Babies, Bumps and Blues ~ A Healthy Approach To Recovery

By Ronnie A Dean

I have known the author, Ronnie Ann Dean, for 34 years. She is a nurse, nurse educator, a dedicated wife and mother of two boys. Ronnie's heart's desire has always been to serve and improve the lives of others both medically and otherwise. Her writing of this book is an extension and byproduct of her commitment to serve her commun

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronnie Dean
• Release date: May 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088145630

Book preview

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PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Babies, Bumps

and Blues

A HEALTHY APPROACH TO RECOVERY

By Ronnie Ann Dean, RN, CDCES

Copyright © 2023 Ronnie Ann Dean.

All Rights Reserved.

Ronnie has put together a book that is so needed in this day and age. Number one, she celebrates motherhood and womanhood. These days there are so many varying ideas about womanhood that I think Ronnie's descriptions are much needed. Secondly, she provides great practical tips and guidance for the mother to be. Thirdly Ronnie shares with great vulnerability about her own journey as a mother. This really allows a reader to feel understood while getting resources they need. Finally, Ronnie's vast experience in the healthcare field as a nurse, including work with prenatal care, neonatal care, and with pediatrics in general, gives her a lot of insight from the professional perspective.

This teamed, with the heart of a mother provides a very helpful and readable book that I believe will be a blessing.

Todd Gerelds

Author of Woodlawn, and Always Fall Forward

Dear Friends, it is my desire that this booklet becomes an arrow in your hand to the journey of motherhood. May the stories from friends and knowledge from our experiences allow strength on behalf of your new beginnings. My heart for you is that this will be a connection with other moms and a catalyst to ignite your strength within. I desire that the material provided can become a product that gives light to your path from one generation to another. Let us learn from our past, present, and future for together we are capable, courageous, resilient, powerful and fierce. Now take a deep breath and let me hear you ROAR from the depth of motherhood! For without your willingness to embrace being a woman, future generations simply would not exist. You are beautifully and wonderfully made!

Love, Ronnie

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you: To my husband, Bart, who supported me in the journey to write my first booklet. He has always allowed me to follow my dreams. Your love and support for our family shows daily by your commitment and unconditional love for us. To my children, Nolan and John Owen, who have allowed me to share my story of motherhood that includes details of their earliest years in life. I am honored that God chose me to be your mom.

"Dr. Francis Champagne at Columbia University studies how nurturing touch in early life changes the infant brain to make infants more nurturing parents. This research shows us that by nurturing our babies, we are creating a legacy for nurture by changing their DNA. Using animal models, Dr.

Champagne has found that nurturing touch in infancy makes epigenetic changes on estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus of babies. If an infant receives high touch in infancy, it leaves marks on their DNA to turn up the production of estrogen receptors. When an infant with high estrogen receptors becomes a parent, they show more parental care. Then those babies grow up to continue to pass on high touch in infancy it leaves marks on their DNA to turn up the production of estrogen receptors. When an infant with high estrogen receptors becomes a parent, they show more parental care. Then those babies grow up to continue to pass on genes and behavior for nurturing care. This work shows us that we CAN and we WILL create cycles of intergenerational nurture! Some of us are continuing or strengthening nurture from our babyhoods, and some of us are creating a brand new cycle of nurture. None of us are perfect but we are all trying our best." Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum PhD Neuroscientist Nurture_neuroscience_parenting

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Pregnancy and You

Got Milk?

Anybody Else Awake

When Days Turn to Weeks

Sleep

Not Again

Alone in Darkness

Food and Nutrition

Baby Personality

Exercise Benefits to Wellness

Breastfeeding

From One Mom to Another

Nineteen years ago, August 3rd, 2002, our lives were forever changed. We started our little family with the arrival of our first-born baby boy. It was an amazing time in our lives! The birth of our baby was just like all the books said it would be. As the books stated, our first