Choosing your baby’s name is exciting and a big deal, but if you’re lucky enough to have chosen the perfect name long before you give birth, is it wise to tell people before the big event?
Of course – as with all things baby-related – the choice can be complex. There’s plenty to recommend both telling and not telling. So we’ve broken down the pros and cons of making the big reveal beforehand in the hope that it might just help you make your decision.
1. You will get feedback
The case for
Sharing the name ahead of time could be quite helpful if you want to get other opinions, especially if you have a few favourite options on your shortlist. Saying the name out loud to others might also help you make up your mind or point out something you hadn’t thought of and live to regret – such as their favourite name rhyming with genitals.
The case against
You could get negative reactions, even if they’re only based on personal opinions. And once those opinions are out there, they can be quite hard to ignore, which might have you starting to doubt your name choice. For example, someone might have had a dog or went to school with a jerk of the same name, or just not understand your pick at all – particularly if the name is unusual or unique in any way.
If people only find out the name once the baby is born, they’re less likely to openly say they hate it – and if they do, too bad! By then you’ve followed through with your personal decision without being negatively influenced and in time they’ll probably come to like the name anyway.
2. It can help with bonding
The case for
Similar to knowing the sex prior, many mothers find that thinking of their baby as an already named entity and calling them by name to others helps them bond with their bub, both in the womb and once they’re born.
The case against
You may spend the whole pregnancy calling your bub by name, shouting it from the rooftops to all your family and friends only to discover that when you give birth your baby doesn’t look like a Charlie at all. Now to let everyone know you’ve dropped Charlie like a sack of potatoes and gone with Alfie instead. #awkward
3. You can claim the name
The case for
This is a biggie! If you and your closest friends and family are all in the baby-making phase of life, there may be strong competition for a small pool of baby names. So if you share your intention to name your baby Frankie early on, this should take the name off the table for other pregnant pals. First dibs! Right?
The case against
There is one less surprise to tell people once the baby arrives. Because unless you choose a unisex name and don’t reveal the gender, people will know both the sex and name prior to the birth – usually two of the biggest reveals once the baby is here.
You also run the risk of announcing the name to a pregnant friend who gives zero hoots about social protocol and steals your baby name anyway. Especially upsetting if it is a one-of-a-kind name (do they still exist?) and they deliver first!
So to tell or not to tell then?
Either way, there is no right or wrong way to announce your baby’s name. The choice is yours and as long as you don’t call them something deliberately cruel or crazy (there are laws against that), whatever you decide to do, just go for it!
Posted in BABY NAMES.
