Baby doesn’t feel like their name

In a similar situation myself.interesting to read the replies. Would love to know how you are now.

People write this sort of response and yet I have no clue what on earth a Gp or health visitor could do except suggest talking about it, or go an antidepressant. I hate the way it’s written as if the Gp has some sort of magic wand. She’s asking on here for real feedback and suggestions from real people. Stop deflecting and just answer about the topic in question.

She's nearly a year old. This is her name now. What is the name and are there nicknames?

I agree with @SJay401 post.

What is the name?

At first I wasn’t a massive fan of the name we chose, but 2 years later I couldn’t see her as anything else

And give yourself a break!

If you have any other signs of post natal depression definitely go speak to your GP. But if not it's very possible that you are putting pressure on yourself because you feels it's such a big decision. It is a big decision but as long as you have chosen a name that you think is nice, you have done a great job and literally can do no more than that.

Find a nickname you like and use that until they are a little older and suit their name more (or forever if you like, my mum calls me by a nickname). It can be a nickname related to their name or something completely random.

No baby looks like their name. Do you think there has ever been a baby that looks like a Susan or a Stephen or a Jacob or an Emma? They all just look like babies until you start to see them grow into little people.

I think your feelings are 100% completely normal! I wouldn't change the name again. I can guarantee that you will have chosen a perfectly lovely name.

I think that feeling is fairly commonplace because it’s so hard to make what seems like such a big decision for someone else- especially someone so important to us. But that’s just until your DC start referring to themselves by their name - that’s when it really becomes “their name” as it feels like they’ve accepted it themselves iykwim? If your DC is nearly 1, it won’t be that much longer to wait, despite what it feels like now (another 6 months to a year most likely).

They will definitely already recognise their name though, even though they can’t say it yet, so unless it’s something so terrible that it could cause major teasing (which is really unlikely these days with the wide variety of names!), I wouldn’t change it again.

I found it really hard to get used to my son's name too.
I have brown eyes and brown hair so I imagined my son would look like me with the dark features, however he's a gorgeous blonde with beautiful bright blue eyes and the name I'd picked out seemed like it suited the dark featured boy I was imagining and it just wasn't him.
He's only 4 months and I still think of names he'd suit more but my dh thinks the name we chose suits him perfectly so maybe he just doesn't look how I imagined someone with that name typically looks but soon when you get used to someone's name I'm sure you won't be able to imagine them called anything else.

Pls don’t change it again

They will become their name. Try to stop thinking about it and just enjoy who they are. Use lots of endearments and shortened versions but also their proper name, until it becomes just right.

Baby is almost one...they know their own name. They recognise it. You may be feeling it's not their name, but they will already.

They have a name and identity. Thinking you can change it as this point feels like you don't seem them as an actual person. They're not a toy or an accessory.

What is the name?

It can be hard to identify a baby with their name particularly if it's quite a grown up name like Elizabeth or Alexander for example.

It could be a case of ride it out and wait for it to feel more comfortable when dc is older.

But how are you feeling in yourself ? Mood? Bonding with baby? Anxiety? I would consider if a gp visit might help.

@Rachmorr57 this doesn't apply to the first change as done under a year old (the new name becomes their legal birth name) but this may apply if it's changed again yes, as it'll be changed by deed poll. Mind you, the only records she'll have so far is NHS I reckon, so not many things will have been recorded under this name yet anyway, so probably irrelevant. I may be wrong though. I can't imagine she'll have declare this name, as it won't have been used for much yet.

It's not really about random people knowing, it's about your child knowing their name and having it changed.

If the name is really weird/ridiculous then change it.

If it's a perfectly nice name then get used to it.

The only exception would be if the baby is known by a nickname and you changed their full name to something else but kept the same nickname e.g. the baby is known as Lu (short for Lucinda) and you change their name to Lu (short for Lucia); this is fine as it doesn't cause a problem for the baby.

They’ll grow into it. It’s sometimes hard to imagine one’s jolly lump of a one year old being the sentient being you were imagining when you called it James or Sophia, but they will be.

It’s your child and they’ll have their new name a lot longer than they’ve had the one you’ll change it from. You say it every day and if you feel like they seem strongly like something else, and you’re confident this time, then change it. call them the name and make sure you are confident before changing it.

have they been unusual names you chose? Could it be it’s different from names you’re used to and you actually prefer more traditional names and haven’t realised? (I think this was my issue)

i felt the same and when asking my HV and midwife, the midwife had changed her sons name at 7 months and the HV had felt like this and didn’t make any changes and she admitted she still sometimes feels like it’s wrong…her son is now 21!

I think it’s common and not always a sign of PPD. It’s a big decision and I think you are rushed into it at a time when you’re hormonal and tired

If it helps a friend had a new baby but the sibling decided to use another name. That name stuck. Child is now three and their name is still the siblings name choice. Everyone uses that name and no one knows or cares what she was registered as

If you really do hate it start using the new name now and change it officially later down the line. Just incase you go through it all again only to hate it again.
Or start using a Nn?
If your Dd hated her name as an adult she can change it by deed poll. X

are you wagging your forefinger whilst looking stern ??