Stressing over getting ready for baby’s arrival, living with a growing baby bump, and riding the rollercoaster of emotions that come with pregnancy is not enough. But there's another stress point on impending motherhood: choosing the perfect baby name.
Moms may think they have it all figured out, from the color of baby’s room to the selection of toys, books, and adorable clothing for future selfies. Moms learn how to fend off questions about baby’s due date, how they deal with pregnancy symptoms like nausea and cravings or avoiding unwanted baby bump touches.
One question that some moms are ill prepared for, is when people start questioning the baby’s future name. Because moms are always prepared, and there’s definitely a winning name picked out. Right? And then there’s a backup name, in case baby ends up being born a different gender, or one name becomes too popular.
If mom is panicking about whether they finally picked out the right baby name, or constantly suffers from recurring doubts or concerns about how much influence the baby name may have, consider this… There are some legitimate reasons that some moms wait to decide on the right baby name for their bundle of joy. And if mom wants to hold out, mom can.
15 Mom Or Dad Wants To Honor An In-Law
If mom and dad have one reason to want to delay naming the baby too soon, the in-laws may have something to do with it. Many couples want to grease the relationship wheels, or honor family traditions passed down the generations, and the choice of a baby name may be hanging in the balance.
Not wanting to ruffle any feathers, mom or dad may have their heart set on naming their new baby after a grandmother, grandfather, or another relative. Naming a child after a beloved relative can be a sign of respect for that person’s legacy, or the name is too classic to not pass it on to the next generation.
On the bright side, if naming a child after an in-law leads to a future trust fund, or a getting on their good side for a will, maybe it’s not that bad of an idea?
14 Family Tradition Calls For A Naming Ceremony
A tradition that has been practiced by many cultures and indigenous people throughout the world, is a baby naming ceremony. A naming ceremony is a way for a new member of the community to be formally introduced to family and friends, have the baby receive blessings and gifts, and really makes the arrival of the baby a special occasion to be recognized.
There doesn’t necessarily have to be a religious tie to a naming ceremony, as many couples can have a secular naming ceremony performed to honor the birth of their child. Some traditions call for a child’s name not to be revealed to others until a naming ceremony takes place, which is great for parents who still haven’t made an absolutely final decision on what to name their bundle of joy.
13 There Is A Need To Consult Numerology First
Some may call it superstition or mumbo-jumbo, but numerology is something mom needs to consider before choosing a baby name. After all, the name bestowed on a baby is going to have some major impact on their life, destiny, and possibly influence future hobbies. Right?
Of course, mom can take the pressure off of how important the baby name choice is, once they remember that their tiny tot can opt for an official name change in the future. Used since ancient times, apparently, letters can have assigned numerical values, which when added up, are believed to influence a human’s personality, character, and possible future occupations.
According to Zen Parent, numerology should be something that parents should think about when choosing a child’s name because it can create positive or negative influences on a child.
12 Concerns Over Baby’s Personality Conflicting With Name Choice
Even though mom may have given the baby’s name a lot of thought, it may end up not being the best fit for baby. Once baby arrives in a mother’s arms, the bonding process begins, and mom can better glimpse her child’s personality quirks.
There’s nothing like naming a child a name that means they are quiet, only to later see them show signs that they are a boisterous extrovert. According to Live Science, mom definitely has good reasons for being concerned about choosing the right baby name. People can have negative connotations about a child’s name, or the baby might develop low self-esteem if the name causes conflict in life.
So if mom wants things less stressful, it makes sense to wait until her little one arrives in the world before choosing a name.
11 Too Many Baby Name Books, Too Many Choices
“Be prepared,” may be the scout motto, but for mothers-to-be, preparation for a little one can bring on some stress. When it comes to motherhood, pregnancy, and choosing the perfect baby name, there is more than one good reason for mom to unplug from perfection, and hit the pause button.
As much as a mother may try to have everything just right for their baby, after reading through baby name book after baby name book, consulting close friends, or pulling a name out of a hat, it can lead to feeling like a ball of stress.
If people keep pestering a mother-to-be about the future baby name, and when they’re going to decide for good, it can suck out the joy of motherhood. Moms can totally wait on choosing a baby name because stress and frustration aren’t worth it.
10 Concerns Over Cultural Appropriation
Some names sound so exotic and breathtaking. And with the desire for their child to be unique, a mom may blindly choose to give their child a name that has a cultural history that goes beyond superficial beauty. You know what I’m talking about. Cultural appropriation.
Yes, some moms justify their decision as making a stand to embrace the human family in its totality, or that they believe that a name is just a name. However, some names have deep and personal connections to certain groups of people, who may also happen to be marginalized, or have spiritual attributes attached to a name meaning.
When a child is given a name that sounds beautiful but is detached from its origins of traditions and cultural practices associated with that name, it can possibly cause trivialization and some confusion.
9 Mom And Dad Just Can’t Agree On Name Choice Yet
Being pregnant is tough enough, and with the emotional ups and downs that both mom and dad feel, it is more than reasonable to want to keep the peace. Fighting leads to stress, an upset mom, and upset baby, and a rocky home environment.
Unbelievably, couples can and do fight over baby name choices. And sometimes, the results can be pretty ugly, especially if either mom or dad has hangups about a name, or wants to follow a family tradition.
Compromise is important to a healthy relationship, as is patience, unconditional love, and respect. One reason mom and dad might be mum on baby’s future name when asked is that they have yet to agree on a choice.
According to an article on TODAY, fighting over the name choice for an expecting baby is one of the most common events for future parents.
