Op 20 Junie 2014 het die wonderlikste ding met ons gebeur; ons liefling seun, Kegan is gebore. Sy geboorte was egter nie ʼn feeverhaal nie. Kegan was ʼn brug baba. Hy is onmiddellik na geboorte na die Neonatale ICU geneem en die voorreg om ons pasgebore baba te omhels is van ons ontneem…

One of the exciting things about BabyGym is that it can be applied in various ways and forms. Charlotte Gouws has been offering BabyGym group classes in Durbanville for many years, and in addition to the weekly group classes she also consults one on one with babies, children and sometimes even adults. Here are three short success stories from her BabyGym practice.

My seuntjie JJ is prematuur gebore. Ek het erge blaasontsteking gekry en hy is op 33 weke gebore en was vir 10 dae in die neonatale eenheid. Ek was (soos enige ander mamma van ‘n prematuur baba) baie bekommerd oor sy ontwikkeling en miskien bietjie paranoïes ook. Ek het opgemerk dat hy heeltyd met sy koppie oor sy regterskouer lê en kyk en dat hy regtig baie sukkel om sy koppie te draai. Ek het hom probeer help, maar dit was duidelik dat dit vir hom ongemaklik was as ek sy koppie probeer draai – miskien seer ook; sy nekspiertjies was baie styf. Sy ogies het nie mooi gefokus nie en wanneer ek hom op sy maag laat lê het, kon hy nie sy koppie van die vloer af opgetel het nie. Sy kopvorm was ook platter aan die eenkant omdat hy heeltyd aan daardie kant gelê het.

The development of a baby’s brain is very similar to the Chinese Bamboo Tree. For the first few years it is difficult to tell from the outside if development is taking place, but once your toddler starts to walk, talk and interact with you, you see the same amazing growth as the Chinese Bamboo Tree. Although it seems like all the growth happens at the same time, the first years are crucial- and determine the strength and complexity of the root system that makes the growth spurt possible.

BabaGim Instrukteur, Jo-Marie vdM Bothma (van Harrismith), het as Mamma die laaste jaar self haar BabaGim-kennis ernstiglik op proef gestel. Toe haar baba-seuntjie op 6 maande baie stadig ontwikkel en swak op klank reageer het sy begin ondersoek instel en kliphard aan die werk gespring om haar seuntjie, Merwe, se fisiese-ontwikkeling aan te moedig. Lees hier haar suksesverhaal:

Op 15 maande wou my seuntjie niks weet van loop nie. Hy het op twee verskillende geleenthede gewys dat hy wel kan loop, maar dit was asof hy net nie die moed gehad het om weer te probeer nie. Hy was bang vir alles en wou niks nuut probeer nie – of dit nou kos, speelgoed of nuwe mense was – hy het net geweier om te probeer. Op 15 maande het ‘n “goeie nag” beteken dat hy net 5 keer wakker geword het, meeste van die tyd moes ek tot 8 keer in die nag vir my kind moes opstaan. Dit het sy tol emosioneel en fisiek geëis. Ek sien toe op Facebook van die BabaGim program en ek het dadelik met Rudine Ferreira, die naaste BabaGim Instrukteur, kontak gemaak.

“…Johann’s mom Liesel, called me when Johann was 4 weeks old to enquire about BabyGym® especially for Preemies. She had heard from a friend that it was a great programme and that it had good success with prematurely born babies. We chatted about the programme and she decided that we would start with BabyGym once Johann had reached his gestational date. In fact, he was 8 weeks old when we started with BabyGym 2: Firm Foundations, in their home. Of course Baby Johann was a new born and he himself was asleep or feeding for most of the 5 weeks. His mum however, was determined that Johann was not to miss out on anything. Liesel worked with Johann every day diligently following the BabyGym programme. The paediatricians working with Johann were amazed at how strong he was and how well he was doing despite his early arrival. Liesel was very good about tummy time and allowed Johann to explore his world as naturally as possible. Lots of rug time, walks and swings, smells and tastes and other fun filled activities filled their day…

…”By the time Danyaal reached 17 months he had mastered the art of bum shuffling. By now we desperately wanted him to walk and were hoping that BabyGym® would help us reach this important milestone. We met our BabyGym Instructor, Zharina Wajoodeen, and to our disappointment Danyaal was very unhappy with the introduction, Zharina had to sit far away and at times had to look away and talk to us because even looking at Danyaal unsettled him. I felt totally helpless. However, Zharina wasn’t startled by Danyaal’s reaction and continued with an overview of the way forward: Zharina explained the functions of the skin and how massage is used to calm the skin and make the body feel safe and secure; she warned that BabyGym was not a quick fix but that daily attention and exercises would soon show results; she explained the importance of reaching each milestone in sequence and that walking would only become a priority once Danyaal was able to crawl confidently on all 4’s for some time; finally, she also stressed that rushing the milestones would not benefit him and that the sequence in which milestones were reached, was more important than the speed at which they were reached. After our first BabyGym session we were still quite unsure of what was to follow, but we had a sense that we were in good hands…”

My baby, Arno, was born with a condition called Craniosynostosis. This is when the sutures in the baby`s skull prematurely fuses and the result is that the skull and brain cannot grow normally. Arno`s Sagittal suture was fused at birth. Luckily for us this was not such a foreign situation because I was born with the same condition and had my operation at 3 months. When Arno was 9 weeks old he had the operation to separate the fused sutures. Before the operation I met with BabyGym Instructor, Liezl Blom, to chat about ways in which I could help to relieve the stress that Arno would experience during the operation and the stay in hospital. She gave me great BabyGym tips and techniques to keep him calm and stress-free…

Baba Milay het op 6 weke begin met BabaGim. Haar mamma, Melissa, was baie opgewonde oor die klassies, sy is ‘n Graad R juffrou en het tydens haar swangerskap van Dr Melodie de Jager, die stigter van BabaGim, se boeke begin lees. In klastyd het die boeke se teorie vir haar prakties geraak en dit was vir my wonderlik om te sien hoe sy haar eie baba kon waarneem en kon sien hoe sy ontvou en ontwikkel.

