BabyGym is a movement programme which mimics and stimulates the natural development of a baby’s senses, brain and muscles to ensure optimal physical, emotional, social and intellectual development.
BabyGym® 2: Firm Foundations Curriculum
- For only 5 weeks mom, dad and baby share quality time in a structured and fun way
- Only 1 hour once a week for 5 consecutive weeks
- Learn a new technique in every session that you can practice at home – just a few minutes per day can ensure your baby’s development is on its way
- Moms, dads and caregivers are welcome
- Babies between birth and walking are welcome too!
- Week 1 – The importance of touch and massage (massage baby for a deeper sleep and easier feed)
- Week 2 – The importance of movement and balance
- Week 3 – The importance of sucking, suckling and neck control
(wake-up the little nose, taste buds, ears and eyes to become curious to learn to have fun) - Week 4 – Why both eyes and both ears must work together
- Week 5 – Prevent hyperactivity and poor concentration; coordinate and control those arms and legs
Graduation Day
Mom, Dad and Baby get their first certificate on completion of BabyGym 2: Firm Foundations! Movement develops the brain!
BabyGym® 1 for expecting parents
You get an instruction manual with the most basic cell-phone; directions on how to warm up a take-away meal and even where to tear a packet of peanuts, but when it comes to a baby – instructions are not included. Research indicates there is a link between the variety of movements a baby makes during the first 4 months of life and the baby’s IQ later in life. BabyGym 1 encourages mom and dad to bond with their baby and relax Baby for better feeding and sleeping from right after birth.
So that when a baby is awake, a baby wants to move!
BabyGym 1 offers 2 sessions (1 1⁄2 hour each) for expecting moms and dads on how to:
- Understand the purpose of the natural birth process
- Bond with their baby
- Ensure healthy feeding
- Enable babies to sleep better Mom and dad will also learn what to do if colic rears its ugly head or when a baby is constipated.
The purpose of a baby’s first year is to DEVELOP to become alert, strong, independent and clever. BabyGym makes this happen.
BabyGym® for any special needs
A brain injury is not a life-sentence. The brain is mouldable and when nature’s brain developmental recipe is followed, there is hope. Brain development relies on stimulation of the senses and muscles. It is sequential and driven by the primitive reflex system to protect and develop the mechanics and skills needed for sucking, eating, keeping the head up and stable, rotating the trunk in preparation for rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, and talking. Each developmental milestone is not only about movements you can see – reaching a developmental milestone reveals something more – the development of the brain. Every developmental milestone reached indicates that another part of the brain has developed successfully and precedes independence which is the ultimate goal.
Dr Melodie de Jager is a South African Developmental Specialist and the founder of BabyGym® Institute and Mind Moves® Institute. Both these Institutes promote the importance of physical development to optimise brain and whole child development. BabyGym has been designed for babies and people who cannot move independently and/ or talk audibly. Mind Moves are techniques developed for people who move independently, but who want to enhance their quality of life.
Both BabyGym and Mind Moves have been found to be effective for rehabilitating children and adults who suffer from brain damage, traumatic brain injury, a stroke, or an acquired brain injury. The sooner BabyGym or Mind Moves are applied the greater the improvement in physical and brain development. We recommend Dr Melodie de Jager’s book brain development MILESTONES and learning when working with babies or adults with special needs.
Nanny/ Friends of BabyGym® training
BabyGym now offers training to nannies. Once a nanny qualifies, she becomes a Friend of BabyGym. It is important to note that the Friends of BabyGym training programme does not qualify an individual to present BabyGym to anyone OR to receive any form of monetary payment for services offered. Instead, Friends of BabyGym training enables the caretaker of a baby to do so in a development-enhancing manner.
Who are Friends of BabyGym?
The training is aimed at the following people:
- Nannies
- Caregivers, guardians, volunteers and coordinators at baby or children homes
- Foster parents who are in the process of adopting Friends are angels who help us to our feet and give us wings to fly – Anonymous A baby’s daily needs do not only consist of feeding and changing their nappies!
With the Friends of BabyGym training caregivers realise that caring for a child means more than just taking care of their physical needs.
The purpose of the training is to create awareness between the difference of GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT.
The training also helps to emphasise the importance of the caregiver’s tasks.
BabyGym converts everyday caretaking into an unforgettable experience for both baby and caregiver!
During the Friends of BabyGym training the content of the BabyGym 2: Firm Foundations programme is presented: - The importance of touch and massage
- The importance of movement and balance
- The importance of sucking, suckling and neck control
- Why both eyes and both ears must work together
- Prevent hyperactivity and poor concentration; coordinate and control those arms and legs.
The BabyGym Instructor will adjust the content of the programme according to the literacy and language level as well as the frame of reference of the caregiver.
During training the caregiver is able to work without distraction by simulating the BabyGym exercises on a doll, and then implementing the exercises on the baby at home.
Contact Details for BabyGym with Christine Pretoria:
Website:
www.babygym.co.za
Contact Person:
Christine Bauermeister
Tel:
084 220 0548
Email:
christine.bauermeister@babygym.co.za
Address:
366 Snowy Walker Street, Garsfontein, Pretoria
