Can you change your baby's name after you've announced it?

“Congratulations, you’re pregnant.” Those words are exciting and such a relief to hear when you have been trying for quite a while.

But then the name game starts.

Some people have names chosen from when they were little or have family names in mind. I, however, had every single phone app, 10,000 baby name books and had even bookmarked Nameberry.com on Google.

Choosing a name for my unborn daughter became an obsession. I knew the name I wanted pretty quickly and, of course, my husband and I announced it when did our gender reveal.

That wasn’t always the plan. We weren’t going to announce it initially.

WATCH Mel and her husband Nolan announcing their baby’s name. Post continues after video…

I had to sell her name I had in mind to my husband. He agreed he liked the name and that’s when it was officially set. He didn’t really agree to announce it but I insisted.

For many months now my unborn daughter has been called Cleo. ‘Our little baby girl Cleo’. I loved the name. I would refer to her as Cleo. I would correct people when they called her ‘the baby’ and say, “You mean Cleo.”

But a few weeks ago I just didn’t feel like the name ‘fit’ properly anymore. I just didn’t feel the same emotions I used to feel when I said the name.

I started throwing hints to my husband, started suggesting alternatives. “Isn’t this a nice name,” I would say. He just shrugged it off.

One evening we were discussing middle name options. His best was ‘Patra’ and mine was ‘Blu’, but Cleo Patra and Cleo Blu both sound like pregnancy tests. Not happening.

So I threw out another first name I had been tossing around in my head and we both agreed, "yeah that’s awesome."

It wasn’t until I realised it was actually a beautiful name, I jokingly (with an undertone of truth) said, "We should have just called her that."

For the past few months he had shrugged off ALL the alternative names I've suggested. But when he heard this particular name he said, "Why can't we name her that instead? Let's just change it."

I automatically replied, "We can't."

It’s not that I didn’t want to.To be honest, I just wasn’t sure that I could name her something else other than Cleo. I didn't think I was allowed to.

What was I afraid of? It's my child. Of course I can change her name, right? I only had a few materialistic items and cards that had the name 'Cleo' on them.

When I spoke to my nine-year-old son, he was completely fine with it. My two-year-old daughter on the other hand, I don’t even know what she must think. Does she think that Cleo has just disappeared? Have I just caused her some psychological issue for the future? Does she even think she is still getting a baby sister? I was so worried.

It wasn’t until I put it out on social media and I received a huge amount of feedback, that I began to feel positive about the situation. We currently have some names on our list that we like much better. Names I feel suit us more. I put myself through so much worry and it wasn’t even needed.

I've decided I’m not going to announce a name until I see this little baby’s face. Because you know what? I will most likely change her name again.

Did you ever consider changing your baby's name?

TAP the picture below to see more of the Modern Mumma's Instagram...