Op die mees stormagtige dag waarop paaie in ons stad verspoel en bome bo-op karre val, pak ek my BabaGim trollies propvol poppe, handdoeke en ander hulpmiddels om Vriende van BabaGim in Uitenhage by ’n dagsorgsentrum te gaan aanbied. Oki Doki Kidz het beide ’n Engelse as ’n Afrikaanse dagsorgsentrum twee strate van mekaar af en ek is sommer dadelik in die stortreën met ope arms en hope vriendelikheid ontvang tussen die kindertjies deur wat sit en huiswerk doen met fasiliteerders wat hulle bystaan. Groot was my verbasing toe ek my goedjies in die klein, maar baie netjiese babakamer met 6 kampbedjies, almal netjies en skoon, uitpak. Dis klein en beknop op die vloer, maar ons gesels oor die leerproses, leer die poppe masseer en speel al te lekker met die verskillende moontlikhede van Week 1 en 2 van BabaGim. Drie dames, twee nog heerlik jonk en sonder kinders en een ouer dame neem entoesiasties mee. Dit verg determinasie en uithouvermoë vir ‘n dagsorgjuffrou om 07:00 te begin werk en 10 uur later, om 17:00 aan te meld vir ‘n twee- uur lange opleidingsessie. Maar sekere juffrouens het murg in hulle pype en Eva Forbes, Karen van Schalkwyk en Marika Britz het nie een keer gesug of gekla dat hulle die Vriende van BabaGim-kursus moes doen nie. Hulle het intelligent en meelewend deelgeneem aan al die aktiwiteite. Hulle is reg en lus vir leer en die oordra van kennis was ’n louter plesier. Nie een keer word enige van hulle deur ’n selfoon onderbreek of afgelei nie. Daar is nie eens tyd vir ’n lekker koppie tee nie…

Klein Graham was 6 maande oud toe hy by my begin het met BabaGim 2: Ferm Grondslag. Hy was deel van my groepie gevallestudiebabas tydens my prakties om as BabaGim Intrukteur te kwalifiseer. Aanvanklik sou sy mamma, Elsa elke week met hom BabaGim bywoon, maar weens werksverpligtinge het Hannetjie, sy oppasser, met hom die kurses bygewoon. Vanaf dag een het ek vir klein Graham dopgehou en ‘n punt daarvan gemaak om sy vordering te monitor…

On 11 June 2008 Sonja received a phone call, Danie was involved in a serious motorcycle accident and she needed to make her way to the hospital. On arrival the medics were resuscitating Danie, and thankfully they were successful. They however warned that the next 48 hours would be critical and that they did not believe Danie would survive. They advised that Sonja contact the family so that they could gather at the hospital and say their goodbyes. His injuries included severe brain injury, he was in a deep coma, he had bad fractures to his right hip and right upper leg, rib fractures and numerous cuts and bruises. That same evening Danie received emergency surgery to his hip and leg due to the severity of the fractures and internal bleeding, he also needed 5 units of blood, but the upside was he did not need brain surgery. When Sonja met with the Neurosurgeon for the first time he said about Danie: “his brain looks like scrambled eggs”, there was no differentiation between the white and grey matter in the brain. Physical impairments during the coma included paralysis to the left side of his body due to the brain injury and not the neck, he was also immobilised due to the hip fracture on his right. If you ask Danie what he recalls from the first 3 weeks he says absolutely nothing. During his stay in the hospital he received no rehab therapy due to the bad prognosis, the staff barely thought he would survive never mind recover. Doctors said: “he will not recover, not be able to return to work, and will most likely not be able to look after himself ever again.”

Mr. Robert De La Porte’s family contacted me after Discovery Medical Aid had referred them to BabyGym. He was a 78 year old man who had suffered a stroke and was at the time receiving physiotherapy and speech therapy. I arranged to meet Robert and the family so that I could determine our plan of action. When I met him I was able to note the following: the left side of his body was mostly affected by the stroke; he was able to speak, but very slowly; his eye sight was very badly affected; he kept his left eye closed most of the time (an attempt to help his right eye to focus), he wasn’t allowed to drink from a straw but he was able to eat on his own using his right hand. I did a finger test on his left and right side to see if he could place his thumb against each finger for 8 seconds but he unfortunately couldn’t and needed assistance with this exercise. I now new that BabyGym would benefit Mr De La Porte so we agreed that I would do BabyGym with him for 1 hour daily, for four consecutive weeks; and Robert’s sister (who was staying with him at the Oasis Care Centre at the time) offered to help by repeating some of the BabyGym exercises with him in the evenings…

I am a Registered Nurse, Midwife and BabyGym Instructor and have run my own Well Baby Clinic in Pietermaritzburg for many years. I often get called to help New Moms with various issues particularly with breastfeeding and I had a lovely experience recently that I would like to share with you. I received a desperate SMS from a new Mom (with a 4 day old C-section baby) quite late on a Sunday night with regards to her breast feeding. Mom had arrived home from hospital on Saturday afternoon, feeding had been going fairly well in hospital but now that baby was home things had gone a little ‘pear shaped’. I received a tearful call from Mom Monday morning at 7am saying that her baby had not fed and had been screaming since 11pm Sunday night and could I please come and help. I arrived at this mom’s house to find Mom and baby very distraught, the grandparents had arrived earlier to also try and help with the situation. Before taking the baby from mom I explained to the family what I was going to do and the importance of ‘sameness soothes’ i.e. mimicking how this little baby felt whilst still in utero…

On 28 September2014, 28 year old Jean Bougard was in a terrible motor vehicle accident. His injuries were profound with very little hope of his vision recovering at all. A MRI scan showed significant damage to the Occipital lobe in the brain. The doctors said “Jean will have No vision again”. October 2014, the first eye test was performed at “The Eye Institute” and showed no sign of any vision. He could not even see a finger at short distance from his eyes and therefore also “failed” the eye test…

Tydens my kwalifisering as BabaGim Instrukteur het Baba Xander (as een van my gevallestudie babas) BabaGim saam sy pappa, Eugene, bygewoon. Xander was ses maande oud toe ons met BabaGim begin het, en sy pappa se grootste bekommernis was dat Xander sy oog, kop of neus potblou of selfs stukkend gaan slaan met sy speelgoedjies want dit blyk of Xander dikwels so lekker maar rof speel en homself in die proses beseer.

