Beth Zalantai, MSc, is a clinically trained mental health professional with extensive experience delivering and supervising evidence-based psychological care. As a mom and therapist, Beth provides compassionate support for moms navigating their mental health.
Creating a baby registry can quickly become mentally exhausting. Even with guides that promise to help you focus on the “essentials,” you can still spend hours comparing reviews, deciding between brands, or debating which models are best. The endless array of new gadgets only adds to the confusion. Do you really need them, or can you make do with simpler options? As Ilana Stanger-Ross, the author of A is for Advice (The Reassuring Kind): Wisdom for Pregnancy, puts it, “…one of the most profound passages in a person’s life can quickly be reduced to a surprisingly stressful shopping experience.”
It’s no wonder that many parents start turning to minimalist baby registries. Whether it’s to save space in your home, avoid buying unnecessary items, or simply cut down on the number of decisions you have to make, a minimalist approach can help reduce the noise.
But even when you scale back, the overwhelm can still creep in. Narrowing your choices doesn’t necessarily ease the emotional stress tied to the process. You might still find yourself second-guessing, wondering if you’ve missed something, or feeling anxious about making the wrong decision. The uncertainty and pressure to get it “right” can still weigh heavily on you.
That’s why we created the Reducing Baby Registry Stress Journey in the Moment for Parents app: to help you slow down, reflect on what matters most to you, and make decisions that align with your values. This Journey is designed to support you in prioritizing both your baby’s needs and your own, easing the stress of preparing for postpartum life in the process. You can start the Reducing Baby Registry Stress Journey here.
Once you start making a registry, you might find yourself stuck in a loop of second-guessing. Even after narrowing down your list, each item opens up new questions: Which brand? What model? Do I need this now or later? It’s easy to feel like one wrong choice will set off a domino effect of regrets.
Trying to make a thoughtful choice can sometimes send you into a spiral. You might open a tab to do some research, only to fall down a rabbit hole of options, reviews, and opinions. Even after hours of searching, you’re left with more questions than answers, and no closer to deciding. It’s not that you’re doing nothing. You’re thinking, researching, weighing every angle. But instead of helping you move forward, all that effort leaves you feeling stuck and mentally exhausted. This is decision paralysis: when the drive to get it “right” makes it nearly impossible to move forward at all.
This kind of overthinking is often a response to uncertainty. During a time when so much feels out of your control, researching and planning can feel like something solid you can do. Comparing items, making spreadsheets, and reading every review can create a sense of productivity. But when that planning turns into trying to anticipate every possible need or getting everything just right, it can quickly become overwhelming instead of reassuring.
As Naomi Chunilal, author of The Mindful Mother: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Enjoying Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond with Mindfulness, describes it: “…a healthy nesting instinct can rapidly mutate into a hormone-fueled obsession involving epic proportions of online research and shopping. You start using up vast amounts of time, energy and resources, collecting items from an endless list of ‘essential’ newborn equipment. Even though you know that your baby won’t know or care whether you’ve got the latest model of infant technology, as long as you are near them.”
Noticing when you're slipping into overpreparing can be a helpful cue to pause and reassess. Asking yourself the following questions can help you recognize when you're preparing with purpose, and when it's time to take a step back and reset:
1. How is it making me feel?
2. Is it proactive?
3. How much time is it taking?
4. Are my thoughts on repeat?
Before your baby is born, so much is unknown. You don’t yet know their temperament, sensitivities, or preferences. Babies grow and change quickly, and their needs often shift along the way. You may not be able to predict what your baby will need, or when they’ll need it.
It can be uncomfortable to sit with that kind of uncertainty, especially when you’re trying your best to prepare. But accepting that some things will unfold over time can take some of the pressure off. Remind yourself that you’ll figure things out as you go, and that adapting is part of the process. Letting go of the need to get it all “right” can free up your energy to focus on what matters right now. You don’t need to have everything figured out to be a good parent.
Moment for Parents can help you tolerate the uncertainty of parenthood and find healthy ways to cope with the stress. Download the app today from the App Store or Google Play.
If you’re considering whether you need an item, you can pause and ask yourself:
Try looking for products that can serve multiple purposes. For example, a convertible bassinet that grows with your child or a combination car seat and stroller. This can help reduce clutter and allows you to invest in versatile items that work for your baby at different stages.
Buying gently used items can help you save money while also giving you a chance to try out different versions of products to see what works best for you and your baby. You can often find items that are unopened or still have the tags on them because they simply didn't work out for other families. Many baby items hold their value, so you can resell them if they don't work out. Sites like local buy-sell groups or online marketplaces are great resources for finding baby gear.
Babies grow rapidly in the first six months, and their needs can change quickly. Instead of planning for the entire first year, focus on the essentials for the first few months. Prioritize items that will be useful during this initial period, like newborn care products, sleep essentials, and feeding supplies. As your baby grows, you'll have a better understanding of their preferences and needs, which will help guide your future purchases.
Consider holding off on purchasing certain items until you see what your baby truly needs. Adding gift cards to your registry can give you some flexibility in making decisions after your baby arrives, when you’ll have a better sense of what works for you both.
Your registry can include more than just baby gear. It will be harder to do things around the house once you have your baby, and rest is so important following birth. On your registry, you can ask for support with meals, cleaning, childcare, or other kinds of help around your home. You might also ask for something like pelvic floor therapy or doula support during labor or postpartum. Anything you can do that allows you more time to focus on resting and healing your body is a wonderful idea.
Creating a baby registry doesn't have to be an overwhelming experience. If you’d like a chance to pause and reflect on how you’re feeling about the registry process, the Reducing Baby Registry Stress Journey in the Moment for Parents app is here for you. It’s a space to sort through the overwhelm, reconnect with what matters most to you, and feel more at ease with the choices ahead. Start your Journey here.