A woman named Hailey wrote a heartfelt letter to us, and we had mixed feelings reading her honest and emotional story. She said her partner was very controlling about her and their baby, insisting their son should only have his last name. Hailey did the opposite and gave the baby her own last name. Now, her partner is very angry, and his behavior is really upsetting Hailey.

Hailey, 32, wants to ask our readers for their opinions and advice on what to do in her complicated situation.

Hailey began her letter, saying, “I had a baby five weeks ago with my partner, and we’re not married. We’ve been together for four years, and I’ve made many compromises in this relationship. When I told him I was pregnant, he was so happy, and so was I. We started planning for the future, including our baby’s name. We had some disagreements but finally chose a first name we both liked.”

Hailey explained, “The baby’s last name was a big issue for us. My partner wanted only his last name for the baby. I suggested using both of our last names, hyphenated, because it would be easier for the baby to have both names.”

Hailey continued, “My partner kept saying it was ‘traditional,’ ‘the right thing to do,’ and ‘his right as a man’ for the baby to have his last name. He said I would be disrespecting him if I didn’t agree and even threatened that I might end up as a single parent if I didn’t give in.”

Hailey wrote, “He insisted his decision was final and the baby would have his last name. This was late in my pregnancy, and I didn’t want to argue, so I just told him I understood.”