Vir ‘n hele paar jaar het ek as BabaGim Instrukteur reeds die voorreg om mammas touwys te maak met die BabaGim massering. In BabaGim leer ons 2 tipe masserings, een om baba te ontspan en rustig te maak en een om baba op te kikker en wakker te maak (sou baba dalk te rustig of passief voorkom). Dit het egter nog nooit gebeur dat ‘n baba sodanig “lui” was dat ons die wakkermaak massering in klas moes toepas nie. Dit het dus bloot teorie gebly en ‘n mens het heimlik maar gehoop dat dit ‘n mamma hier en daar sou help wanneer baba luierig is om te drink, aan die slaap raak en dan minute later weer wakker word omdat baba nie versadig gedrink is nie. Het ek maar geweet van die BabaGim wakkermaak massering toe ek self ‘n eerstekeer mamma was!

We always read about babies’ success stories but here is my story. My life before BabyGym was a dark and lonely place. I have been married for 17 years but God has not blessed my marriage with children. It has been a tough journey with never ending doctor’s visits, trying crazy concoctions, therapies from needles to medicines, special diets and exercise to meditation and prayer, Maulana (Muslim Priest) to Maulana, herbalists… I have been to them all. In between all of this my heart was aching and I felt my youth slipping away, I sometimes looked into the mirror with horror, what had I become? For a long time I stayed away from family and social gatherings, I even kept away from close friends because they had children and I always felt like there was no common ground. I was never confident when it came to babies and I always felt inferior to other women…

Being a first time dad, like all other parents, I wanted the best for my little girl Zaakirah. At first I didn’t know exactly what BabyGym was all about, but surprisingly a whole new window into the human mind and body was opened, and I learnt a lot! For me it was amazing to learn that seemingly insignificant or small things like perhaps eye contact or dad`s touch are actually important factors in a child`s development. As a dad I am relieved to have learnt that it is not the expensive toys and gadgets that will ultimately lead to the development of a better brain.

November 2013 het Nathan se ouers my genader om Nathan te ontmoet met die oog op BabaGim® terapie nadag hulle ‘n praatjie van Melodie de Jager op RSG geluister het. In die praatjie het sy genoem dat dieselfde bewegings van in BabaGim gebruik word om heelbreinontwikkeling te stimuleer, ook in die gevalle van breintrauma die brein kan stimuleer om nuwe neorobane te bou en te vestig. Hierdie stukkie nuus was vir Nathan se gesin ‘n klein ligstraaltjie in ‘n baie donker wêreld. Nathan was reeds 3 jaar oud. Sy breintrauma as gevolg van ‘n “near-drowning” het reeds in April 2012 gebeur, wat dus beteken dat dit in daardie stadium reeds ‘n jaar en ‘n half na die ongeluk was. Nathan het op ‘n baie gereelde basis fisioterapie, arbeidsterapie en ARB ontvang en die mediese prognose was dat die “venster van herstel” reeds oorskry is en dat alle aanduidings daar is dat Nathan geen verdere ontwikkelings-mylpale sal kan bereik nie.

In week 1 – 3 van BabaGim® bespreek ons die belangrikheid van beweging, magie-tyd en kopbeheer -en ons weet dat die kop alle verdere ontwikkeling en beweging lei. Ons weet ook dat indien kopbeheer nie bemeester word nie is mylpale soos omrol, sit, kruip en loop nie moontlik nie…

Ons het die 2de Januarie 2015 die ongelooflike voorreg gehad om ons tweede kind, ‘n babaseuntjie genaamd Adam, in die wêreld te verwelkom! Om te verseker dat Adam ook die nodige boublokke vir ‘n beter brein ontwikkel, het BabaGim® vining ‘n groepsaktiwiteit in die Roth-huishouding geword…

Zia en Willem-Jan is op 30 weke gebore. Met hul gesondheid en vordering was daar geen probleme nie. Hulle ouers, Riaan en Marlize, het van BabaGim® gehoor en het die waarde en voordeel wat daar in die program vir hulle kinders is, besef en hulle het my genader. Die feit dat hulle dit beslis met hulle twee kleintjies wou doen, was ‘n uitgemaakte saak, maar hulle het ± 120 km vêr gewoon en ons moes datums en tye kry wat hulle sou pas om die pad aan te durf. Ons het besluit op ‘n Saterdagoggend 9 uur en hulle het vroeg gery om betyds vir elke klassie te wees. Vir Pappa Riaan was dit geen probleem om BabaGim® saam met ons vrouens en babatjies te kom doen nie…

Our baby boy was born full term and weighed 3.6kg. He however ended up in NICU with fluid in his lungs and was given extra oxygen to assist with absorption of the fluid. He responded very quickly to this intervention and was discharged after 5 days. Shortly after arriving home, he presented with a whistle-like noise during normal breathing, but especially during feeding. We first thought that he did not fully recover, but during his 6-week check-up at the paediatrician, it became clear that he was suffering from Laryngomalacia. A condition characterised by the soft, immature cartilage of the upper larynx that collapses inward during inhalation, causing airway obstruction. His condition was however worsened by silent reflux. It caused inflammation of the upper airways and made breathing (and as a result feeding) even more difficult.

