I am quite a way from my due date (Oct), but I can’t help noticing how much my list of favorite names has already dwindled to a couple that I keep coming back to. I am torn. Part of me says it’s way too early to make an almost final decision on a name (I always had it in my mind that I would have to meet my baby face to face before I would know the name for sure). Part of me is saying be glad you have pretty much made a decision. My husband seems happy with the names, too. So, the question…
[name_m]How[/name_m] many names do you think should be kept on a list to take all the way to the hospital?
I would say no more than 3, I would probably bring 2 personally.
I agree I like the idea of seeing them first before it becomes official but it definitely doesn’t hurt to have some names already decided.
Not pregnant yet, but I’ve given this some thought myself. I think that, unless you were to decide beforehand which name is THE name, bringing maybe 3 or so top contenders is a great method. However, I’d also tuck a printed version of the full list in your things, just in case. Idk. I’ve heard a lot of parents say that the name they chose didn’t “fit” and some have even gone back to choose an old favorite. So I don’t think it could hurt
Ooh, I have to decide well in advance personally! It’s funny how people are so different. If there are a few names you keep coming back to, I’d trust your gut and be glad that you won’t have an uber-stressful struggle to narrow down at a later stage. There’s nothing stopping you going with a wild-card name in the end, but I think there’s something comforting and extra-personal about knowing that the little creature in your belly is X, or at least X or Y.
I do understand the appeal of waiting to meet them before making that final decision, but I wouldn’t take a list of more than 3 or 4 names. I just think it would be too overwhelming at an already very overwhelming time to choose a name almost from scratch! There is no right or wrong way though, really.
We chose our son’s name before I gave birth. Also chose to find out the sex. We are a bit OCD and like to have things organized and planned.
If I preferred naming my child after birth, I would most likely take two or three names with me. Any more would be overwhelming…or more overwhelming. For me, I think trying to name after birth would be overwhelming period. After giving birth you are exhausted, an exhaustion you have never felt before, your sore, you are taking care of a new little person. Your focus will not be like it was before you gave birth. So I would think the shorter the list the better.
Everyone’s different, I personally find it strange when people decide on a name the second thet know the gender but I know it’s common. For us with both of our children we had 3 names ready to go and chose at the hospital although for our daughter we were already strongly leaning towards one but for our son it was more up in the air. Either way though we only took about 5 minutes to decide once we saw the baby.
Everyone surely is different on this one. I am strongly in the ‘name the baby in the womb’ camp. Allowing for a change of mind at any time so you don’t feel locked in. Its worked for all ours and the only time I had any sense of name/look match was our son [name_m]Lucien[/name_m] who is very fair and I do wonder what other name would have suited him.
The magic number of names mentioned by PPs who name after seeing bub seems to be
3 which would avoid the A or B debate.
Best wishes.
I too always thought I wouldn’t be able to choose a name before meeting my child yet I also have solid front runners at this point (one for a boy one for a girl, we don’t know yet). I also thought my husband and I would have a much harder time agreeing, seeing as we only did agree on a few, but they feel right. While I refuse to confirm or announce a name prior to the birth, I do thinking of them by these names, and they will likely be the ones, yet, I do have a second choice if our first just doesn’t fit once we meet them. So, I think two is plenty if you are fairly certain already.
I would guess between 2 and 4. I haven’t been in that exact situation, but I had two names in my mind when I adopted my daughter, I had two names in mind to change hers to, and picked one once she moved in, though I’d met her several times before that.