A mom-to-be who is in the process of adopting twins has sought advice after revealing that the children's birth mother wants to choose their names.
Adopting a child or multiple children is a wonderful way to ensure that kids get a start in life they may have otherwise missed out on. However, the adoption process can come with its complications, as one mom-to-be has revealed.
Taking to Reddit's 'Am I The A**hole?' forum (where users can submit their story and ask other Redditors if they're in the wrong), user 'Affectionate-You3642' revealed that she is currently awaiting the birth of her two adoptive children - twins expected in January.
Referring to the biological mother as 15-year-old 'G', she explains that G is "a young teenage girl" who "doesn't want to keep" the twins.
"She's the daughter of a friend of a friend of ours and somehow it got through that we wanted to adopt so her family called us as soon as they knew that G was pregnant," the mom-to-be writes. "We've been with her all her pregnancy and even if she doesn't want to be a mother, she will still be able to visit the twins as often as she wants because we live in the same city."
However, the Redditor then reveals that despite she and her husband already deciding on names for the children - Ellie and Evan - the teenager has requested that the couple name them something different.
The twins' biological mom wants them to be named Walter and Agnes.
"She didn't choose them because of a relative," the Redditor writes. "Just because she thought they sounded cool. I don't think I have to mention how outdated the names are."
Put simply, the future parents don't like them, but she argues: "Even if the names were great, they are still our babies".
"We insist on naming them. They will also get our last name and legally be our children, which was decided and agreed on five months ago," she writes.
However, G's family is apparently "upset" with the couple for not accepting the teen's chosen names, and are now "threatening to look for new parents".
"Her sister told us that they are just bluffing and hoping for us to back off," she further explains, adding: "We are looking for a lawyer right now and we do have everything in writing."
The Redditor's post soon gained traction on the social media platform, and the responses have been split.
One person wrote: "Mom's who are giving up their babies for adoption are also giving up their right to name them. I think you NEED an attorney ASAP. A child who has already named her babies AND is threatening to find another family is a huge bucket of red flags."
A second agreed, adding: "I thought you were going to ask about changing the names of older children. You are adopting newborns, they will be legally yours and you get to choose their names. If birth mom wants to call them Walter and Agnes in her mind so be it."
However, others said that the mom-to-be needs to be more sympathetic toward G and the position they're all in.
One commenter said: "I totally understand that you don't like those names. Is their name really what matters here? You are getting two BABIES. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?
"Prospective adopters can wait YEARS for a child, some NEVER get one. You're getting TWO, relatively easily. Are you really going to fight this name thing so hard that you'd risk LOSING this opportunity? You might never get this chance again.
"The bio mom is giving you the biggest gift of your lives. You are not focusing on the right things here."
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