Naming Your Baby

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Expecting parents have many things to consider as the day gets closer to their baby’s arrival. Picking the perfect name can be at the top of the list. There are many resources to help like websites and baby name books. But the task is not as easy as it seems.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I had already decided on my baby’s name. I had loved the name Olivia for as long as I could remember and just knew that was what I wanted my baby girl’s name to be. But I had two problems.

Number one, my husband had equal say in naming our baby and Olivia was not at the top of his list. Number two, we would find out later that I was actually pregnant with a boy.

So once we found out the sex of the baby, I gave up the fight for my favorite name. But the new challenge was to decide on a boy's name together. It was difficult enough for two of us to agree but I have friends that had many outside influences as well. There can be relatives that want their name carried on.

There can be friends that give their opinion of names, even if they are not asked. And there is still that pressure as a parent to choose a name that will be cute as an infant, cool as a kid, professional as an adult, and not rhyme with any words that could cause them horrible teasing. That is a lot to consider.

Many expecting parents have found that it is much easier to make the name decision and not share it with anyone until the baby is actually born. The last thing that you want is to choose what you feel is the perfect baby name, then have half the people that you know try to talk you out of it.

So how do you know if you are picking the perfect baby name? Sometimes it has to do with compromise and sometimes you will just feel that it is right. This may not happen until the moment that your newborn enters the world. This is why it is also common for expecting parents to go to the hospital with a list of names so they can see the baby before they decide.

Naming your baby is just the beginning of your new adventure.

Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.