A mom-to-be has been labeled "cruel" after her choice of baby name left people questioning whether it was the right thing to do.
Look, it shouldn't be anyone's business other than the parents of a child about what to call it... but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have opinions on it.
I've certainly met a few people in my time with questionable names, and while some are unique and beautiful, others can raise a few eyebrows.
One concerned person took to Reddit to ask for advice due to the name of her friend's baby, as they weren't sure whether to say something to the mother.
"[One] year ago Sarah had a very terrible miscarriage late in her pregnancy and gave birth to a stillborn. She had named the baby and been very bravely public about her loss and buried the child with a tombstone with his name: John Jacob II (named after his father)," the Redditor began.
A year later Sarah is throwing a baby shower and she is pregnant again, and thankfully the post notes that she is doing very well.
The post went on: "During the baby shower, she announces the name of her soon to be born son: John Jacob III. The third. Mostly everyone was able to be instantly ecstatic but unfortunately I could not calibrate my reaction quick enough and she noticed. She has been very distant since."
The pair haven't spoken since and a few others texted the Redditor to reveal they were also shocked by the name, and it's left them with a dilemma.
"I will eventually have to talk to my friend and she will 100% bring it up," the post went on. "[Will I be the a**hole] if I told her that naming her son after her stillborn would be a very cruel thing to do to a child?"
People took to the comments to offer their thoughts, as one person said: "This is such a tricky one. Your friend is clearly still grieving her loss, and maybe finding solace in being able to remember her first baby through his brother. This is understandable, and I cannot call her a butt.
"HOWEVER, this is not a good decision on her part. I can just see the toll that being named after a stillborn sibling will take on the coming child. I would be concerned, as I'm sure you are that they will not be able to develop an identity separate from their parents' idea of their older brother."
A second person added: "I can understand grieving, but to use the III like this is just not correct. Never mind how it's related to a stillbirth of someone of the same generation.
I'll say [not the a**hole] if you are able to bring it up gently and know when to walk away without getting upset if Sarah doesn't take it well. you could lose a friendship, so keep that in mind too."
What do you think?
