Should you pick and choose a name when you see the baby or before? Or just choose two names before and pick one after the baby is born?
I think you should pick and choose name before the baby, but that’s just me. I change my mind very often and if I don’t think about names before the baby is born I might regret the name.
It’s up to the individual. Some people want to see what the baby looks and ‘feels’ like first. Some people are confident that the baby will ‘feel’ like whichever name they choose. I don’t think it really matters in the grand scheme of things.
I planned to wait till I see the baby, however, I’ve fallen in love with names already and I’m not even engaged! Of course my SO could change them, but if it’s with my current then that won’t happen.
So we’ve already picked out the names, however, the middle names are technically up for negotiation for my girl combo. The boy combo is pretty much solid.
I think it’s nice to get a feel of the child’s energy first, we did that with my friend’s baby. He was nameless for almost a week, and so was my youngest brother when he was born.
But it’s also nice when you have a name picked out before, because it’s more…connecting? I think either way is fine really.
I’d have some names for each gender picked out before, but at the same time I wouldn’t be so rigid as to say that a certain name is definitely going to be used.
My cousin was set on [name]Henry[/name] for her son before he was born. She called the bump [name]Henry[/name] and everything and then when he was born, we all went in to say hi to “[name]Henry[/name]” only for her to start crying that it didn’t sound right and he was going to be “no name boy” because it was the only name she liked. She settled on [name]Daniel[/name] and I think it suits him much more than [name]Henry[/name] would. And I’m thrilled because I love [name]Henry[/name] and so I’m glaad she didn’t use it 
I find the whole notion of the baby “looking” like a certain name to be kind of silly, personally.
oops double post.
Honestly, I think it has more to do with the personality of the parents. If they feel the need to make an emotional connection between the baby in their arms and the name they choose. I don’t think it’s a bad idea, it’s just personal preference.
I would feel a bit out of control if I was expecting myself to make a huge decision while in the hospital, but I’m not sure what I’d actually do if I were pregnant–it would really depend on the names for me.
I did it both ways. When my son was born (first child) we knew what his name was and the first thing the doctor said after he was born was “Hello, [name]Joshua[/name]. [name]Welcome[/name] to the world!” He was a wonderful doctor.
With our second, nothing was fitting at all. We couldn’t decide on a name for her. When she was born, as I was holding her, I started singing the song that goes “[name]Joanna[/name], I love you!” so she kind of named herself! [name]Johanna[/name], with a silent “H.”
And yes they both start with “J” and no it never really bothered me!
Before DS was born, I always thought people who said they wanted to wait to “meet” their kids before naming them were ridiculous. A name is a name and if anything, I wanted to feel connected to our son before he was born and to me that meant choosing a name. However, we just could not find a name that felt right. We came up with a name that we “decided on” (because I was dead set on choosing a name before he was born), but neither of us were 100% behind it, and then he was born and we knew it was not the right name for him at all. He ended up with a name that wasn’t anywhere near our short list and it’s perfect.
My experience has taught me that there is no right or wrong on this issue. It varies with every woman/couple and every pregnancy (a friend of mine had the same experience as me for her first son, but then for her second assumed the same thing would happen so didn’t choose a name before he was born and then when he was born she couldn’t find the right name and ended up just picking something and I think she regrets it a bit). This is truly a question where “to each his own” applies.
When I get round to having children what I would like to do is chose a few names that me and my partner could agree on and then choose which one most suits out baby when we meet them. This is because I would hate to be set on a combo just for it then to not fit right once baby is born and for us to have to start from scratch - this happened when I got my dog, I wanted to call her [name]Poppy[/name] so badly but she just wasn’t a [name]Poppy[/name], then she went three days nameless until my auntie came up with Cookie.
I haven’t had children, but I don’t think I will pick it before hand. I just seems weird to me. I know lots of people say that is weird to wait, because the kids will grow into the name. My parents had a name picked out until the minute they met me. I was a VERY angry baby. 
They had to chose a new name for me.
I think I will have a list picked out, like many people have said. Or maybe my SO will be like my Grandpa and write down the wrong name, but we will like it better anyway. Who knows.
I would never leave all the naming thought until after the birth. That’s what my parents did for me and my name story goes like this,
“Well, we wanted to name you [name]Christine[/name], but we already had a friend named [name]Christine[/name], and we liked [name]Allison[/name] but that’s your cousin’s name. So we went with [name]Kristin[/name], and your middle name sounded good”
…
Golly! What a wonderful story 
I’m not impressed, hahaha. It has always really bothered me how they seem so unenthusiastic about my name. When I was in grade 2, I started looking for alternatives.
I would definitely put thought in to choosing my kid’s name. I may have a couple contenders at the birth and make the call after the birth, but I wouldn’t go in to it blind with no ideas.
If my SO and I can agree on a name before the birth, that’d be ideal for me because I’m the type of person who likes knowing exactly what is coming.
