Wait, What? What's Going On?- Pregnancy Experiences of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Mothers Who Do Not Sign

Objective: Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) women experience higher rates of reproductive healthcare barriers and adverse birth outcomes compared to their hearing peers. This study explores the pregnancy experiences of DHH women who do not sign to better understand their barriers and facilitators to optimal perinatal health care.

Design: Qualitative study using thematic analysis.

Setting: Semi-structured, individual remote, or in-person interviews in the United States.

Sample: Twenty-two DHH English speakers (non-signers) who gave birth in the United States within the past 5 years.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews explored how DHH women experienced pregnancy and birth, including access to perinatal information and resources, relationships with healthcare providers, communication access, and their involvement with the healthcare system throughout pregnancy. A thematic analysis was conducted.

Main outcome measures: The barriers and facilitators related to a positive perinatal care experience among DHH women.

Results: Five key themes emerged. For barriers, healthcare communication breakdowns and loss of patient autonomy highlighted DHH women's struggle with perinatal health care. In contrast, DHH participants outlined the importance of accessible health communication practices and accommodations, use of patient advocacy or self-advocacy, and assistive technologies for DHH parents for more positive perinatal care experiences.

Conclusions: Perinatal healthcare providers and staff should routinely inquire about ways to ensure an inclusive and accessible healthcare experience for their DHH patients and provide communication accommodations for optimal care. Additionally, healthcare providers should be more aware of the unique parenting needs and resources of their DHH patients.