Omdat baba nog nie in woorde kan aandui wat sy liefdestaal is nie, is dit moeilik om vas te stel wat baba se liefdestaal is. BabaGim® kan Mamma of Pappa wel help om elkgeval met baba in enige liefdestaal te kommunikeer en sodoende baba geborge en geliefd laat voel. Deur die BabaGim® massering te doen word liefde aan baba gewys deur fisieke aanraking. Hierdie liefdevolle aanraking vorm die fondasie vir al baba se latere verhoudinge (de Jager, 2009). Wanneer Mamma met baba praat en baba bemoedig tydens oefeninge is die aard van die woorde dikwels opbouend, sodoende ervaar baba liefde tydens ‘gesprekvoering’ met Mamma. Baba reageer op ‘n positiewe wyse op Mamma se sang en spraak (de Jager, 2009) en die herkenning van Mamma se stem skep ‘n gevoel van geborgenheid by baba (de Jager, 2009). Deur om tyd op sy te sit om die BabaGim® oefening en vaardighede (wat in die klas geleer is) met baba tuis toe te pas sê jy: ‘Jy is belangrik genoeg dat alles anders kan wag, ek wil graag met jou tyd spandeer.’ Mamma en Pappa toon diensbaarheid wanneer daar aan baba se behoeftes voldoen word, dit kan dinge soos kosmaak, baba liefdevol masseer en storieboek lees insluit (de Jager, 2009). Alhoewel daar nie ‘n geldelike waarde aan ouerskap geheg kan word nie, kan mens vir jou baba ‘n geskenk gee deur in sy of haar toekoms te belê. Om jou kind te masseer en te ontwikkel sal ook die breintjie ontwikkel en daarom is BabaGim® prysloos!

Ek is seker oumas is die beste ding sedert gesnyde brood en gun elke nuwe mamma die bederf om by haar ma in te trek vir ’n onbeperkte tyd. Tog moet elke mamma en pappa die voorreg hê om in daardie eerste weke self met hulle baba te “bond”. Dit kan alleen gebeur as hulle die baba self hanteer, bad, troetel, masseer en versorg – so ver as wat dit enigsins moontlik is. Tien uit tien vir BabaGim® 1 wat die belang hiervan onderstreep. Dit het duidelik het ‘n groot verskil in hierdie gesin se lewe gemaak en ek glo dit gaan nog groot verskille maak in die lewens van baie gesinne. ’n Stewige band met mamma en pappa bou nie alleen saam aan ’n beter brein nie, maar ook aan lewenslange goeie verhoudinge wat so nodig is vir die totale ontwikkeling van die baba.

Te danke aan die leesstof wat ek vooraf gelees het, het ek geweet dat borsvoeding nie altyd natuurlik kom nie. Ek het my beste probeer om al die verskillende posisies en truuks te onthou om baba te help ‘latch’ en voed maar in my onsekerheid, het ek nie genoeg selfvertroue gehad om in die hospitaal aan te dring op vel-tot-vel-kontak direk na geboorte nie. Ek was baie op my senuwees en die eerste keer wat ek hom probeer voed het, was dit ‘n hele ses ure na geboorte, die personeel het hom gaan bad en hom eers 6 ure later terug gebring! Die suigrefleks is die sterkste direk na geboorte, so ek het geweet dit gaan uitdagend wees om hom so lank na geboorte te probeer voed. Dit was maar net die begin van die gesukkel, dit het ‘n hele paar dae geneem voordat ek hom rustig kon voed sonder ‘n gespartel. Selfs nadat hy beter begin voed het, het my seuntjie steeds gereeld gesukkel met maagkrampe, voeding het nie vir ons natuurlik gekom nie…

“…Ek is seker as BabaGim® Instrukteur bly die eerste BabaGim groep mens nogals by. Ek glo werklik BabaGim® werk, maar ek was erg benoud of iemand dalk hulle geld na die klassies gaan terugvra. Na 18 maande van BabaGim® klassies aanbied het ek onlangs vir my vorige mammas ‘n e-pos gestuur om te hoor hoe die babas vorder en om te hoor of hulle voel BabaGim® het ‘n impak op hul babas se ontwikkeling gehad…”

Vir nege maande het elke Mamma daardie bondeltjie vreugde met groot sorg en liefde gedra. Soos die tyd nader kom vir Baba om gebore te word, word Mamma dikwels ongeduldig om haar liefkind te ontmoet en vas te hou. As Mamma maar net in haar ongemak en ongeduld weet hoe verlang mens weer na die tyd waar baba binne en veilig in die baarmoeder, teen die wêreld se aanslae beskerm was. Die tyd moet kom waar baba gebore word en dan is Mamma se hart vir altyd buite haar liggaam. Die aanpassing tot die nuwe manier van leef saam baba is opwindend maar ook uitdagend en soms wens Mamma dat baba net op ‘n ouderdom kan kom waar hy of sy deurslaap, nie oral rond gedra hoef te word nie of iets op sy of haar eie kan doen; hoe min besef mens dan dat tyd die grootste rower is? Daardie tyd wat baba so klein en afhanklik is gaan so vinnig verby!

This little 18 month boy was in our Cotlands Birth to 2 Early Learning Group in Pefferville, Eastern Cape. He attended the stimulation class. During my site visit in June 2014 I notice that his left hand did not have a strong grasp with restrictive use. I recommended to the Early Learning Play Facilitator that he be included in the Baby Massage class and follow the BabyGym programme and to encourage the mother to daily massage his hands and use various sensory/tactile objects to stimulate hands. All our staff members have been trained as Friends of BabyGym and understand the difference between growth and development, and the importance of strong and coordinated movement…

Being a new mum is hard, but being the new mum of a colic baby is enough to send you to seek extreme solutions. I was keen to try any remedy possibly, from Dutch medicines and old wives tales to people who can cure a shifty navel. Fortunately for me I’m surrounded with very intelligent elders who endeavoured to keep me away from resorting to calling one of those miracle healers from the pamphlets that kept getting left on my car. My very tech savvy dad kept trying to find me “first world” solutions, from diets to American FDA approved homeopathic medicines and eventually came upon a way to strap the baby to myself to create the womb-like bonding that my paediatrician kept insisting upon. This wrapping technique coupled with my clued up mum in laws suggestion to try BabyGym® is how I am today able to calmly get on with my life.

