Hands On: pregnancy and childbirth for deaf mothers

When a woman goes through pregnancy, access to information from her healthcare provider is essential. Any parent can find the amount of information overwhelming, but for deaf parents, having access to the information in the first place can be a challenge.

 

This Sunday November 27th on RTÉ One, television show ‘Hands On’ will provide information to deaf mums-to-be on how to ensure they get all the information they need to best care for themselves and their baby.

 

Due to lack of legislation or standard policy among healthcare providers, many deaf parents find themselves in an environment that does not suit their needs. Problems that pregnant deaf women can encounter include; appointments that can only be booked over the phone, waiting rooms where there name is called out loud, and meetings with healthcare professionals where they are required to lip-read or for the information to be all explained on paper. Because of this many deaf women must bring a friend or family member to their appointments. However, not only can this be inconvenient, but it can also be dangerous. Important medical information can be misunderstood or misinterpreted when passed on by a third party who is not professionally trained. Another problem is that fathers often end up interpreting in the labour room, leaving the mother without the emotional support that she needs.

 

The programme will outline the options available to deaf parents and will include interviews with parents who have gone through the experience.

 

More information can be found on the website www.rte.ie/handson.

 

This episode of ‘Hands On’ will be shown on RTÉ One this Sunday 27th November at 12.05pm.