevention, I frequently hear this question. Not surprising, given tight household budgets and the constantly increasing costs of raising children.

First, let’s look at the things that rule out using secondhand seats, then we can better determine when it’s okay.