…On the Monday, marking my 39th week of pregnancy, I started to experience contractions from around 20:00 the night. With the false contractions still fresh in my mind I was hesitant to tell anybody about them, not even my husband. When we went to bed around 22:00 I told him that I think I might be in labour, but that I wanted to make 100% sure. I was keeping track of how far the contractions were apart. At 23:20 I told him “This is definitely it, I think we should go to the hospital.” My first baby was born with an epidural and I was planning the same with Lea. On our way to the hospital I asked my husband whether he thought that an anaesthetist would be available at this time of night, and maybe to calm my own nerves I answered my own question with “There must be someone on call”. When we got to the hospital and the nurse examined me she indicated that I was definitely in labour, I was dilated 4 to 4 1/2 centimetres. When I presented her with my birth plan she shared the shocking news that there wasn’t an anaesthetist available. My heart skipped a beat; this was not what I had planned! But I realized that there was no turning back, this baby was going to be delivered with or without an epidural…

I have been a BabyGym® instructor since December 2011. During 2014, I qualified as a Childbirth Companion (Doula), and I had the amazing experience of journeying with a family from BabyGym 1, through birth, to BabyGym 2: Firm Foundation. This is the story of Leandré and Jacques Le Clus, and the birth of their baby, Jean-Claude (J.C.)…

…”Today I am so happy that she decided to join BabyGym sooner because her dedication has been rewarded, she has a baby that is happy and who develops well. Leeyah is already crawling, and the thing that strikes you first about her is her calm and happy demeanour. She is a tiny baby, but extremely alert and receptive, her body is flexible, with great muscle tone, and she moves confidently. Also, her tummy cramps have settled.”

In April 2014 we received the news that my brother Waldo, and his wide Juané were expecting. To the De Jager family this was incredible, the first small de Jager in our family was due and an unexplored chapter was waiting. We shared the excitement about the progress after every doctor’s visit and we watched as Juané’s tummy quietly grew bigger and bigger, Baby Kailah was becoming a perfectly healthy little human being.

Quite some time ago, I received a phone call from Hamna’s mum enquiring about BabyGym. The first thing I asked her was “how old is your baby?” expecting the usual answer “3- 6 months”, but no, I was told she is 3 years old and Autistic… We finally began the first lesson, I was scared and didn’t know what to expect. Hamna was hyperactive, jumped around the room, and made an agitated sound. She tried to pull my head scarf off and I had to block my eyes, she would also start to throw herself at her mum, signalling the end of the session. Through this entire time Hamna’s mum was absolutely amazing; she persevered and kept on massaging her. By the 5th week of BabyGym, we were doing ‘Week 3’ of the BabyGym programme and that is where we started to see drastic changes in Hamna’s behaviour. She calmly sat with us on the floor, while we did the exercises, allowing her mum to massage her and to give her different things to ‘taste and smell’. When I walked away from the day’s session I had tears in my eyes; I had never felt so fulfilled in my life; it was the first day Hamna made eye contact with me, she participated so well and she even gave me a greeting hug and kiss.

Dear BabyGym, I wanted to share some amazing success stories with you…

Klein Mieke Beeslaar is op 22 Maart 2013 na ‘n swangerskap van slegs 27 weke gebore. Sy was met geboorte baie klein en het net 900gram geweeg, maar sy was ‘n regte klein vegtertjie! Mieke moes amper 3 maande in die intensiewe eenheid deurbring en het ‘n langpad na groei en ontwikkeling vorentoe gehad; Mieke is eers ontslaan toe sy 2kg geweeg het. Vanweë die feit dat Mieke 3 maande vroeg gebore is, is sy sonder ‘n volledige ontwikkelde velletjie gebore, sy het dus op belangrike ontwikkeling binne die baarmoeder uitgemis.

David Beeker, being a rather large and heavy baby often had assisted seating from a very young age which allowed him limited motion or movement and reduced the opportunities for him to fight the pull of gravity. As a result he had very little confidence with new environments and would also become very unsure especially should he happen to lose his balance or have to move during a game. It was apparent that the lack of movement had hindered the strengthening of his core muscles and that his vestibular system (sense of balance) needed to be further stimulated and developed.

*‘n Skuilnaam is gebruik aangesien Lebo in ‘n plek van veiligheid woon en haar identiteit nie bekend gemaak kan word nie. *Lebo is ‘n 10 maande oue vegterjie wat in 2013 gebore is. Sy is met Spina Bifida (‘n kongenitale gebrek wat veroorsaak word deur onvoltooide sluiting van die neurale buis) en Hidrocephalie (waterhoofie) gebore; sy is net na geboorte verskeie kere agv haar diagnose geopereer. Ek het Lebo vanaf 2 maande vir BabaGim begin sien. Sy was nog baie klein en ons was nie seker wat haar prognose sal wees nie, aangesien nie alle mediese rekords beskikbaar was nie.

When we are stressed priority is given to our heart, lungs and muscles so that we can fight or flight/run away and attention to our other bodily functions such as suckling decreases. That is why we have a dry mouth and butterflies in our stomach when we are stressed. Babies have all sorts of digestive problems when stressed like stomach cramps, colic and reflux. They also struggle to get their rhythm right when feeding and tend to swallow a lot of air. When the Vagus nerve is massaged, baby’s body relaxes out of fight and flight mode and other bodily systems operate as normal making sucking, swallowing, metabolising and digestion possible and easier.

