Lotus Baby Names

The Prenatal Mystery

It is a common practice in today's medi-technical culture to project our conscious
and unconscious gender stereotypes upon our babies even before birth, via
viewing the gestating womb by ultrasound or amniocentesis and "determining"
gender (ultrasound is only 91% accurate about gender, with 9 out of 100 new
families anticipating an incorrect gender).

The significant advances of civil rights and anti-bias curriculum & parenting
education of the 1970s have proven to apparently halt when it comes to babies
and prenates. Fixed notions about baby gender are considered an adult
prerogative, reflecting our denial that our youngest ones are anything beyond
gender to begin with. Adult perpetuation of gender stereotypes through
pink/blue decor and dress codes reigns from public to private spheres,
fundamentalist to feminist, and seems to provide a very entertaining adult
distraction from the otherwise more profound aspects of our birthing and our
littlest ones as our spiritual teachers, direct from the infinite.

With some effort, it is not difficult to take a step back and ask what might be
different if we as a culture did not displace so much attention upon prenatal and
babyhood gender and instead engaged with the child as a holy child, period.

Limiting perceptions of the prenatal BABY by adult notions of gender in-utero is
unprecedented in human culture up to now. Today it is commonly held that
gestational ultrasound pictures and gender estimations can "enhance bonding" -
however, this is predicated on a "bonding" and even "naming" based only upon
external and objectified data, quite far removed from the intuitive, receptive,
and expansive heart of true parenting, which has more to do with unconditional
acceptance, gratitude, and respect for life as Life. In other words, a baby in all
capital letters, i.e., BABY.

Adults who are becoming parents have the option to embrace the vastness that
comes with the arrival of a brand new person in the form of a baby, by placing less
emphasis on their baby's possible gender and more awareness on the vastness that
their wiz kid represents. This way, gender can be honored without sacrificing the
amazing potential inherent in the baby's character and personality development.

For example, birthing parents have the option to request that when their baby
enters the world at birth, the gender is discovered by the parents at their own
pace rather than immediately focused upon and announced by attendants and
ushering in an immediate limiting of the amazing newly born's identity. Typically
parents who catch their own babies don't even think about what the gender is for
several minutes at least... the BABY is just wholeheartedly welcomed. Some
parents continue this elevation of wholeness by choosing neutral earth toned
baby blankets and hats for their child's early life, while others may choose a variety
of unconventional full-spectrum colored baby items. Whatever the conscious
parent chooses, it will likely involve some interesting conversations with family
and friends, and specific articulation on baby shower/blessingway invitations!

Naming the Mystery: Traditions of Baby Naming

While in modern Western and Mediterranean culture, baby naming is often
associated with continuing common ancestral family first names, or honoring
relatives (living or dead), different traditions from more ancient cultures are
starting to be reclaimed or re-invented. Some of these traditions include:

* connecting to the baby in-utero via dreams and inner bonding and intuitively
receiving a strong sense of their proper name.

*considering the developing prenate as the natural fruit/flower of the mother,
who reveals its character to its parents throughout the pregnancy and in the
unfoldment in the early hours or days AFTER birth. The decision on the actual
personal name comes after having experienced the fullness of acceptance of this
particular baby mystery.

*giving the prenate a non-gender specific name during pregnancy (such as BABY,
Lovebug, or Honeychild) that will change sometime after birth, hours or days after.

*choosing a tree, plant, or concept name that can work for both genders (such as
Sage, Cedar, Rowan, Honor, Nova)...

*giving the newborn a public name as well as a private spiritual name that will be
whispered to them throughout early childhood then revealed to them once they
reach puberty (native american tradition).

*having respected elders name the baby a name that reflects their destiny,
according to their intuitive/shamanic practice (african and sikh).

*naming the newborn in a way that reminds them of their connection to the
qualities, elements, or creations of the earth or heavens rather than to a mere
human nametag. Ancient languages such as Gaelic and Sanskrit often have names
that translate to such wonderful concepts as "Lion among Men" "Queen of Flowers"
"Radiant One" ""Wiz Kid" "Fearless" "Vision" etc. Resource list for Gaelic names,
click here, For Vedic-Sanskrit names click here.

Honoring the Mother-Birther

Most indigenous ancient cultures on the planet refer to babies and children
through matrilineal (mother lineage) references exclusively, which is at first an
odd concept to many modern people. But, after some reflection, when the
fullness of the mother's sacred work during pregnancy & birthing is recognized, it
makes sense to honor maternal lineage.

It is common practice in France, Spain, and Latin America to honor the maternal as
well as paternal lines in naming by making a paternal name either a middle name or
first word in a two-named surname, for all children of a couple.

Such as "Jean Paul Trudeau Haviland" or "Rosa Christina Santos de Cardenas"

While there are obvious positive values in honoring the mother name lineage,
there is an additional benefit of making it easier for children and their future
families to actually know their family tree simply by their names!