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- Netcoaching (week1&2)
- Netcoaching (week3)
- Netcoaching (week4&5)
- Netcoaching (week 6&7)
- Netcoaching (week8&9)
- Learning to Eat (week10to13)
- Learning to Eat (week14to18)
- Learning to Eat (week19to26)
- Netcoaching Attempt 2
- I can eat
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- Tips for netcaoching
Some (hopefully) helpfull tips for netcoaching
We did the netcoaching with the Graz Children's clinic twice. The first time she lost too much weight but the second time we had great success.
From Camden's mom:
For any families who are considering trying the netcoaching with the Graz Children's clinic in Austria, I hope you find the following helpful.
It is no walk in the park. You are about to begin a journey that will test your patience, your endurance, your mental stability and your inner strength. It will probably be one of the hardest things you will do in your life. Before you start, you need to be fully committed to the programme (both mom and dad as well as any person/people who are close to your child), trust the Professor's expertise (she really knows what she is doing) and believe in it. It does work but you have to take it to a certain point of extremity before you will start to see the results. You will not have the face-to-face support of the doctors from the Graz clinic so you will need to use a bit of your own instinct and intuition and communicate often with them. Taking video's of your child with food and liquid and posting onto YouTube for the professor to view helped a great deal. She is then able to watch closely from both a physical and psychological point of view and then comment. Don't be afraid to ask questions even if you think they are stupid ones and also ask her about your behaviour in the process as it has a profound effect on the end result. And remember that the local doctor's don't trully understand the weaning programme and therefore are a bit resistant towards it. Expect this as it is their job to keep your child well - even if it means tube feeding them forever. But believe me, the sooner you wean your child off the tube the better. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be as the psychological aspect and association gets worse.
You must be confident and you must not give up. It is also important to remember not to expect too much too quickly - patience patience patience. It's the small changes that you are looking for. Also, no matter how hard and frustrating it becomes, be encouraging and supportive always towards your child. You will have to sit for long periods surrounded by food, your child will be covered in the stuff, there will be food on your clothes, on your face, in your hair, all over the floor, the furniture etc but it's part of the process. Don't try and control it. Just let it happen and be at ease and trust it. Remember your goal for your beautiful child. When you do reach it, you will notice how you free your child's spirit. It is incredible and life changing.
Your child will become so desperate/angry/frustrated/clingy/lethargic and looks to you to make him/her feel better. He or she is just starving - something a tube fed child never really gets to experience. At this stage you must believe that what you are doing is what is going to make your child eat and if the Professor agrees, you push on. Do not be tempted to tube feed again as this works against the programme entirely. You (mom) will need lots of support from your husband/dad/partner/mother/good friend as at stages you will feel as though you can just break down in a heap and say it is all too much. It is also important to give yourself a break. Get out the house for an short while - take a walk, go to the shops, get a massage (you probably will need it), go out with a friend - whatever!
When communicating with Graz via the internet, sometimes the emails back are not so clear (English is not their first language) and can sometimes appear abrupt. Do not take this to heart. We had the privelage of meeting the Professor personally as she flew through Johannesburg and she is a very warm, caring, dedicated and knowledgable person.
I wish you lots of strength and success for your special child.
If you wish to contact me, please send me a message on the Miracle Blog (menu bar) and I will get back to you.