[Elskye]

So I have read posts like this before and always thought they were a bit odd, with DD1 we picked out a name that we loved and I have never once regretted it or felt we should have named her anything else. But now I have a beautiful DD2 who is 3months old and I feel like we made a big mistake with the name we chose her. We didn’t find out what we were having either time and both times we just had a list of names and not one we had definitely decided on. It’s not that I hate the name we chose (it’s nothing horrible or anything) but I find myself wishing we had named her another name. The name I wish we had called her is rather uncommon like our DD1 and fits much better with her name (they both start with the same letter and even have the same meaning and sound so much better together). But for some reason we went with a rather mainstream name that isn’t even really our style, I was a little unsure about it to begin with and am now finding I can’t relate it to my baby at all, it just doesn’t seem to suit her.

I have got to the point now where I am actually losing sleep over this (I have a perfect baby who sleeps 8hours a night and I am up worrying about this…ahhh ). I have considered changing her name but DH thinks I’m crazy, whilst he will admit that maybe we should have gone with the other name he says we are definitely not changing it; he says everyone would think we are insane and it would be too confusing for DD1(who is 5). He says I should just be grateful that I have a happy, healthy baby and I know he is right but that doesn't make the sick feeling in my stomach that I get everytime I say her name go away. So I guess I am posting this in the hope that someone who has been through something like this will tell me that this feeling goes away with time and that I am not completely nuts after all.
Sorry about the really long post and thanks for reading.

This post has been edited by Elskye: 06/12/2012, 09:30 AM

[FiveAus]

Change it. She's only 3 months old, if she lives til she's 100, that's 99 years and 9 months she'll be called the name you like.
Your 5yo will accept it readily enough, they don't overthink things at that age.

[mini mac]

If it means that much to you, just change it.

Or you could just call her by said wishlist name and leave her birth name as an official name to change later if you/she wish to.

Lots of people go by names other than their birth names anyway for a multitude of reasons, of course including some because their parents simply didn't like their name.

[vitaechel]

I would change it. Everyone will adjust.

[Bam1]

Agree with FiveAus, it sounds like the other name will always be "hanging" over your heads. Better to deal with it now than later.

[Mo2k]

If it upsets you that much then change it. However...... Havings said that I had a similar experience with my first ( though no loss of sleep). I had two boys names however whilst pregnant decided on one for my first and the other for any subsequent boys. Had baby, told everyone the name, filled in forms, came home with baby........ Started thinking should have called him the other name. Went on like this for about a couple of weeks or so. I kept having these little panicky feelings and seriously considered broaching it with DH. (Hadn't told him before as I tend to 'stew' on things by myself).

Ended up not changing it and glad I didn't. I suspect my situation is different though as I later decided that maybe it was a little panic sttack sbout having the responsibility of naming someone? Whereas you already have a child. Maybe you should look at it differently and first think back to why you did chose the name?

[Cancerian Moon]

I had to compromise with my DH over name choices for both our kids. Sometimes when they were babies and random strangers would ask their names, I'd tell them their names were actually [preferred name] and [preferred name]. Sometimes I wish I could still do that.
Change it before it's too late.

[**Mel**]

I would change it.

Sure, everyone will think it a bit odd for about 5 mins, then they will all go on their merry way.

At 5, I think your eldest would handle it. I don't have a 5 yr old yet, but my two nephews who are 5 and 6 would not have any problems with it.

Do it now, while she is still young.

[doctorseuss]

Change it!

We changed DD1's name at birth, deaths and marriages when she was 11 months old. I am so glad every time we write her name.

It wasn't so embarrassing for us though as we changed it to a shortened version of the first name which is what everyone was calling her anyway.

It's usual to be worried you have made a mistake - went through that with DD2 and DD3 but am happy as there wasn't a great alternative.

[Sassy Girl]

Change it.

I have a 16 year old DD. Every day I still wish we changed her name to the one I really wanted to name her the whole pregnancy but I used a different name to appease my mother . My DD wanted to change her name to that same name when she was 8 but I thought it may cause her psychological issues when she was older so I talked her out of it.

Go with the name you really want as you'll end up regretting if you don't just like I do.