I often struggle with the language barrier, but this has made my BabyGym classes so much more practical. I used to ‘talk, talk, talk’ in my classes, but new moms struggle to just listen, because they are ‘listening’ to their babies. So in my Friends of BabyGym classes ‘talk, talk, talk’ turned into ‘look, look, look’ and ‘now you try’. I now apply the more practical way of teaching in all my BabyGym classes and I have seen wonderful results!

My naam is Hugo De Klerk en ek is 9 maande oud, wel eintlik is ek 7 en ‘n half maande oud. Ek is gebore op 34 weke – 6 wekies te vroeg en dit was omtrent ‘n groot verrassing vir mamma en pappa! Ek was gelukkig gesond, al het ek net 1.9 kg geweeg, my longetjies was sterk en die dokter sê dis als te danke aan die normale kraamproses… Op 7 maande het ek gesit , en eintlik was my gekorigeerde ouderdom toe 5 en ‘n half maande. Met my 6 maande pediatriese ondersoek was die oom dokter omtrent verbaas! Mamma glo dat BabaGim die grootste geskenk is wat enige ouer sy kind kan gee. Sonder BabaGim sou ek nie al my mylpale so mooi kon bereik nie. Elke ouer en versorger behoort BabaGim te doen en met ‘n prematuur babatjie, soveel te meer. Dankie BabaGim vir die toewyding waarmee julle klein breintjies help bou.

…Ek het aan mamma verduidelik dat dit juis die babas is wat nie van massering hou nie wat dit die meeste nodig het. Ek het haar aangemoedig om deur te druk en Lisa ‘n paar maal per dag te masseer. Teen week 2 kon ons vorder tot by haar kuite en teen week 3 kon ons amper die hele massering voltooi voor Lisa vir ons “gewys” het dat dit genoeg was.

I enjoy playing with my boys and playing in a stimulating way is much easier since we’ve done the BabyGym programme; a ball, towel and some imagination goes a long way! I would like to thank our BabyGym Instructor Margit Reiff, I will always be grateful to her, not just for the BabyGym content but for the way she presented it too.

Ek het na my kwalifikasie as BabaGim Instrukteur by ‘n skool begin werk as babaklas-onderwyseres. Ek het BabaGim daagliks in my klas toegepas en dit het groot nuuskierigheid by die klas-assistent ontlok. Die assistent het drie tiener-kinders en sy wou graag BabaGim op hulle toepas; haar een seun het gesukkel om in die klaskamer te konsentreer en sy wou dit graag aanspreek.

Ons baba dogtertjie, Tiana is op 7 Desember 2012 met ‘n keiser in die wêreld gebring. Elke keer wanneer ek haar gevoed het, het sy melk opgebring. Partykeer het dit gelyk soos ‘n wind wat sy gesluk het en dan het sy net bietjie melk uitgespoeg, ander kere het sy ‘n boog melk opgebring.Sy was 8 maande oud toe ons die BabaGim klasse met haar begin doen het en sy was toe steeds op die spesiale formule-melk spesifiek vir refluks. Ons het gereeld die Vagus-senuwee gestimuleer, en ook die BabaGim oefeninge vir suig- en metabolisering herhaal, daar was dadelik ‘n verbetering. 6 Weke nadat ons die BabaGim oefeninge met Tiana begin doen het was daar alreeds ‘n merkwaardige verandering in haar voeding, sy het nie meer melk opgebring nie en sy kon na gewone formule-melk oorskakel.

I would like to share my own little ‘success story’. My son Luca (now 11 months) was 8 months old when I did the BabyGym Instructor training with Dr Melodie de Jager. I found this to be fantastic as I was able to go home every day and apply all the new BabyGym exercises on my son, who mostly thoroughly enjoyed it. During the BabyGym Training Melodie emphasised that both sides of the body need to be stimulated, and that when one feeds, regardless of breast- or bottle feeding, you need to change arms mid-feed to offer equal development opportunity to the sides of the body. Luca was a bottle-fed baby from day 1 and I never swopped arms during feeds…

Ek het by BabaGim (in Tzaneen) uit desperaatheid aangesluit en nie regtig geweet wat om te verwag nie. Ons het met die masseering begin en ek was so hoopvol. Binne 2 weke kon ons reeds n verskil in Lindsay se postuur sien. Maar as ‘n mamma (in haar oorlewingsbrein a.g.v. moegheid ens.) was dit regtig moeilik om met die masseering vol te hou en op daardie stadium het ek nie besef hoeveel herhaling nodig is, voordat die spiere ontspan en die brein die nodige breinpaadjies bou nie…My raad aan mammas is: byt vas en druk deur. HERHALING, HERHALING, HERHALING! Soek geleenthede om die massering en oefeninge deur die loop van die dag tot dag bedrywighede in te pas. BabaGim IS die antwoord, belê in jou baba se ontwikkeling en toekoms!

Ek het nou al verskeie kere op my 18 maande oue seuntjie afgekom waar sy hande te min is vir alles wat hy op een slag wil doen en waar hy dan sommer sy voete en tone inspan. Die mens se voet bestaan uit 26 bene en ongeveer 100 spiere en ligamente. Om dus hierdie voetjies op so ‘n manier te gebruik moet ongelooflike inspanning en vaardigheid verg. Ek het gaan oplees en gevind dat baie van die fisiese terapie wat vir sterk voetspiere aanbeveel word, alreeds in die BabaGim-program ingesluit word. Geen wonder hul voete word so slim en sterk dat dit soos hande gebruik kan word nie!