8 Mom Is Waiting Name Choice Out Because Gender Is A Surprise
Gender reveal parties are increasingly popular in the United States when announcing a baby’s imminent arrival. And if baby’s gender is a mystery, then the baby’s name might still be an enigma too. As some parents are shifting away from choosing names according to the child’s biological sex and associated gender, it makes sense for mom to put things off until the baby is born.
Parents want to focus more on raising a well-rounded human being, rather than focus on gendered behavior. According to Bustle, many parents don’t want their child to feel pressured to conform to stereotypes, so unisex names are great for boys and girls.
Knowing all of this, it makes sense for mom to wait on choosing a baby name until their tiny human finally makes their debut.
7 It’s Hard To Decide When It Needs To Be Super Unique
Since our world loves to recycle and reuse things, it may be increasingly difficult to pick out a baby name that is unique. After all, there is nothing new under the sun. It also doesn’t help when people jump on the bandwagon for a name, after it is plastered all over social media either.
Mom may want to be cautious about going overboard with the effort spent making their child’s name too unique. Not only can it be hard for people to pronounce an overly unique name, but it may be devoid of any real meaning, beyond mom’s imagination and cause problems for a child later in life.
According to Town & Country magazine, names need about 100 years before they can come back in style. So, it’s no wonder that names like Scout, Birdie, or Brooklyn have come in vogue as popular baby names.
6 Family Input Is Needed Before Settling On A Name
There’s a saying that still rings true, “You don’t just marry your significant other, you are married to their family.” And when it comes to naming a baby, for some couples, it truly is a family affair. Mom and dad are not the only ones who have input on a future family addition’s name, as mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, siblings, aunts, uncles, and even cousins may want to put in their two cents.
Even family meetings may be called in order to offer sensible well-meaning advice to a couple, still trying to figure out what name is best to give their future child. If it wasn’t enough pressure being pregnant, trying to stay healthy, and preparing for baby’s arrival, mom may have to delay on choosing baby’s name, because her opinion is not the only one counted in deciding her bundle of joy’s name.
5 No Need For The Negativity
Okay, adulting is hard enough. And when mom thinks she has finally come into her own, she may find herself cringing at having to come up with an answer for critical family and friends when they inquire about baby’s future name.
It takes strength to stand up to strong personalities in life. But, it can be doubly difficult when a mother doesn’t want to disappoint family and friends because they’ll think her choice of a baby name is simply too weird, or too boring to be a good fit her child.
Although friends and family may be well-meaning, it may be to mom’s benefit to forego divulging her ideas about the baby name for her tiny tot. If mom doesn’t want to deal with any negative vibes about her life choices for her child, she can say she is being trendy by keeping mum until baby’s arrival.
4 Don’t Want Conflicts During Pregnancy, So It Can Wait
Having a baby can be a nerve-wracking experience, filled with moments of joy, tears, anxiety, and conflicts about what to expect and how to deal. If mom doesn’t want any conflict with her significant other, because there are so many other things to work out before baby arrives, choosing a baby name can wait.
Mothers-to-be definitely will realize how both their personality, and their significant other’s personality will fully come to light when it comes to being pregnant and giving birth. It’s funny, but sometimes the smallest things can challenge a relationship, and picking out the perfect baby name can cause a rift.
After cooling flared tempers, or dealing with frustration over ideas, it may be best for mom to wait until after she has the baby to finally agree on the right baby name.
3 With So Much To Do, The Name Can Wait
If a mom finds herself saying to herself or out loud, “I ain’t got time for that,” it might just be because there are far more pressing issues than figuring out the baby’s name. Many mothers still work up until their delivery, fuss over making changes to the nursery, a baby registry, or just need to take pressure off of them. Pregnancy is not easy to bear, and many mothers just can’t wait until baby arrives.
There is so much to focus on during pregnancy, motherhood, and being prepared to take on the challenges of being a mom. There will be pediatrician appointments to make, feedings, diaper changes, and hours of lost sleep. If mom doesn’t want to lose sleep or stress out much during her pregnancy, it’s a good choice for mom to wait on naming baby after everything else is taken care of life.
2 It’s Bad Luck To Reveal Name Before Birth
According to Cafe Mom, it can be scary choosing a baby name before the baby arrives. You know why? Because what if something goes wrong? No wonder some mothers decide to stay quiet about their baby’s future name, as it could have some serious consequences for their child.
Some people believe that malevolent people may send out ill-will to their child via the Evil Eye, or may use their child’s name in a nefarious manner. Some people believe that a naming ceremony is important to offer a child protection, prosperity, and positive vibes in their life. And only at a naming ceremony, should a newborn child’s name be revealed.
So, if mother’s intuition is nagging at her not to speak her future child’s name, because of fear of bad luck, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
1 There Is Still Uncertainty Over The Name Meaning
What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to choosing a name for a newborn babe, a whole lot. It’s funny how mom and dad may not consider how much impact their decisions have on their child, until it comes time to decide on the perfect name.
And, to make matters even more interesting, names which may sound adorable, funny, or powerful may take on a completely different vibe once mom uncovers a name meaning. If there’s any reason to delay choosing baby’s new name, it’s because a few days before delivery, mom discovers that delightful name means “homely one,” “ruddy colored,” or “feisty.”
It’s no wonder why moms and dads may agonize over stacks of baby name books, consult favorite characters from films or novels, or cringe over picking a name out of a hat.
References: Cafe Mom, Today's Parent, Parenting, Zen Parent, , Live Science, Town&Country, Smithsonian Magazine, Today, Bustle, Wedding Bee