“Absolutely, you can,” my obstetrician replied with a smile. “You’re the first person to ask that, but yes, you can leave the hospital without a name for your baby.” And so, we wrapped our unnamed Baby Girl snugly and made our way home.
It wasn’t for lack of trying to name her. Ever since we discovered that our second child would be a girl, like her older sister, I had been poring over my extensive collection of baby name books. My partner and I each compiled lists of our favorite names, turning the selection process into a playful competition as we dismissed each other’s suggestions:
- “Too old-fashioned.”
- “Sounds too similar to our first daughter’s name.”
- “Way too trendy.”
- “That name? Really? Straight out of an ’80s hit, huh? No way.”
- “That’s just not appealing to me.”
- “Absolutely not.”
- “There was a girl in my seventh-grade class with that name, and she was awful. Veto.”
After much deliberation, we narrowed it down to three final choices. However, I found myself hesitating to make the final decision. It wasn’t indecision as much as it was a strong desire to be absolutely certain that I loved the name we selected for our Baby Girl. As an overthinker, I wanted to give those three names a bit more time to settle.
So we waited. Meanwhile, my baby continued to grow, reminding me of her presence with kicks to the ribs and frequent bathroom trips whenever I sneezed. I practiced saying her potential names aloud, even calling them out in the park to an imagined toddler. Yet, no name emerged as the clear favorite.
In search of clarity, I delved into the meanings and origins of our top three choices, hoping for some profound connection to our heritage or a meaning that resonated deeply. Unfortunately, none of them screamed “Pick me!” at me.
As my due date approached, we decided to take the “we’ll know when we see her” approach. Surely, once we laid eyes on our beautiful Baby Girl, we would instinctively know what to name her.
However, labor came unexpectedly early, catching me completely off guard—neither prepared for the delivery nor for naming our child. The birth was swift, and within just an hour and a half, we were gazing at our precious, pink, wrinkled baby, her strong wails signaling that she would have a name, regardless of what it would be.
“Does she look like a [Name Option 1]? Or perhaps a [Name Option 2]? Maybe even [Name Option 582], which we hadn’t discussed in ages?” I asked my partner, hopeful. “She just looks like a new baby to me. She’ll be whatever we choose to name her,” he answered, somewhat unhelpfully.
After two sleepless nights in the hospital, the day came for us to go home. I had meticulously picked out a charming outfit for her to wear home, and the car seat was ready, but we were still missing one crucial thing: a name.
Panic surged within me. We needed a name! How could we leave the hospital without one? What if we chose the wrong name? I thought frantically as I sat engulfed in post-birth exhaustion and hormones.
But then, my doctor’s reassurance washed over me: it was indeed possible to leave without a name for our child. A wave of relief swept through me, lifting the weight of immediate decision-making. I had 14 days—two whole weeks—to submit her birth certificate paperwork to the hospital. I was determined to navigate our way out of this baby-naming limbo swiftly.
Once at home with our Baby Girl, my mother, sisters, and I took turns testing names on her. “How about [Name Option 1], Baby Girl?” She responded by spitting up. “What do you think of [Name Option 3]?” A slow blink and yawn were her only responses. It seemed she was indifferent to our efforts, focused instead on her typical newborn activities.
Finally, after three days at home, the moment of clarity arrived. I knew without a doubt that Baby Girl had a name, and I was eager to share it with the world—family, friends, and even strangers at the coffee shop. We had found the perfect name for her.
Our Baby Girl was no longer just “Baby Girl,” and I was thankful for the time we took to ensure we made the right choice. So, my unsolicited advice to anyone still searching for that name? Bring your Baby Girl or Baby Boy home first, and then decide. Names are not something to rush. And that’s perfectly fine.
P.S. Baby Girl No. 2 was named Clara, Baby Girl No. 3 became Ava, and then we were pleasantly surprised with triplet girls, Baby Girls No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6. Let’s just say we definitely broke our streak of five days without names when we welcomed Baby Girl No. 2; picking three names is an entirely different challenge.
For more insights into parenting and planning your family, check out this post on home insemination techniques or visit Make a Mom for expert advice on boosting fertility. Additionally, this resource provides valuable information on infertility and pregnancy.
In summary, taking your time to choose a name for your baby is perfectly acceptable. Don’t feel pressured to decide immediately; allow yourself the grace to make a choice that feels right.