Made the mistake of telling people what name we like...!

[Nixen]

My DH and I both love the name Felicity.

I’ve struggled a bit emotionally with this pregnancy anyway as we had a loss last year and my family are not respecting my wishes not to shout the news from the bloody roof tops. I get that they are excited and that is lovely, but I feel very uncomfortable about the contents of my uterus being discussed with everyone they meet.

I made the mistake of telling my mum we liked the name Felicity and she has said ‘if it’s girl I’d like you to reconsider your name... kids can be cruel blah blah blah’ and some other shit about how when people asked her what names we were thinking and she said Felicity they were like ‘oh’ rather than ‘that’s lovely’ ... like I should give a shit what some random person from her work thinks?

It has really really upset me and I now don’t want to discuss anything to do with names with her. She keeps suggesting other girls names and it’s really getting to me. I was so upset by what she said and it’s making me feel dreadful thinking when baby comes she will hate the name - oh and she says my dad and brother don’t like it either

(the boys name we told her is a family name which everyone is happy with... but we actually know we are having a girl - she doesn’t yet!)

I know it’s DH and my choice, but it’s making me feel shitty and just adding to me really not wanting to discuss my pregnancy with her full stop. Any advice?

Ambrose is that even a name? Probably your friends thought you were joking with the name? It is custard after all.

I know a little Felicity who is lovely. Beautiful, classic name.

I told close family our girls choice and Mil was open in not liking it and kept suggesting other names. It causes DH to have a wobble (it's a very underused name anyway) and I had a wobble on it when she was born but it's the only name that suited her and I love it so we went for it. As soon as we announced DD's name nobody said anything negative and now MIL proudly tells people get beautiful granddaughters name and how much she loves it. Knowing somebody with a name generally changed your perception of a name so I'm sure they'll come to love felicity as they love their granddaughter and it's her name.
Hope my ramblings help :).

Beautiful name. I know one with nn Flicka. Don't tell your mum you know the gender. Keep a high boundary there.
Loved the random invite to drop in for prosecco.

@applesandpears56 Ambrose is a classic name that's been around a hell of a lot longer than Ambrosia. Would you take the piss out of the name Fred because it sounds like bread?


@windchimesabotage how awful of your friends to do that. I love the name Ambrose and know one lovely little boy with that name.

It's a lovely name! I was expecting it to be weird by your title.

Agree with others Just stop talking too her about makes, if it helps pretend you are considering other options but at the end of the day once baby is here with a name people usually say less about it if they dislike the name.

Yes apples, it is a real name. You could at least have googled it to check, before being so rude.

Lovely. Proper name but under used. I don't know any kids with this name. Ignore and don't tell anyone your choices!

I have a totally unfair dislike for the name Felicity, because a girl at school who was nasty to me had that name. However, even though I personally dislike it, I know it's actually a lovely name, and if DD wanted to use it, I'd smile and say it's lovely. Your mum is being very annoying. She had her chances to name babies. My Dad was the same - "well I like Charlotte and Ben" - good for you!

I have totally learned my lesson and won’t be sharing any more thoughts on baby names with her, on anyone else for that matter! It’s just hurtful of her to be critical, and I am struggling a bit with her OTT response to my pregnancy in general! I think I need to take some time to think about how much I want to share full stop.

It’s comforting in a way to know so many others have had this happen and that for the most part the rude comments drop off once baby is here!

Mil response to our boys choice "sounds like a farm hand". In her opinion every boy should be named Richard or james or a name a king had. Ha! Don't be hurt but first rule of baby naming - don't tell anyone your baby name until you holding a newborn...

To me it's a lovely classic name, can be shortened to Fliss or Flick.
Your mum should butt out.

It is a really beautiful name and you should totally go with your choice, not listen to others. I went to school with a Felicity and she was known as my favourite short version - Lit.

My MIL actually told my husband our daughters name was awful when he called to announce her safe arrival after a high risk pregnancy. Some people are just assholes and should be ignored.

Felicity is a beautiful name, don’t doubt yourself and don’t bow to pressure from the family!

Felicity is a gorgeous name.

I HATE weird names, and weird spellings of names, just because the parents think it's somehow cool.

I meant to add, I used to work with a lovely Felicity who was always known as Flo!

I too know a Felicity who's about 10 years old. She's sometimes called Lissy for short.

And anyway, who doesn't like Felicity Kendal?!

Lesson learned. Don’t tell anyone your names EVER AGAIN. Don’t forget that lesson, even if you get pregnant again. Never tell your names.

Anyway for now, give her a different girls name. Anything. Then when the baby comes just pick felicity, your mother will get used to it or may have changed her mind. Btw I like it!!!

Example:my cousin had a baby and called her Nancy. My mother rang me and kept saying ‘Nancy! Oh my god, how could she do that to a baby! Nancy!! Imagine it, that name? Etc.

Then about two years later, my friend had a baby and called her Nancy. My mother said it was lovely. She had obviously gotten used to it and had no recollection of hating it.
Mothers eh?

In summary, use it, it’s lovely and your mother will get used to it!

P.s I also know an Ambrose who is absolutely lovely.

"You were right mum. Felicity is all wrong. Thanks for your advice. We now have the shortlist down to Hortensia, Araminta and Susquehanna, although we could hyphenate two of them I suppose..."

“And anyway, who doesn't like Felicity Kendal?!”

Or Felicity Jones?

“Example:my cousin had a baby and called her Nancy. My mother rang me and kept saying ‘Nancy! Oh my god, how could she do that to a baby! Nancy!! Imagine it, that name? Etc.”

I remember my mum doing this when my cousin was born. My aunt and uncle gave her an unusual hyphenated name (in the days before every other child was called Skyla-Mae) and we all thought it was weird. And it still is - way weirder than Felicity.

But it became normal very quickly. It’s just her name. She’s 23 now and it suits her fine.

I have a baby Felicity and my family too made faces at it at first. But now they love it (and her) and even her little nickname we have "Fifi"
Like PPs have said; our baby, your choice. I'm pretty sure they'd grow to love any name you choose, but Felicity is definitely a lovely name

Ooh, I love the name Felicity. It's both beautiful and cool and has a wealth of (nice) nickname potential.

I love the name. It was one of our two names for dd... she came out looking like the other name! But I will call another dd Felicity if I am lucky enough to have one.

Mil was rude about dd’s name after it was announced (post birth). She seems to have got over dd’s bane but her rudeness still smarts with me 6 years later!

Use this as a warning that your Mum will need some strict boundaries and reminders that this is your daughter not hers. Once Felicity is here, there will be many opportunities for your Mum to criticise your parenting and undermine your decisions if you let her. Think about how to protect yourselves so you can enjoy every moment with your lovely daughter.

I love the name Felicity. And I love Flick as nick name.