After having my 3rd baby, I decided that I would like to do a stimulation programme with my little girl as I did not do with my previous 2 kids. Now being an early Childhood Educator and working with little ones on a daily basis I wondered whether doing BabyGym would be stimulating for me or perhaps just an over-run of information that was already known to me. Oh Boy, was I in for a surprise! I didn’t realise that the earlier one starts with stimulation for your baby the better and doing the BabyGym 2: Firm Foundation course has been the best thing I have done for my baby & myself.

I’d heard of BabyGym before, but due to a combination of ignorance and prejudice, I’d decided it probably wasn’t my cup of tea. I honestly thought it was like gym for babies – in other words, that we’d be doing baby push-ups and sit-ups on rubber mats on the floor. While there is a little of that involved in the BabyGym programme, it’s the brain developmental techniques and stimulation of baby’s senses that really blew me away. We tend to think that babies should be kept in a cocoon and sheltered from any external stimuli, but I soon discovered that they relish all kinds of stimulation.

Franco is op 31 weke gestasie tyd gebore a.g.v swangerskap-komplikasies.Hy was ‘n maand in die ICU-versorg voordat hy kon huistoe gaan. Terwyl hy in die ICU was het mamma uitgemelk en is hy per buis gevoed. Mamma het my gekontak ‘n paar dae voordat hy sou huistoe kom. Sy suigrefleks was nog swak en sy was nie seker of sy hom ooit met sukses sou kon borsvoed nie. Ek het week 3 (van BabaGim 2: Ferm Grondslag) met haar behandel en aan haar gewys hoe om Franco se suigrefleks te help versterk…

Ons dogtertjie Nia, het eers op 13 maande begin kruip en ons was bekommerd dat daar fout was met haar spiere. Al die ander kinders van haar ouderdom het op 13 maande al geloop of ten minste tekens van loop gewys. Toe Nia amper 16 maande oud was het ons met BabaGim 2: Ferm Grondslag begin. Lizelle Muller, ons BabaGim Instrukteur in Mosselbaai, het dadelik voorgestel dat ons haar skoene uittrek sodat sy kaalvoet kan beweeg. Ons het die BabaGim oefening wat Lizelle gedemonstreer het getrou gedoen en binne ‘n paar weke het Nia haar eerste treetjies gegee en geloop!

In this latest class that I started 05 Feb 2013 one of the Mommies who arrived was Nina Wagner with baby Lea. Lea was born 14th December 2012 and her neck muscles were very weak and mommy was so worried as she knows that her little one will go to school with children who were born in Jan/Feb of the same year. Mommy Nina realised that her little Lea would be a whole year ‘behind’ developmentally. My first “success” was that I could tell her that by doing BabyGym with Lea she was ALREADY helping her to “close” that gap between her baby and the others she would be going to school with!

As a mommy I felt helpless during this trying time, but BabyGym gave me the tools to offer Anika something special, I knew the BabyGym massage would relax her and make her feel loved. With all the medical expenses offering BabyGym to other moms and babies became a must-do and not only just a passion. I started a BabyGym classes during that time and it became my only escape from reality. Sticking to the BabyGym manual and reinforcing all my previous BabyGym knowledge made me confident in the knowing that there is always hope. BabyGym never felt so important to me. It wasn’t easy to see other mommies babies’ develop in my class, and have my own baby struggle, but seeing the development of the other babies gave me the urge to carry on with little Anika, I knew/ and still know she will get there!

Ncgebo came to BabyGym just before his 1st birthday, a very prem baby at birth, to see if BabyGym could help him to crawl by his first birthday. With a lot of hard work by his mum and caregivers, Ncgebo was crawling by his birthday. What a beautiful birthday present for Ncgebo!

Met BabaGim kry ons baie keer mammas wat alreeds baie weet, mammas wat baie wil weet en soms ook mammas wat nie weet watter kant toe met hul babas se probleme nie. Dit is gewoonlik dié moedelose mammas wat baie keer verras word met die dinge waartoe hul baba in staat is.

After a series of complications after birth, Traynor and mom, newly qualified BabyGym Instructor Shaylene Lendrum, embark on a journey filled with hospital visits, BabyGym and relentless hope- we look forward to hear more about Traynor’s progress- the baby boy with the fighting spirit.

Many mothers think of BabyGym as a “nice to do, added benefit”. I know it is an essential path to future learning. It is therefore a “must do” for all future learners in this country. If pregnant parents are able to complete the firm foundations program before their baby is born, they are able to apply their knowledge from day 1. Imagine the potential of these babies? The beauty of BabyGym is that the mother has a “hands on” role in her baby’s development and future, on a day to day basis, from home!

Bongi was 6 weke oud toe sy en haar mamma begin het met BabaGim. Wat my dadelik opgeval het was dat haar mamma “skrikkerig” was vir haar. Sy het byna nie aan haar geraak nie en was baie senuweeagtig as Bongi begin huil het.

Met die teoretiese gedeelte van die BabaGim-opleiding het die Gevorderde Instrukteur, wat my opgelei het, aan ons genoem dat elke baba wat BabaGim doen ‘n suksesstorie sal wees. Ek moet bieg- ek was ‘n bietjie skepties gewees! Die waarheid is dat ek nou moet saam stem. Elkeen van die babas waarmee ek tydens my praktiese gedeelte van die opleiding gewerk het , getuig hiervan!

How true to say that: through the struggle we learn and through persistence we get better at what we do! If you think that what you are doing is not important –let Janro’s story inspire you. Never give up –believe in what you do-and needless to say : repetition, repetition, repitition!

Nuut gekwalifiseerde BabaGim Instrukteur, Carien Vos, vertel van Baba Dian en Pappa Jaco se ervaring met BabaGim en hoe hul verhouding daarby baat gevind het na die onverwagse dood van Dian se mamma.

Cerica du Toit vertel van haar stryd met borsvoeding en hoe BabaGim Instrukteur Magda Botma (Mosselbaai) met eenvoudige BabaGim stimulasie tegnieke gehelp het om borsvoeding ‘n hoogtepunt van die dag te maak!

