I have a sister-in-law named Sara who is currently eight months pregnant. This pregnancy comes after a heartbreaking journey; she endured three miscarriages and was compelled to undergo an abortion following a previous non-viable pregnancy. Given her health issues have exacerbated, including terrible morning sickness, she has been on medical leave.

Understanding her situation, I decided to step in and organize her baby shower. I even offered our house as the venue since it was mainly a gathering of family and close friends, most of whom I knew through her.

The baby shower turned out to be a wonderful event and Sara was overjoyed with the arrangements. During the celebration, she shared with everyone that the gender of the baby would remain a surprise. However, she and her husband, Elliot, did reveal the chosen name for their baby – they decided on the name "Five." This was particularly symbolic for them, representing the arduous five years they spent trying to conceive, marked by their losses and the previous termination. Sara explained that naming their child Five was a way to honor the baby's would-be siblings.

After the baby shower, Sara asked me what I thought about the name privately. I cautiously mentioned that while the symbolic gesture was clear, the name might become a heavy burden for the child once they grew up and understood its origin. Regrettably, I used the actual word "burden," which upset her deeply. She left abruptly, followed by a distressed Elliot.

Later, Elliot called me to express his disappointment, stating that my comment had hurt Sara deeply and marred the celebration. My husband shares my views on the name’s potential implications, but he believes we should have refrained from commenting. He pointed out that Sara and Elliot had faced tremendous challenges with infertility, and perhaps it was best to support their choice, no matter how unconventional the name seemed.

Imagine this scenario in a reality TV show setting. Cameras would capture every nuanced expression, magnifying the private conversation into a public spectacle. Viewers would likely be split. Some might empathize with my concern for the child’s future well-being, while others might champion the parents' right to choose a name as a form of personal expression, regardless of its unusual nature. The drama of the moment - the tearful exit, the urgent phone call – could potentially become a key focus, overshadowing the joy of the baby shower.

Was the name 'Five' a good choice for the baby?

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