I registered my baby under my maiden name

I’m a first-time mom. My baby is still very young.

During my pregnancy at 8 months, my husband left me. I later found out he was emotionally involved with a much younger woman. Whether it “went far” or not doesn’t even matter, I felt betrayed, heartbroken and completely alone at the worst possible time.

When I gave birth, he wasn’t really present because I didn't and couldn't inform him. I told him I gave birth 2 days later. He said verbally that he wanted to declare the baby, but nothing concrete happened. In the end, I went and registered my child myself. I put my maiden name.

At that moment, it felt like the only stable thing I could give my baby — my name. I was the one carrying her, going through the last month of pregnancy alone, delivering her, and taking care of her full time.

He comes once a week to see the baby. Things are tense between us and we're getting divorce soon. I’m starting to worry that he might accuse me of doing something illegal or of excluding him on purpose.

I didn’t do it out of revenge. I did it because I felt abandoned and unsafe. I needed to protect myself and my child emotionally.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Can registering a baby under the mother’s maiden name cause serious legal problems later if the parents are married? Can a judge see this negatively? I’m not trying to erase him. I’m just trying to survive this situation and do what’s best for my baby. Any advice or shared experiences would really help.