To ask why people announce baby names before it’s born?

[LLBandTTC]

I don’t remember the last person that I know who had a baby and didn’t announce the name before it was even born, I don’t understand why you would? What if baby is born and they don’t suit it, etc? Just interested to know if anyone here has announced their babies name before birth and if so, why? (Not a dig, just curious)

I know someone who not only announced it but got it tattooed.

She’d also used the name of a dear friend who had passed away, without getting permission from the family.

@crispysausagerolls it's a personal choice and it seems you get snide comments whatever you do.

I wanted to find out at birth with both of mine because I wanted DH to be the first to tell me so we waited.

I also didn't want to find out as SIL found out, went down the stereotype route and had the opposite anyway which caused her a lot of angst that as she puts it "could've been avoided if she'd had more patience". I don't know many people who didn't find out and with the exception of SIL none of them have been disappointed (she was thrilled but shell shocked!) so I really don't think there's a right/wrong way.

@blueyedfloozy

I’m
Not being snide I really just don’t understand how it’s more of a surprise - it’s the same information!

Wanting your DH to tell you makes sense. Although how do you stop
The midwife from doing it?!

Agree it's a bit odd.
In our case there was no chance, we didn't agree what to call either of them until they were well over 2 weeks old.
We did (as I think is normal) float various names ideas with friends and family before they're born but that's different isn't it?

I'm currently expecting a very long awaited IVF baby. We had a really tough journey to get here and the support of family and friends was amazing, but it did mean lots of people knew we were trying / having treatment and then found out pretty early on that I was pregnant because they knew we'd just had another round of IVF. We know what we're having and have told people that when they ask. However we are keeping the name quiet until after she's born, because it feels like the one thing we can keep just between us and then announce to everyone when she arrives, and it's nice to have that when everything else about the conception / pregnancy has been shared with alot of of people! I don't really mind what other people do, each to their own!

Love the idea that you should keep name/sex secret to make you giving birth more exciting for randoms in your office

I guess for me it's about association with a real person rather than a picture.

Tbh you could've given me a picture and told me I was have a puppy and I wouldn't have given it a second thought. I just couldn't associate my bump with a person let alone their sex. Sounds odd but it's just how my brain is wired.

I told the midwife that if possible I'd have prefer DH to tell me and they were fine with that. It probably wouldn't have registered of someone else told me though - we had a bet running both times so it was more a case of who was right/wrong but otherwise I didn't really care 🤣

@blueeyedfloozy

It’s funny because it’s the opposite for me - when I know my baby’s sex and name and can refer to him as such, even when in utero, it makes him feel more real for me.

@crispysausagerolls
I can't really - it was a personal choice. I do feel even now though that when a baby arrival is announced it's a bit more exciting to be able to ask sex, name and weight etc rather than already knowing most of it. Plus sonographer's make mistakes; I know of someone who was told they were having a girl and decorated everything accordingly - even bought a pink pushchair. They were very surprised (and a bit disappointed if they were honest) when 'Samantha' turned out to be 'Samuel'

We planned for DH to tell me what we had as baby was being born. In the event it happened so quickly and DS was placed on me so fast DH didn't get a chance. It took us a few minutes to realise, I asked DH what we had and he said he didn't know he didn't see. I then lifted DS's leg to see whether there was a penis or a vagina. We still laugh about that now

We decided on a name we both liked for a boy. He looked like a (beautiful) potato when he was born how would I of known whether he would suit it? I've never met anyone who didn't 'suit' their name to be honest. Surely everyone just grows into their name. People knew his name before he was born if they asked but I didn't make a big announcement.

My DH & I decided on both our DS’s names prior to their arrival. No social media then but we did say when asked. For me, like others have said, it made the baby into more of “a real person” if that makes sense.

The name I wanted for my first DS was discounted because my DH didn’t like it as “too posh” -whatever that means!! Ironically my DS’s friends found out what he was originally going to be named & it stuck as his nickname when he was about 12. He’s now 21 & they still all call him by my original choice. I think it kind of suits him.

It's worse when people say they're 'not finding out' as want it to be a surprise but then actually find out (ahem I'm looking at you Janet (name change) and then proceed to keep it from you for their 'big announcement' after birth (cue lots of fake surprise and a overly specific nursery because they bought a selection...
.yep)

Janet always holds it over Deirdre as some form of deluded superiority because she waited unlike Deirdee who found out and told people...

I found out the sex and decided the name in advance, both times, and I told people the truth when they asked, both times. I don’t think I put it on social media either time, but then I don’t think I put loads on social media about either pregnancy. I definitely didn’t with DC2, although I remember posting scan pics on fb with DC1.

I find it weird when people find out the sex and then coyly insist on keeping it a secret - all right, keep your hair on Janet, I was only asking to be polite. 🙄 In a nutshell that’s why I told people the name in advance, I think - because people asked!! and it seemed ruder and weirder to be all ‘ooh, I’ve got one in mind but I’m waiting to see whether it suits her’ than to just answer honestly!

I did find people felt entitled to offer an opinion on the name when told before birth, in a way I suspect they wouldn’t have if the baby had been born, but I only had one negative reaction so it didn’t really affect me. (I just thought that person was a knob.)

When you have your baby you can keep it a surprise. We don't mind

Can someone answer me something? I only work pt and earn not a lot. Just over PA threshold, will I lose out on anything if I don't claim CB? Worried about NI contributions now.

Totally on wrong thread sorry

Some people on this thread are being so defensive I already said it’s not a dig just genuine curiosity! Of course to each their own but I just wanted to see how some people think as I know for sure I would be far too indecisive to settle on a name before I’d seen my baby.

I didn’t announce it but knew my babies’ names well before birth. I don’t get the waiting to see if they suit a name. Surely the name has associations with the person, not the other way round?

@Mulledwineinajug

. I don’t get the waiting to see if they suit a name.

...we thought we had agreed on a name for ds2
and we tentatively called him that for a bit(without "announcing") when born before deciding it wasn't quite right. So it does happen!