genetic throwbacks? we are white and ive just had a mixed race baby, know anything about this?

[knowaboutthis]

does anyone have any experience of genetic throw backs?

maybe she will lighten maybe she won't.

we will see, thanks for the help.

have to go now as she ready for yet another feed.

thanks again.

dd3 baby pics are the 3rd one down (curly hair and blue pj's) and right at the bottom of ny profile.

my neighbour who is white had a baby who is white but with fantastic afro hair! roll on 3 years she's very distinctive looking and no-one still has any idea where her hair came from as both parents have blonde hair and blue eyes- AND they DNA tested here to be sure!

Sorry not much help but thought i'd share with the class!

misdee, absolutely adorable pics, your children are gorgeous! Want to adopt your DD as a 6 month old just to show the hair off, (my two were practically bald, so very jealous!

my mom is pasty plae irish and my dad is dutch (land of the tall blonde folk) with a danish grandmother (even more of the tall and blondeness). he's dark haired now but was born blonde, as was my mother.

when i was born there were serios raised eyebrows from my grandparents at the shock of black hair and dark skin.

i tan after 5 minutes in the sun and have dark hair and eyes, my mom claims when they brought me to portugal on holidays all the locals spoke portugese to me as they presumed i was a local child.

my dd has my colouring and ds was born with it but his hair is now streaked with blonde and he burns in february sunshine!

not sure what my point is.... genetics are confusing and kids change alot over the first year?

there was a famous case in South Africa at the time of apartheid of a white couple giving birth to a mixed race girl.

Given the time and place it was an absolute disaster for them, and although her parents did all they could for her (even going to court to establish that as the child of two whites she had to be white) it damaged her situation dramatically.

They weren't able to determine where the genes came from originally, but given the political situation at the time it's not too surprising I guess.

there was a famous case in South Africa at the time of apartheid of a white couple giving birth to a mixed race girl.

Given the time and place it was an absolute disaster for them, and although her parents did all they could for her (even going to court to establish that as the child of two whites she had to be white) it damaged her situation dramatically.

They weren't able to determine where the genes came from originally, but given the political situation at the time it's not too surprising I guess.

oops!

What has your HV said?

My two mixed race children looked quite light at birth and got much darker in the first year.

gosh I don't know people on this thread are so keen to doubt the poster saying things like most baorn babies are light at birth, and babies dont really have afros at birth. I see newborn babies everyday at work and of course they can and do have really tight afros curls and the mix race babies can look dark.
It must be qite a shock to you knowaboutthis, I have the opposite situation my dd is mix race but she looks white, she hasnt got afro hair at all in fact it is quite straight with some waves at the bottom.
Perhaps it is worth speaking to someone, a midwife maybe, or as mentioned before someone who is trained in genetics. congratulations on your little girl.

My daughter was born with jet black hair, slanty eyes and yellow skin. My mother looked at her very sceptically indeed...

She is now a white-skinned, blond-haired, blue-eyed little girl (with almond shaped eyes like her father).

Hi, If you have time (I know you don't, with a lovely newborn to look after!) read Babrbara Delinsky's 'The Family Tree' [not quite sure of the title!], it's about a white couple in the US who have a baby who looks mixed-race - I thought it was very good on the unexpected feelings and reactions people can have.

apparently eighth generation is quite common for genetic throwbacks

If your dd is showing mixed race heritage, generally mixed race children darken as they age, so if she is dark now she will become darker, also it may be sensible to consider how she wil need different things than Caucasian skin. Her skin will need to be creamed well, and everyday, her hair if it stays afro will need special creams or oils or it will matt.

Dont worry, if people want to talk let them, she is yours and wonderful, and will be all the more wonderful for this, but I would have a look at your heritage just to know for your own sakes. Congratulations and hope you are all healthy and happy.

my mixed race dh says he has never had a special cream or oil applied to his hair or his skin and nor has he ever needed to

Only a suggestion cap, best to know than not to know!

Colacubes is correct about mixed race/black skin ,our skin needs to be regulary moistured coco butter is fab,or else the skin will look dry and ashey, also the hair needs to be oiled/creamed to stop the hair becoming brittle,not all black or mixed race people do this but it does make a difference to skin/hair.

oh I'm not saying it's not helpful to know, and all children are different, but if I was the OP I would be a bit overwhelmed by the idea of 'special creams' when she will already be quite overwhelmed (well I was!) with looking after a new baby! Not all mixed race children need this; dh's skin and hair are fine. Dh and his sister have done all kinds of mad things to their hair, mostly involving very cheap hair gel as they were goths and it has continued to look great

in response to the OP, I have a dd who has strawberry blonde hair, dead straight, blue eyes and white, lightly freckled skin (if you click on my profile you will see the edge of her head).

I can see how easy it must be for generations to lose sight of their mixed race heritage, as I have had someone say 'Are you sure?' when I have ticked the "White/ Black Caribbean" boxes on ethnicity forms

I am white with blue eyes and brown hair and my DH is pure Indian. Our 19 month old son is blonde and fair with blue eyes. You can never tell how they are going to come out, even if both parents are the same race. My husbands sister is also married to an Indian, they both have black hair and brown eyes, and yet their twin daughters came out with brown hair and blue eyes. I theorize that there was a white man in my husbands past a long time ago. This is also because on the whole (being a bit stereotypical here) most Indian men tend to be relatively thin and shortish and my DH is 6 foot 4 and 220 pounds! Where did that come from?