I'm writing this to get it off my chest but also hear about other experiences.
I am currently pregnant with my first child. My husband is white and I am black. Throughout my whole life, I have had issues with feeling accepted as I grew up in a predominantly white middle-class area and when I had opportunities to mix with black people I have often been rejected because I am not "black enough". On top of that, my parents who chose to move to a white area and send me to schools where I was the only black child or in the minority, they also questioned my blackness, saying I'm trying to be like my white friends plus trying to influence who I date and marry. May I add for context my parents like me were born and bred in the UK and are children of the Windrush generation. Ultimately, I am just being me navigating my way through life and I am so proud of my black Caribbean heritage and I do embrace it.
By the time I met my husband, my parents had given up on their dream of me marrying a black man and were so supportive when I got married. However, now I'm pregnant, it seems my mum especially has done a U-turn. She's not forthcoming in offering to help us out during the pregnancy and basically seems to want to play the role of a distant Grandmother when the baby is born. She's also got a massive issue about potential names we will give our child. She told me that she is disgusted with some of my name choices as they are "boring, white and British" and that I am out of touch with my black identity. I've made a decision to not discuss names with her (or in fact anyone but my husband). This has really upset me as I was hoping my mum would be more supportive during my pregnancy but she just hasn't been at all. Just feel I can't share this milestone with her anymore and it breaks my heart.
Also there have been other comments, more on the medical side as basically from day one my pregnancy has been high risk as medical professionals have said it's due to my ethnicity and that I should see it a good thing that I'm being monitored more. But it's so deflating every time I go for an antenatal appointment, they add another tick to my name, meaning I need more checks or take more tablets.
I've spoken to my husband about it, whilst he has been amazing and so supportive, ultimately he can't really relate to my experience as a black woman and mother-to-be.
I was wondering whether people have had an negative reactions from family members or anyone because you're pregnant with or have mixed race children and how have you navigated that?