Hello! My amazing baby daughter is 6 months, almost 7. I have been second guessing her name since she was born. I won’t mention the names as I don’t want that to affect your opinion.
We went to the hospital with 2 names (we were hoping to decide beforehand since I knew it would be hard for me to choose In the hospital) but she came 2 weeks early! Perfectly healthy thankfully. I kept going back and forth in hospital and allowed myself to be influenced by opinions of my family when I told them both names. My gut said the other name. I also felt pressured to leave with a name but wish I waited a week as I think I would have chosen the other name.
I think her current name is beautiful but I realize I like the other name better. Her name is a bit of a mouthful and a many people pronounce it wrong or call her by her nickname which I don’t like. ([name_m]Even[/name_m] though I thought I would). The nn is so natural and easy that I feel, and even if we try to go by her full name, she will always be her Nickname. I really thought I would like her name more than I do but I don’t as much in use.
We’ve almost changed it a few times…even announced the new name to close family members but then I chickened out. Funny is that I always thought it was too late too change it and I now realize that doing it at 3 months would have been so much easier than 6! I still have her birth announcements ready to go that I haven’t sent out…I’m not so worried about telling my family and friends but she has been in daycare for 2 months so I feel really weird about that.
I wind up not using her name a lot and just calling her “sweetie,etc”. I also sometimes call her both names.
My husband prefers the name she has but is fine changing it because he wants me to be happy. I have a 3 yo I’m worried about confusing although not sonmuch because I openly talk and have joked with her about using the other name, which she likes. I do feel a little selfish if I change it but I also can’t control how I feel about it. I wish I could move on as is but keep thinking about it. I wish I changed it earlier but was reluctant to do it, thinking it was hormones or feeling tired so didn’t want to make the wrong decision- but now I feel recovered and am getting sleep and my opinion about her name is the same.
I do feel that if I change it, I can’t wait much longer as she is probably beginning to recognize it.
Has anyone changed their baby’s name? [name_m]How[/name_m] have you felt? Would people think I’m crazy at her daycare? Thanks!
Can you change her middle name? Put the other name there and call her by both?
Does your child recognise her name?
If so, I wouldn’t change the first name, if not and if it’s something you feel you have to do then go for it.
Personally I’ve always seen a baby’s name as their own, not belonging to the parents, and unless it’s a horribly offensive name, I don’t think parents should change it (but then I come from a country where you can’t just change your child’s name, you can’t even change your own name, so I’ve always found the idea of simply changing a name because it doesn’t appeal as much anymore a little weird).
I can’t change to her middle name as that is my last name. I didn’t change my last name when I got married and so my kids have my last name as their middle and my husband’s as their last.
Kind of hard to weigh in without hearing both name options.
I understand how you feel though, because in the immediate days/weeks after my daughter was born, I regretted her name choice a bit… [name_f]Juno[/name_f] is a very unusual name where I live and I just felt weird telling people it was her name and wondered if she would hate it as she got older. But we have used several cute nicknames to soften it a bit over time (like [name_f]Juni[/name_f]) and now that she’s older, the name sounds so “normal” to me and she has grown into it too, it really suits her and has more personality than it did when she was a newborn. I’m happy I didn’t change it as it would have been kind of embarrassing and annoying to have to re-tell everyone her name… I would have to REALLY HATE a name to do that. And I have gotten some really sweet comments on her name from people - a couple we know through some friends actually want to use it for their daughter and I’m flattered. Like I said, it’s super uncommon where I am from.
I have 5 children w all of them we went into the hospital w 2-3 names the days after that baby was born we chose a name left the hospital w a named baby. However w our 5th baby it was a little dif. He was a breach baby w a planned C section, all the others were vaginal. However weeks before the Planned c section my water broke and I had to go through labor pains and a C section. The recovery from a c section was bad and I felt hungover from all the painkillers. I couldn’t think straight and we left the hospital w an unnamed baby boy.
[name_m]Even[/name_m] after I was home I was in so much pain not like my other 4 births. The final 3 names on our list I just didn’t like and i chose a completely dif name that was never on our list, my husband conceded because he felt bad that I was in so much pain.
For 4 moths all the kids called this baby [name_u]River[/name_u] we announced it and blah blah. After 4 mo my husband came to me and said I just don’t like his name I thought I would get used to it but it feels wrong. So we decided to change his name to [name_f]Indy[/name_f] one of the 3 names on our original hospital list. I never legally changed it. I announced it to my family they were fine w it. No one really questioned it. Sometime ppl call him [name_u]River[/name_u] and I just remind them it’s [name_f]Indy[/name_f] now and that’s all.
If it doenst feel right by now then change it not a big deal.
[name_f]Meryl[/name_f] so sorry to hear about the emergency c section and difficult recovery! [name_f]Glad[/name_f] things are okay! Thanks for sharing your story…it’s good to know that it wasn’t a huge deal. I wish we did it at 4 months. Cute name!!
My mum chose to change my little brothers name when he was 8 months old after hearing his name called out in a doctors surgery and deciding enough was enough! He was born [name_m]Johnathon[/name_m] and is now [name_u]Jensen[/name_u]. She called him baby during the first 8 months. And I was 3 and a half at the time and have no memory of him being [name_m]Johnathon[/name_m]. He much prefers the name [name_u]Jensen[/name_u] and occasionally refuses to admit that one of his middle names is now [name_m]Johnathon[/name_m].
I think you should go ahead and change it. Your husband is supportive and that’s all that matters You have to be happy and it’s really bothering you so go for it! Your family doesn’t get an opinion because they aren’t her parents. And don’t mind the daycare at all, they’ll get used to it and I’m sure they will be really kind and help by calling her the name you want. I don’t think it will be an issue for your baby either. People have adopted babies age 1 and older and change their names no problem. They learn and adapt [name_m]Even[/name_m] if she is confused, she’ll get it. Rest easy and do what you need
I think it’s okay to make a change, but fixating on things could also be a sign of post partum anxiety. I am just throwing it out there, post partum issues are not just about feeling depressed and crying a lot. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with your feelings, or decisions, I support your idea. Best of luck!
Listen to your gut and change her name. You are the mother who brought her into this world and you have every right to change the name if you want to. Your husband being supportive is wonderful too. Birth is a very intense experience and frankly I think you deserve to make any naming decisions you want, especially in the first year of her life.
Change her name to the one you love. You’ll all be happier for it, and a year or two in the future no one will even remember her old name :).
Thanks all! I so appreciate your thoughtful responses! I will make a final decision this weekend since she just turned 7 months today!!
If you want to know now her name is [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] but I want to change it to [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] as she’s always called bea already. you may have seen my posts on this months ago. Thanks so much!
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f] is on my middle name list!!! I love it, it’s sooooooooooo cute! And I COMPLETELY get the nickname thing bugging you. I want my kids to be called by they’re full names most of the time too Hugs!
[name_m]Just[/name_m] wanted to update you that my husband and I finally made the decision to change our daughter [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]'s name to [name_f]Harriet[/name_f]. I feel so much better about it, and it was an awkward few days, but the transition is going well. Everyone is making us feel good about it and seem to love her new name.
I think it will take a little getting used to, but although the name [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] is beautiful, all of the mispronunciations and shortening of her name were getting to me. Thanks for all of your tips!
you may have seen my posts on this months ago. Thanks so much!