You are 21 Weeks and 2 Days 131 days to go…
What’s in a name? Well, quite a lot actually, as you’ll discover when you start trying to choose one for your baby.
Your baby today
The next three months are a time of particularly rapid growth
for your baby. Cells are dividing, expanding, and maturing in every part
of her body. The placenta too is growing and maturing, but this is far
less important than your baby’s growth from now on.
Deciding on a name for your baby is fun
but not necessarily an easy task. In addition to finding one that you
and your partner agree on, it can feel as though everyone has an
opinion. Friends may tell you that they have already chosen a name, that
it is “theirs” so you can’t use it! Your family may have traditions
that they want upheld, such as passing on a name that has been in the
family for generations.
It’s a good idea for you
and your partner individually to write down a list of names that you
like. Then look at each other’s list and talk about which ones you do
and don’t like. If you’re lucky, there will be one or more names on both
lists that match.
Factors to consider
include: does the name sound right with your last name? Does the middle
name go well with the first name? What will the initials be? For
example, Robert Anthony Taylor will become RAT! Are the meanings of the
names important to you? If so, find out what the meaning is of your
favorite names—it can be fun to tell your child what her name means when
she’s older. Is there a short version of the name that you can use
informally or, conversely, do you hate names being shortened? If so,
avoid those. If you’re feeling obligated to use a family name, perhaps
make it a middle name.
It’s advisable to
come up with a few alternative choices, since you may find that the name
you have decided upon just doesn’t seem to suit your newborn baby when
you finally see her.
Researching in books or on the internet is a good way to find less popular names, and to discover interesting facts about the origin of names.
Popular names
Do you want your child to have an original name,
or are you influenced by what’s in fashion? Bear in mind that opting
for a popular name may mean your child is in a class full of namesakes.
Below is the list of the top 20 most popular girls’ and boys’ names in the US in 2008.
Girls’ names
Boys’ names
You are 21 Weeks and 3 Days 130 days to go…
In addition to using fat for essential growth and development, your baby is now beginning to store it.
Your baby today
In this 3D scan the baby’s skin looks quite lumpy in parts. This
isn’t really the case. If the baby suddenly moves during a scan, the
image can have difficulty “keeping up” and creates this unusual effect.
Up until this time, your baby
has had little opportunity to store fat, because growth has been the
most important priority. But now your baby starts to lay down a layer of
fat beneath her skin and it becomes less translucent. The placenta is
responsible for supplying fats to your baby.
Fat circulates in
your bloodstream and within the placenta it is broken down into three
free fatty acids, as well as cholesterol, which are passed into your
baby’s circulation. These fatty acids then recombine to form fats for
storage or growth.
Fats are important for
adequate nerve and brain development. A layer of fat covers each nerve
cell, insulating it from adjacent nerves and improving its connections
with other nerve cells.
… Twins
Bill and Ben?
Choosing one name can be difficult enough,
so if you’re expecting twins, start thinking now. If you want to avoid
people making jokes at your twins’ expense, avoid obvious pairs such as
Jack and Jill, and Holly and Ivy. Consider how the names might sound
when abbreviated (William and Benjamin, for instance, becomes Bill and
Ben).
Finally, it might be a
good idea to opt for names of similar length and complexity. For
example, young Christopher may be discouraged as he struggles to spell
his name, while his twin Jack has no trouble.
… Mom
| Q: |
Should we tell people the name that we’ve chosen?
|
| A: |
I would advise you not to. We told people at first and found
it upsetting to find we had so many negative reactions. People freely
told us how they had negative associations with the name or that they
knew a cat or gerbil called that—a fact that we didn’t need to know!
Older relatives told us it was “odd” and went on to give us a list of
alternatives.
So I would say
keep it to yourself until the baby is born and it’s all a fait accompli.
It takes a bold person to question your choice once your baby has been
named.
|
In Hawaii parents often choose names that are associated with beauty.
Some examples of these
are: Nohea—“loveliness”; Leia—“child of heaven”; Maka Nani—“beautiful
eyes”; Hiwalani—“the attractive one”; Pualani—“heaven’s flower”; and
Nani, meaning “beautiful, pretty one.”
