If you never changed your last name...

nowayamyrae

.. are you thinking of changing it when baby comes? I never wanted to change my last name to my husbands (partially because I didn't want to have to get all new paperwork and social security cards and yadda yadda yadda, partially because I don't like his last name). Most of my family and his, don't even realize I never changed it (they write his last name on my mail and holiday checks). 

When I was growing up, my parents got divorced and my mom had a different last name than me and I HATED it. Now I feel guilty, and like I should probably change mine, at least by the time s/he gets to school.

MrsPBNJ0220

My situation was a little different because I couldn't wait to get rid of my last name.  I will say though the whole changing it part took a day and it was all done.  Also growing up my mom and dad got divorced but she never changed her name but granted they were married for 25 years so it might be different when you are married for so long.

It's really up to you, I personally would want to have the same last name as my child as to avoid any confusion.  However, it doesn't have to be done.

GL.

sunset+skies

I wasn't going to change my last name, but after I found out I was pregnant, I changed my mind.

 It just makes paperwork and whatnot easier to have the same last name.

 It doesn't hurt that I realized my initials spelled "M.E.G" (everyone calls me Meg instead of Meagan)

cvl105

I just finally changed my name.  It didn't take that much time to do my license and social security.  I did my bank the same day too. I still have to do all my credit cards though.

My Mom never changed her name when she married my Dad, so I grew up with a different name than my Mom. They eventually got divorced, so it wouldn't have made a difference anyways. Sometimes I wish she had the same name, because I always got asked why she had a different name....but now looking back, I really don't care.  She gave me and my brother her last name as our middle name when we were born, so we still had a same name as her in a way.

nicsigni

I won't be changing my name once the kiddo gets here. It doesn't really bother me to have a different last name than the rest of the fam, but I've known a few families with a mish mash of last names my whole life so it seems pretty normal.

We will be using my last name as a middle name for the baby (and any future babies that may come along).

klv

I didnt change my name when I got married.  I will not change it now. 

Melissa2216

I am still on the fence.  I haven't changed mine, mostly b/c my first name goes so well with my last name and I really don't like DH's last name.  If I am able to quit my teaching job and stay home with the baby, I may change it, but that is not financially possible at this point.  If I'm still teaching, I will keep my name b/c I do NOT want to be called Mrs. (DH's last name) all year. 

SpceCadet

I dragged my feet in changing my last name after we got married.  When we started seeing an RE, I found that it really bothered me that we didn't have the same name.  I went out the next week and did SS but had to wait to do my DL until the SS card arrived.  I still haven't done the banks yet, but... my medical records match and that makes me happy.

LauraOTR

I have not changed mine. At first, I was really against it, but I am really considering it for the same reasons...I would kind of like to have the same last name as my kid(s). I am pretty sure if I change it, it will be hyphenated. Then at least I can keep my last name and just add his. Our kids would probably still just have his, though (non-hyphenated).

At work, I'd still go by my maiden name, because I work in a school, and that's what everyone knows me as. If I ever changed jobs, maybe I'd change it professionally.

YouAreMyILoveYou

When we had DD1 we weren't married and we gave her H's last name.

I was so happy when we were married and all had the same last name. It made me feel more like a family. And growing up, I always had the same last name as my parents, so that's what I was used to.

It's a personal choice. The actualy process of changing your name isn't too involved. I did it all in one day. First SS, then DL, then bank. My passport was last -- I just changed it before the fees increased in July.

b55c

i never changed mine (just lazy i guess!) but def. plan to before the baby arrives.  not sure why it seems so important but all of a sudden, i feel like i better get on the ball and get a move on!

flows912

I never changed my last name mainly because I don't think MH's name fits me (he has a Polish last name and I'm Filipino). It doesn't bother me that I'll have a different last name than LO. But I have thought about hyphenating my last name although I go back and forth on this one a lot.

luvbeingmom

when my first son was born, my hubby and i weren't married yet and someone talked me into the bad decision of giving my son MY last name instead of hubby's.

stupid especially since we did end up getting married and changing the name of a minor is much more of a tedious legal process than changing your own due to marriage.

my first son had a lot of health issues, so we spent a lot of time in the hospitals, and because nurses and doctors read the name from the chart they would call us Mr. & Mrs. Last Name... which did not thrill my hubby to be called by my maiden name...

 eta: it was also especially confusing because when we did get married i DID take hubby's name, so our son was the only one who didn't have his last name. we did eventually get it changed though.

stinalee24

I'm in the boat where I not only wanted to get rid of my last name, but I have LOVED DHs last name since I heard it (in fact, it's not the only thing, but it was definately a factor in me being interested in him LOL). But I work with a woman who got married/had kids in the 70's and 80's who didn't ever change her name and she got soooo much sh*t for doing that because it would "confuse the kids" or other people's parents or whoever else it would inconvenience. She obv didn't care and basically said f-you and did her own thing and the kids are all grown up now and none of them are any worse for the wear or even have any complaints. One of her daughters got married and kept her last name, and the other 2 who are married took their DH's name. As a kid, you know what you're exposed to, so I'd say if you don't want to change it, don't...if you do, don't worry too much about the time it takes (it took me a lot less time than I thought it would). But do what's right for you. You can always even hyphenate so legally it's the same but you can still use your last name.

walter7878

I am currently sporting my exhusband's last name...I never changed it after we divorced three years ago (for a lot of reasons). Regardless, we're getting married soon (my BF and I, not my exhusband and I), and I'm going to change it then, so we all match. I will say that it doesn't take long to change...the paperwork isn't that annoying. There are lots of little things to do (change your DL, your Social Security card, credit cards, etc) but none of them takes very long. I like to save that stuff up to do when I am super bored at work.

I'm sure whatever you decide to do will be fine.

mesr

i didn't change my name when i married and always felt very strongly about this being a male-centric.  however, my opinions have softened a bit since getting married.  i guess now i feel like i'm stuck with a man's name any way i go about it.  if i take dh's name, it's a man's name.  if i keep my name, it's really my father's name.  and if i were to take my mom's maiden name, well, that's her father's name.  so in the end it probably doesn't make as much difference as i thought it did when i was younger.

still, i have no plans to change my name.  we hyphenated dd's last name and will do the same for our next child.