Marlise Howell presents BabyGym on a regular basis to inmates and their babies at Pollsmoor Prison in the Western Cape. Read the following story to find out how BabyGym helps these babies to prepare for the world outside of the prison.

After battling to fall pregnant we were over the moon to find out that we were finally going to have a baby. Only a short while after the birth of our baby girl, Jessica, did doctor’s note their concern and Jessica then underwent many blood and urine tests, most of which would come up as inconclusive or the samples would be sent to the lab incorrectly and would have to be redone, it seemed that Jessica had been turned into a pin cushion. We finally got in contact with BabyGym Instructor Genevieve Hundermark who immediately explained the concept of BabyGym to us and the importance of starting right at the beginning to ensure that all the ‘switches’ in the brain are ‘switched on’ as is not always possible due to complications at birth.

Baby Adrian makes great progress despite having a imperforated anus and being diagnosed with Spina Bifida, a tethered spinal cord and agenesis of the corpus callosum. BabyGym, together with other therapies, helps Adrian to reach his milestones in sequence.

Baba Adrian ontwikkel goed afgesien van die feit dat hy ’n ongeperforeerde anus, spina bifida, ‘n geankerde rugmurg en ontwikkelingsgebrek van die corpus callosum het. BabaGim, tesame met ander terapie help Adrian om sy mylpale in volgorde te bereik.

BabyGym Instructor Cher Strydom has worked with many moms and babies. However, seeing the effects of BabyGym on her own new born daughter amazes her AGAIN.

A delighted mom shares the changes she has experienced, since she and baby Cuan joined BabyGym.

Mom and care-giver tell us more about baby Noah\’s sensory sensitivity, sensory integration, perception and motor planning improvements since doing BabyGym.

Baba Noah se Mamma en versorger deel met ons hoe sy sensoriese sensitiwiteit-en integrasie, persepsie en motoriese beplanning sedert BabaGim verbeter het.

The combined efforts of a very dedicated mom, dad and BabyGym Instructor show extraordinary results of a baby who was previously diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP).

Die spanwerk van ‘n toegewyde mamma, pappa en BabaGim Instrukteur toon buitengewone resultate vir ‘n babatjie wat voorheen met serebrale verlamming gediagnoseer was.

Baba Enya verbeter opmerkbaar nie net fisies nie maar sielkundig ook. Met n tweede opvolg besoek aan die pediater skakel hy dadelik outisme uit.

Mamma en pappa wil beter resultate he al is die dokters tevrede. BabaGim help om die verlangde resultate te behaal.

Becoming a mother for a fourth time opens a new awareness to an already experienced Mommy. BabyGym has allowed for additional learning for the family and an improvement in communication, stimulation and learning with her older children.

‘n Mediese dokter in Kimberley herstel merkwaardig na ‘n ernstige motorfietsongeluk. Sy toegewyde vrou, Sonja, het pas na die ongeluk die BabaGimoefeninge op hom begin toepas en slegs maande na die ongeluk keer hy terug na die werkplek.

Bethany receives compliments from therapists following her BabyGym effort. Bethany continues along normal developmental paths.

5 week BabyGym programme assists 3 babies to engage on an equal footing with their peers, regardless of pervious physical challenges.

BabaGim is nie net vir siek of gestremde babas nie, maar noodsaaklik vir elke baba se optimale ontwikkeling.

Diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, BabyGym helps Veronica gain strength

Baba Veronica is met Fetale Alkoholsindroom gediagnoseer maar sterk goed aan met die hulp van BabaGim.

Children benefit from the simple things that BabyGym teaches in their everyday lives as they get older.

Due to Down Syndrome, with low tone and possible developmental delays, Luc exceeded expectation because of continual BabyGym programme done by his loving parents.

Luc is gebore met Down se sindroom maar oorskry ontwikkelings verwagtinge danksy sy toegewyde ouers en BabaGim.

BabyGym gives baby and Mom a great start in life

BabaGim Instrukteur Lizette Labuschagne spandeer graag haar vryetyd by Maria Klopper kinderhuis waar sy die vrywilligers van BabaGim leer.

Baby with Pierre Robin Syndrome and an underdeveloped heart, Kavan, transcends his difficulties to bond with his Mommy, by means of BabyGym.

Following a difficult start to life and diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome, Luke’s prognosis was not positive. However with BabyGym, Luke is now developing normally as a responsive and well adjusted little boy on his way to living a full life.

No fancy tools required, BabyGym transcends all and is easily used in all communities.

Stricken with a near fatal heart defect, and enduring open heart surgery as an infant, Tiarra, too weak to even walk and eat, benefits from BabyGym. At the age of three now continues achieving ongoing developmental milestones.

Opehartchirurgie laat vir Tiarra te swak om te loop of selfs te eet, sy ontvang egter BabaGim en nou, op die ouderdom van 3 jaar, bereik sy haar mylpale in volgorde.

Baby enjoys compliments regarding his muscle tone and reduces social pressure for developmental milestones due to BabyGym course.

A father’s view of the miracle and difficulties of birth.

Following extensive surgery to correct orthopaedic problems to his legs, Caylan at the age of 12 learns to walk again. and 64 year old stroke victim recovers use of limbs in record time

After many physical challenges, Madhava regains physical strength and muscle tone due to BabyGym Firm Foundations programme.

Te danke aan Dr Melodie de Jager en Omega 3 en 6 is my kind vandag sonder Ritalin en terapie. Eers toe ek die werking van my kind se brein verstaan, kon ek die regte oplossing soek. Ek het weer ‘n gesonde kind met selfvertroue en ‘n lus vir leer!

Diagnosed with Horner’s Syndrome and Stage 4 Neuroblastoma and suffering from her many treatments, Ane was able to maintain her feeding and is developing due to constant BabyGym.

Die wonder van ontwikkeling: die baba se magie, suig en sluk funksie.