Babytalk | Learning from other humans vs. online during a pandemic

“Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand” – Chinese proverb.

This is a time where learning new skills, performing tasks, are challenging due to minimal contact with other humans. We are living in a time of being grateful for online classes, Zoom meetings, communicating with our computers and phones because we are able to stay in touch with other humans. Even runners are running races “virtually.”

I think many of us miss other humans. We miss the gatherings. Humans tend to be social creatures. We mirror the people we are around without even knowing what we are doing. We match emotions unconsciously, we leak emotions to each other, we mirror physical movement.

Many humans are most comfortable when we are connected, sharing emotions and stories. One of the things so many people are realizing during this time of COVID is how much we miss being able to be connected with others.

We were already living in a time where the ability to learn without being in a classroom was becoming more and more popular. Some learning facilities even advertise only having online learning.

This time of the pandemic has reminded us how beneficial learning in an environment of a live teacher with other students has benefits online learning cannot even compete.

Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher said, “Man is by nature a social animal.”

“Man cannot live alone” “No man is an island” “Society friendship and love is divinely bestowed upon man.” Famous quotes tell the story about our need for contact with others.

Pregnancy and birth are two of the most profound of human experiences.

Airplane pilots, new drivers, engineers, medical professionals and others use simulators to learn new skills and maintain the ones they attained. Hands on and practicing skills helps with future performance. The Chinese even have a proverb supporting this mode of learning.

Group learning and hands-on practicing can go a long way to helping to prepare for giving birth and those early days with a new baby.

In a childbirth class expectant families learn to recognize when they are in labor, how to be comfortable in the early stage of labor, when to come to the hospital, what to expect when you get to the hospital, what to expect as labor progresses, and how delivery of the baby happens. The advantage of taking a class not only prepares you for the experience but you meet others who are going through the experience at the same time. Others might ask questions you had not thought of, you make friends. All of this leads to an exchange of knowledge, helps refine your own thinking process, reduces fear, and is confidence building.

Here at Manatee we have resumed our classes with distancing, masks and small classes. Please contact wherever you are planning on delivering your baby and ask them about how they are presenting their classes.

There is another saying I like: Prior planning prevents poor performance. Learning about the birthing process will help you have the confidence you need to enjoy the birth of your baby.

Katie Powers, R.N., is a board-certified lactation consultant and perinatal educator at Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Family BirthPlace. Her column appears every other week in Healthy Living in the Bradenton Herald. Contact her at katie.powers@mmhhs.com.