From time to time in this space, Balboa Press publishes articles written by our authors in which they share some aspect of their self-publishing journeys. These are the words of Lena Dyhrberg, author of “Born Wise”. Download our free publishing guide to receive more information on self-publishing your book with Balboa Press.
Born Wise introduces readers to numerous stories from my career as a family health care nurse. These stories may inspire parents and help make their lives easier.
I was inspired to write Born Wise through my job as a family health care nurse in Denmark. Experience has confirmed my belief that infants are wise. Babies understand what you say. If you speak to the child, you are merely delivering a message. If you speak with the child, you establish a connection via, for instance, eye contact, and you will receive a reply. The child may answer by either changing his/her facial expression, looking away, ceasing his/her crying, or by re-positioning his/her feet by supporting his/her weight on the soles of the feet instead of on the tips of his/her toes.
I once visited a family with a newborn girl, who cried unhappily. I discussed the pregnancy and the birth with the mother. The mother told me that, during the pregnancy, she had been involved in a traffic accident. We told the baby about this. The next day, the mother contacted me and told me her daughter had stopped crying in that sorrowful manner. The girl had experienced a sense of closure and now felt safe. Obviously, she had gone through a traumatic experience while still in her mother’s womb.
Often, children who are experiencing problems (of various kinds) exhibit their distress by balancing their weight only on the tips of their toes or another part of the foot. When the parents and I have found out, through communication, what the child is trying to tell us, we have discussed the issue with the child. The same day, or perhaps a few days after, the child will start to distribute his/her weight evenly on the soles of the feet.
I have also seen children who communicate by becoming sick. Through communication, they were cured. I visited a family with a very unhappy newborn boy. The mother was embracing her new role as a parent and loved her child and could not understand why he was so sad. I had monitored the family during the pregnancy and was therefore aware that the mother had been unhappy, because she had become pregnant after divorcing her husband. I advised her to tell her son that she loved him dearly, and that becoming pregnant had made her very happy. The mother explained the situation to her little boy, and immediately the boy reacted by relaxing his body and ceasing to cry so unhappily.
The newborn baby and the small child understand what we say – they understand the words we say, and they sense how we feel and respond to that. When I tell parents that their child understands the words spoken to them, a lot of parents are skeptical. They see/hear me communicate with their child, yet they still remain unconvinced. However, when we meet again, and the parents have spoken with their child, they believe me. Therefore, I want my message to reach parents, grandparents, as well as everyone who works with infants and small children, all over the world. In my professional opinion, we must use this knowledge to create respect for newborns and make parents’ lives easier.
I have enjoyed being actively involved in the process of preparing and publishing Born Wise. The fascinating process of self-publishing, which requires hard work, concentration, and dedication, is absolutely worth the effort. I would definitely recommend that other writers publish their books following this strategy; it is and has been a truly inspirational and exciting process.
Balboa Press authors who’d like to share a 350-600 word experience related to the self-publishing of their books, are invited to do so by sending a message through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BalboaPress, by tweeting us at @BalboaPress, or by emailing dghosh@ balboapress.com. We may not be able to use every story, but we will read and consider all of them. Balboa Press reserves the right to edit stories for content, grammar and punctuation accuracy; as well as for space.