Help choose the name of CE and Silur's baby! (spam on subject)

[Brink]

Ah, so I haven't missed the party then . Wonderful news!

Anyway, I know what it's like to have names that are unintendedly easy to make fun of, so perhaps they should name their kid something bland (but will inevitably turn him/her into the most famous person on Earth) like John/Jane Doe, or the classic suitable-for-all-genders A.N.Other.

[C Elegans]

Great to see you Brink I hope you are well and happy and that your studies go well

I am now more than midway, thankfully, I just entered month 6 last week. That means a little more than 3.5 months to go, the due date is set to the shift of June/July. I can't wait, I am so fed up with feeling like a hippo!

[Brink]

@CE - And a pleasure to see you again. Finally decided to spawn a little critter eh? Have you found out whether it's a boy or a girl yet?

I'm now mainly working while doing a bit of studying on the side (which I imagine will carry on for the next few years) .

[fable]

Originally Posted by C Elegans

I am now more than midway, thankfully, I just entered month 6 last week. That means a little more than 3.5 months to go, the due date is set to the shift of June/July. I can't wait, I am so fed up with feeling like a hippo!

I can see where your rather petite frame would not support a child well, but then, I never approved of the gestation method that was finally decided upon when humanity appeared. I favored using post office boxes lined with fur until a child was ready for delivery. As for birthing, I suspect pushing a watermelon through a keyhole is probably about as pleasant. Will you be using drugs to get around the acute and lengthy pain, CE?

[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by Brink

@CE - And a pleasure to see you again. Finally decided to spawn a little critter eh? Have you found out whether it's a boy or a girl yet?

I'm now mainly working while doing a bit of studying on the side (which I imagine will carry on for the next few years) .

At the last ultrasound they were 90% it's a girl. I will go on the last ultrasound next week and then we'll probably know for sure.

So what are you working with? Do you enjoy it?

Originally Posted by Fable

I can see where your rather petite frame would not support a child well, but then, I never approved of the gestation method that was finally decided upon when humanity appeared. I favored using post office boxes lined with fur until a child was ready for delivery.

By the end of this pregnancy, I will probably have gained almost 1/3 of my normal weight, so my body is certainly uncomfortable! I have always favoured egg laying - anything that keeps the thing out of my body would have been appreciated!

As for birthing, I suspect pushing a watermelon through a keyhole is probably about as pleasant. Will you be using drugs to get around the acute and lengthy pain, CE?

Oh, I haven't thought about that yet. The pain of delivery doesn't bother me at all, it's merely physical pain for a very limited amount of time and I can stand physical pain very well. After all, even my petit body has evolved to endure childbirth.
There are many pain relief methods that can be used, and one doesn't need to decide that in advance, one can wait and see how long and painful the labour will be. The pain of endless months and months of sleepless nights and horrible screaming bothers me a lot more!

[dragon wench]

I have always favoured egg laying - anything that keeps the thing out of my body would have been appreciated!

ROFL! We often tell our son he was "hatched." Probably wishful thinking on my part.
Actually, I have long been of the opinion that it would be ideal to place egg and sperm in an aquarium, and then watch it grow... sort of a more... productive version of "sea monkeys."

The pain of delivery doesn't bother me at all, it's merely physical pain for a very limited amount of time and I can stand physical pain very well. After all, even my petit body has evolved to endure childbirth.
There are many pain relief methods that can be used, and one doesn't need to decide that in advance, one can wait and see how long and painful the labour will be. The pain of endless months and months of sleepless nights and horrible screaming bothers me a lot more!

Indeed.. While every labour is different, I will say I've had migraines that are more painful. Yes, it hurts, hurts like Hell in fact, but as you will be aware you also have all kinds of endorphins produced during labour, and they do somewhat mitigate the agony... They actually made me feel quite stoned...

You are right... once the little beggers are on the outside, is when all the hard work begins This is not for everyone, but we found that having our son sleep with us for the first year, moreorless eliminated the sleepless nights; though, I realise, this is a somewhat controversial practice.

[Tricky]

Originally Posted by dragon wench

you also have all kinds of endorphins produced during labour, and they do somewhat mitigate the agony... They actually made me feel quite stoned...

My grandmother had eighteen children. Eighteen! Suddenly that statement makes a lot more sense. Damn hippies.

Originally Posted by dragon wench

This is not for everyone, but we found that having our son sleep with us for the first year, moreorless eliminated the sleepless nights; though, I realise, this is a somewhat controversial practice.

Not so much. I happen to know my parents did the same with me. I was a real crybaby.

[fable]

Originally Posted by Tricky

Not so much. I happen to know my parents did the same with me. I was a real crybaby.

Yes, it really *is* controversial, whether you (or I) espouse it, or not. Accepted medical "truth" here in the US is that you do not sleep with a baby or small child. The chance of suffocation or injury is real.

[Tricky]

Oh, I misunderstood then. I slept in the same room, right next to their bed but not in the same bed. According to them it was the only way to make me sleep. Whenever I'm around and they have visitors, they like to regale stories of how difficult I was as a baby. Lately though I'm starting to think there is some kind of sublime message to it, like .. 'hey lets start talking about babies a lot so you'll start thinking about getting us some grandchildren' or something.

Unfortunately for them it's only the making part I can agree with. Having them.. no thanks bye.

[fable]

You know, re-reading DW's post, I could be wrrong in my understanding of it, instead. She may have simply referred to having the baby in the same room as the parents, rather than in the same bed.

