‘My husband wants to change our baby’s name – I refuse as we’ve been set on it for years’

A woman was left devastated after her husband changed his mind about the baby name they’d had their heart set on for five years – but he had his reasons to dismiss the moniker

Choosing a baby name is one of the most difficult decisions parents make, and sometimes your little bundle of joy’s moniker only becomes clear when they are born. Other parents-to-be are completely set on one specific name as they’ve always loved it, and the moniker may have a beautiful hidden meaning to them.

One mum was left horrified, however, when her husband said that he’d suddenly changed his mind on the name they’d been ‘set on’ for years – and she took to Mumsnet to express her disappointment.

She explained that she was 38 weeks pregnant with their first baby so was worried she was ‘very possibly being unreasonable’, but her husband had done a complete 180 on their chosen baby name.

She wrote: “I’m pregnant with first baby, my husband and I have been set on our names for years. A couple of months ago he made a slight musing about not being as confident with our name choice, but I brushed it off as he was having other baby-related worries at the time and his reasoning was a bit weak (five people started at his work with the name and he was hearing it a lot and decided he didn’t like it anymore).

“Wasn’t mentioned again until this morning, when he has pretty much said he is now 100 percent not happy with the name picked out and wants to go back to the drawing board.

“The issue is, we have been quite open with the name since finding out the sex of our child, I come from a family of crafters who have been keen to know the name for a while so they can get embroidering, so now we have family and friends who have spent time making things for her with a name she might no longer have!

“I have said it’s a bit too late to change course now, if he had an issue he should have more strongly voiced it a few months ago or five years ago when we set our hearts on this name.

“He has accused me of not taking his opinion into account, and to be honest I can’t blame him as that’s exactly what’s happening here (not that I’d admit that outside of Mumsnet). So wise people of Mumsnet, who is unreasonable here?”

The woman received some backlash, with many people telling her that a name is a joint decision, and is not just down to her.

One wrote: “The fact he has several colleagues at work with the same name is reason enough to change the name in my opinion.”

Another commented: “Personally I always find it odd to share a name prior to the birth, but each to their own. Unless you had detailed testing, gender can’t be guaranteed from a scan either.

“Maybe your family will be aggravated briefly….or your husband will dislike it for the rest of his life. Which is more important?”

Some disagreed though, with someone writing: “He’s gone off your chosen name completely because someone at work has the same name?

“I don’t think you’re being unreasonable to be honest, you’re 38 weeks! He’s far too late in my opinion, especially considering your family has embroidered things for her.”

“Of course your husband has to like the name that you jointly give to your baby”, another fumed.

Do you think the mum is being unreasonable? Let us know in the comments.