Does anyone still obsess over baby names post-babies?

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My babies are born and are growing up. They have nice names fairly classic but still a bit unusual. People often like and suggest them when they come up on Mumsnet. Their names have meaning to my us one is named after a beloved family member, another has a name that relates to the place where DH and I met.

But I can't stop thinking about baby names. I may be a bit broody (we're thinking of a third but probably not) but it's really not that. It's just that every time I seem to meet a child I am evaluating his/her name and thinking, hmmm, should I have chosen that? It's true of ANY style -- I'm as likely to think this over a Beatrice as I am an Anouk. I'm constantly rethinking my choices, how we chose them, whether something would be better, asking DH if he would have agreed to X, etc.

I think it's a form of rumination (anxiety.) I actually have a really nice life, I think, so perhaps it's just a form of picking. But it really bothers me that I do this and I can spend hours googling names when I should be doing 10 million other (important) things. Every so often I'll get in a funk -- I should have called her THAT! And it drives my DH absolutely insane, a rose is a rose and all that.

I have a name I dislike quite a bit so I think it's connected to that; I constantly fear I too have given my children "wrong" name. (Though my mum does not regret my name, even knowing how I feel about it; it had meaning to my parents and she thinks I'm silly to care so much.)

Does anyone else feel this way? Is there a cure :)?

I know where you’re coming from. I liked so many names when choosing my kids’ names that it was hard to know which one was ‘the one’. I still don’t know if they are, but I do love their names and for me that’s good enough. I feel like babies become their names as they grow up and that helps. I think it’s easy to obsess and feel wistful over a name you could have chosen when you hear it elsewhere, I’m sure it happens to all parents occasionally but I guess we made the best decision we could at the time we chose our childrens’ names, there’s a lot to be said for that. I think I’ve read on here before that some people believe a naming angel helps you find the right name for your child or something, which is a nice thought as it almost takes the weight of responsibility off you once you’ve picked out the name and is comforting if you’re doubting your choice

Yes I do. For me it's because I didn't use The One for my DD for reasons that seem a bit silly now. It is her middle name and I call her it as a pet name, but I regret that it isn't her first name.

I obsess about it a lot and think it is partly my personality.

I don't do the same for my DS's name, which was my favourite boy's name and I had no reason not to use.

You needs some pets. A tank of goldfish can use up all the baby names you still love but didn't use.

Yes. I'm still not convinced by DS name Nd he's 6 !!! I was totally sold on it at the time but I'm wondering if that was hormones ?!

Omg all the time! I adore my daughters name and I wouldn't change it if I had an chance. But I think about names all the time (always have, I read baby name books as a child) and it makes me want more kids so I can use the other names I love 😂

Absolutely! We are 100% done, and I LOVE their names and got to call them both what I'd chosen well before I even had kids - was obsessed with babynames as a kid/teen and had their first names picked since mid-teens - luckily DH agreed to them or he wouldn't be DH ! DD's long name is not anywhere near the top 100 but her shortened version is more popular than I realised, so I get a bit disappointed about that. I also wish I could add a couple more middle names - they only have one each, and I would have chosen three if I'd gotten my own way, but DH said no, and I am annoyed I didn't push harder eight/three years on!
I now daydream what I'd call my accidental twins (REALLY do not want more kids!) or hope secretly that my kids call my GC these extra names that I love so much!

I love DD's first and middle names and DS's first name, but slightly regret DS's middle name.

We considered using my grandfather's (unusual) name and decided to go more conventional. Wish we'd gone for it.

I also wish I'd thought to give both DCs my maiden name as a second middle name, as I'm the end of the line. Oh well!

I am the same! I don't think there's a cure though.

I think it's partly because I like so many names, I'd need about 25 kids to be able to use all the ones I love.

Thanks everyone -- it's helpful to know I'm not alone! I think for me it is related to some kind of anxiety, so I need to work on that. Naming a baby is the ONE thing I had complete control over in parenthood so I think I obsess over it more than things I didn't have control over.

Yes I do