[dragon wench]

Originally Posted by fable

You know, re-reading DW's post, I could be wrrong in my understanding of it, instead. She may have simply referred to having the baby in the same room as the parents, rather than in the same bed.

Actually, you were right in your initial reading of my post
We had our son sleeping in our bed. It is something we were introduced to during the year we spent in Japan where it is normal for babies and small children to sleep in their parents' beds. To us it made some sense, and given that our son was being nursed it meant I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to feed him.
I am aware that suffocation is a real concern, but we found we developed a sort of sixth sense as to where he was and how covered up he was at all times.
Another interesting point is that the occurrence of SIDS (crib death) is almost unheard of in Japan. I realise this is wholly unscientific on my part, but I have occasionally wondered as to whether there is a relationship here.

Anyway, as I said, I do understand this sort of thing is pretty controversial, as is the case with almost any aspect of childrearing, so I well appreciate that there are wide-ranging views on topics like this.

My grandmother had eighteen children. Eighteen! Suddenly that statement makes a lot more sense. Damn hippies.

Well, when you consider all the work involved in raising kids, I'm not sure the endorphins really balance things out too much

[C Elegans]

Sorry I haven't been posting for a while, I've been quite busy with work and also I've been in Italy for a conference. Now I'm back home and thankfully I will not have to travel any more before the end of the pregnancy. I feel like a walrus.

We know now, from the last ultrasound, that it's a girl we are expecting, so unfortunately we have to exclude Darth Ingemar. Swedish name regulations do not permit giving male names to a females - Ingemar is not an unisex name.

Personally, I feel that "bloody hyperactive somersaulting parasite" is a very suitable name, but I do think it will cause some problems with the name regulations.

Originally Posted by dragon wench

ROFL! We often tell our son he was "hatched." Probably wishful thinking on my part.
Actually, I have long been of the opinion that it would be ideal to place egg and sperm in an aquarium, and then watch it grow... sort of a more... productive version of "sea monkeys."

Exactly! An aquarium would be perfect, and as the fetus grows it could be transferred to an incubator and one could watch it grow.

Originally Posted by Fable

Yes, it really *is* controversial, whether you (or I) espouse it, or not. Accepted medical "truth" here in the US is that you do not sleep with a baby or small child. The chance of suffocation or injury is real.

It is a medical truth according to several large, worldwide cohort studies. The risk for suffocations is only part of it, there is also a significantly increased risk for SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Whereas the cause for SIDS is still unknown, one strong hypothesis is that some children stops breathing when they get too warm, which happens much more easily if they share bed with an adult.

We had our son sleeping in our bed. It is something we were introduced to during the year we spent in Japan where it is normal for babies and small children to sleep in their parents' beds. To us it made some sense, and given that our son was being nursed it meant I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to feed him.
I am aware that suffocation is a real concern, but we found we developed a sort of sixth sense as to where he was and how covered up he was at all times.
Another interesting point is that the occurrence of SIDS (crib death) is almost unheard of in Japan. I realise this is wholly unscientific on my part, but I have occasionally wondered as to whether there is a relationship here.

The Scandinavian countries and Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore have the lowest infant mortality in the world. This is interesting considering the relatively large differences in practices in these countries.

For some strange reason, the risk of having your infant sleeping in the same bed as the parents is completely underestimated, more or less ignored, in Sweden. Usually parents don't even get any information this although the SIDS risk when co-sleeping is as large and the risk increase associated with smoking! This is very strange considering Sweden is an extremly health conscious culture in general, and the maternety and infant health care is very developed here.

[fable]

Swedish name regulations do not permit giving male names to a females - Ingemar is not an unisex name.

You've got to be kidding. What does the Swedish government have to do with choosing an appropriate sex-worthy name for your child? Are they afraid of having classes full of female Svens? An army of male Dagmars? What is the supposed logic behind this?

[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by fable

You've got to be kidding. What does the Swedish government have to do with choosing an appropriate sex-worthy name for your child? Are they afraid of having classes full of female Svens? An army of male Dagmars? What is the supposed logic behind this?

I am not kidding, although I realise it sounds like a joke for non-Scandinavians. The governmental Patent and Register Office prohibits names that are offensive or are believed to cause unpleasant consequences. Look here:
PRV - Personal names - Who?

So you are not allowed to choose a name which is gender inappropriate, means something rude or offensive, is a name for something else (like a trademark, a protected title or a common word).

There are also quite strict regulations for surnames. For instance, you are not allowed to change your surname to an existing, common name like "Smith" or "Svensson" unless the name already exists in your family. So for instance immigrants who want to change their names to something more Swedish, have to invent new names that must sound like existing names but still not be existing names. I see no logic at all in this.

[Moonbiter]

This is practiced in a certain way in Norway too. The rules comes from a day and age when parents in the more primitive parts of the nation had an unfortunate habit of naming their children after their favourite furniture. It sounds hilarious but was actually a major problem up until the law was implemented in the early/mid 70s. Parents simply didn't think of the consequences of naming their children Refridgerathor, Coffeelise or Portalouis. (to use some relevant English variants) Yes, it was that bad. Especially in the north of the country where the arrival of modern household appliances came late. I went to school with kids who had names too ridiculous for Monty Python, who couldn't wait to reach 18 so they could legally change them. The stuff they went through during childhood doesn't bear thinking about.

The laws are easing up. Some 14 days ago the Swedish court allowed a nutcase couple the right to name their baby girl Metallica, while here in Norway another couple wants to name their kid Jihad. Now there's a name to carry around in your passport for the rest of your life... If parents can't use common sense, someone simply has to do it for them.