I was always inclined to plan ahead and choose the name ahead of time, but I also like the idea of having two or three options in mind and making the final decision after meeting the baby – if and when there is difficulty in making a final decision beforehand. I just don’t think that is necessary. I believe names are versatile enough that the chosen name and child will naturally blend to create a unique identity.
I would love for people who have had children, and who found that the predetermined name didn’t suit the baby once it arrived, to explain how they knew. I love me some babies (who doesn’t) but I really think newborns are little lumps of sleeping clay and they’re pretty much all the same. They all look alike (eerily, they look like [name]Winston[/name] [name]Churchill[/name]), they all sleep 20+ hours/day, and they all make no eye contact nor do they register your presence in any other way. Once they ‘wake up’ at about two weeks of age it’s another story, but right after birth… [name]Cormac[/name] could be [name]Brinlee[/name] could be [name]Fernando[/name], you know?
It’s interesting, isn’t it…
With both my brother and I my parents ended up calling us names that weren’t the top contenders.
They say they just “knew”.
Bro was going to be [name]Henry[/name], but when he popped out, my dad was like " Oh he’s a [name]Marc[/name]!" And all present agreed.
I guess you could say babies, like full grown people, have a vibe?
I could get behind the idea of mismatched names and vibes
With my first we had a name picked and it suited him.
With my second we had a few names- but when I met her I really wanted a particular name. [name]Blade[/name], I think it was her colouring- chocolate haired and rosebud lips that swayed my choice.
With my third we had a name picked for most of the pregnancy- then got sick of it. We has a list of around 5 names but when she was born I tried them on her and they just didn’t seem right. In the end I went with a name I had crossed off the list as a we knew a girl with the name. But the name just seemed right for her.
[name]One[/name] lady I knew went in for her third son, and the nurse said to her “what will [name]Zac[/name] and [name]Ben[/name] think of the new baby?” They were [name]Zac[/name] and [name]James[/name] not [name]Zac[/name] and [name]Ben[/name]… straight away she thought [name]Ben[/name] sounds perfect! and he was named [name]Ben[/name].
With [name]Hazel[/name], we choose the name before hand and referred to the baby as [name]Hazel[/name] but we did have a list of names, just in case she wasn’t a [name]Hazel[/name], but she suited the name perfectly.
As for this one, we can’t decide so we’ve just made a list of the 3 names that we love and well decide when we meet him. I’m finding it easier like that actually because all throughout my pregnancy with [name]Hazel[/name], after we decided the name, I was worried that she wasn’t going to suit it and was desperately trying to find substitutes just in case. I’m finding it less stressful to have a top 3.
@[name]Blade[/name], I think what your saying is generally true. I have met many babies who are like that, but of course there are always exceptions. I knew people who had a baby and they had a name picked out. He was going to be [name]Jett[/name]. That didn’t work out, because he was the most relaxed baby I have ever seen. He was one of the babies that made the nurses freak out because he wouldn’t cry. And he actually would make eye contact with everyone. It creeped the nurses out a bit. It just depends on the baby.
I was also full of personality, and everyone thought that was a little weird. Though for me I think it was because I was born about two weeks later than my mom’s body wanted. But I think it just depends.
I strongly disagree with you on this one. It was very clear to me when I saw my daughter’s sweet face that she was a [name]Rosalind[/name] and not any of the other names on our list. I also don’t think she’s a little lump, she’s full of wonder and personality and definitely notices things.
Anyway, it’s really up to everyone what they do. We had five names for each going in, but I was leaning towards [name]Rosalind[/name], [name]Daphne[/name] and [name]Cressida[/name] going in. When I met her, it was very clear who she was. If I already had ordered clothes and things with [name]Ceridwen[/name] or [name]Morgana[/name] (earlier favourites) I would’ve felt stupid. But if people decide on a name before the baby is there, that’s fine too. And I know people who’ve gone in blank and named their babies wonderful things. Whatever works for you.
That’s a hard question for me!
Before I was pregnant, I wanted my first daughter to be named [name]Lilah[/name] [name]Belle[/name]. Once I became pregnant, the name was kind of ruined for me by my ex and I really didn’t feel like the name fit my bump. My sister suggested [name]Tatum[/name] (which had been a favorite off and on). It did seem to fit the bump, so [name]Tatum[/name] [name]Rose[/name] she became. I had things monogrammed, engraved, hung up, etc. When she was about 6 months old, I felt like she wasn’t a [name]Tatum[/name] after all. We never called her [name]Tatum[/name], we’d call her one of her 10 nicknames instead. I heavily contemplated changing it to [name]Macie[/name] which I felt she looked like. I vowed I’d never choose a name before the baby was born again. It wasn’t until she was about 18 months old that her name started fitting her. [name]Tatum[/name] matched her fiery, dramatic personality. [name]Way[/name] more than [name]Lilah[/name] or [name]Macie[/name] ever could.
Now that it does fit her, I go back and forth. I would hate to feel that uncertain about my child’s name again but yet, it turned out for the best.