interpreting for a birth - help!

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Glow

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Hi!

I am a hearing person and I know a little bit of SEE - enough to get by.

My sister-in-law Mary (hearing) and my brother-in-lawJosh (deaf) are having a baby in August. They are not very comfortable with many people in the birthing room and I have volunteered to be an interpreter in the delivery room if they need me, and they accepted. Mary usually translates for Josh but I don't think she will be able to in the middle of giving birth.

I am not a perfect person for the job - Josh's mother is an ASL teacher - but Mary is not comfortable with her in the birthing room. Also we live in a fairly small town and our hospital does not have anyone on staff who signs.

I am making up a list of signs that I need to know for interpreting a birth - things like blood pressure, contraction, uterus, placenta, umbilical cord, c-section, doctor, nurse, hospital, pain :laugh2: --- is there a good place for me to go to learn these types of signs? I'm looking for medical signs - specifically obstetrical (labor and delivery) signs. A website or a book?

I know there are ethical guidelines for interpreters. Where can I find these?

Since I am not a perfect signer, I am going to have to ask the doctors and nurses to say one sentence at a time and then I will sign it. Also I may have to paraphrase what they are signing because I may not know all the signs. Do you think this is OK?

I want to be as prepared as I can so I can help!

Thanks for any advice or information you can give.

Kristina
 
you can go to a bookstore and find some books on ASL or whatever like that, and keep on practicing as much as you can, and you'll make it successful...it's not that hard though. just consider ASL with hands being used as "pictures" or whatever like that...so, if the mother of her daughter teach you more ASL, too that would be successful too...so it's not really hard...as long as you listen and focus.
 
I found it... there is www, i have been sending to my friends or relatives.. or basic learners.. its so easy www..
just click on the right side to find word.. it will sign.. so you will know what sign for..
here.. http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

Also, you can call nurse online or.. to transfer you to birthing dept where your sister/brother in law will be.. and ask them what the most common words.. so you can practice signs..
for me.. I went thru 5 pregnancies..
the most signs are (they said).. "Dr will come back" "Time for crevix check up" "check to see how many CM dilated" "breathing" "take easy" "relax" "stop" "hours" "mintues" "contractions" "how you feel" "I can see baby head" "push" "hold breath" "look at me" "follow me" (breathing method/pushing)
"crowned" geez i am trying to think.. hehe..
Good luck :thumb:
and very nice of you to be there for them. :)
 
MsGiglz - you are wonderful! This will help a lot.

You came up with a lot of things they might say that I haven't thought of - thanks!

How do you sign "cervix", "uterus", and other technical words? It didn't have those words on your website or in any of my books. I guess I could just spell it out.
 
I'm glad that you volunteer to help your brother in law; however, I don't know if it's wise, since you're their sister, which might make you feel too personal into their conversation with the nurses/doctors. Family members and professional interpreters are different, since most family members are too emotional and too involved because they know the deaf person, while a professional interpreter (not a family member or friend) simply transfer the language to the deaf person's understanding without getting too emotional with them.

I have had that kind of problem myself and I felt like I didn't get everything I need to know. I might be wrong because I cannot hear what the doctor said to my family member while I was in labor with my first. Just wanted to let you know.

Good luck.
 
ChelEler - good point. I have been wondering about that too. But I think I can just transfer the language and not interfere - I think that may be part of why they chose me as an interpreter. Of course I won't know until I am there, but I will make a very strong attempt!

Thanks for the input and I will try not to get in the middle of things.
 
Originally posted by Glow
ChelEler - good point. I have been wondering about that too. But I think I can just transfer the language and not interfere - I think that may be part of why they chose me as an interpreter. Of course I won't know until I am there, but I will make a very strong attempt!

Thanks for the input and I will try not to get in the middle of things.
Click to expand...

:thumb: Good luck is all I can say. :fingersx: Have you all been through this before? I take it that you haven't as an interpreter. If your brother in law dislike what you interpret for him, don't try to make it easier. Just tell him everything as much as you hear in the room. He's a man and I'm sure he'll figure something out to make it "smooth." Do I make sense?
 
Originally posted by Glow
MsGiglz - you are wonderful! This will help a lot.

You came up with a lot of things they might say that I haven't thought of - thanks!

How do you sign "cervix", "uterus", and other technical words? It didn't have those words on your website or in any of my books. I guess I could just spell it out.
Click to expand...

Your welcome, anytime!!
Yes, I remembered that my interpreter don't know some signs.. so she asked me if its ok to short spelling out.. Cx (as for crevix).. Uterus.. it has sign but hard to explain.. you can ask your sis in law.. what she prefer sign.. :)

Good luck! :thumb:
 
Originally posted by Glow
Hi!

I am a hearing person and I know a little bit of SEE - enough to get by.

My sister-in-law Mary (hearing) and my brother-in-lawJosh (deaf) are having a baby in August. They are not very comfortable with many people in the birthing room and I have volunteered to be an interpreter in the delivery room if they need me, and they accepted. Mary usually translates for Josh but I don't think she will be able to in the middle of giving birth.

I am not a perfect person for the job - Josh's mother is an ASL teacher - but Mary is not comfortable with her in the birthing room. Also we live in a fairly small town and our hospital does not have anyone on staff who signs.

I am making up a list of signs that I need to know for interpreting a birth - things like blood pressure, contraction, uterus, placenta, umbilical cord, c-section, doctor, nurse, hospital, pain :laugh2: --- is there a good place for me to go to learn these types of signs? I'm looking for medical signs - specifically obstetrical (labor and delivery) signs. A website or a book?

I know there are ethical guidelines for interpreters. Where can I find these?

Since I am not a perfect signer, I am going to have to ask the doctors and nurses to say one sentence at a time and then I will sign it. Also I may have to paraphrase what they are signing because I may not know all the signs. Do you think this is OK?

I want to be as prepared as I can so I can help!

Thanks for any advice or information you can give.

Kristina
Click to expand...


Myself Deaf and live in a small town in around 10,000 people living here, When my ex-wife was 6 or 7 month pregant, we make arrangements with the hosiptal since there's not many interpreter around this town. We contact RID for list of interpreter around here. when she got a labor we arrived at the hosiptal and they called interpreter in middle of night and the interpreter arrived 45 min later, since the interpreter lives half hour away from small town. You can try contact RID or other interpreter agencys around ur area.
Hope this helps:D
 
oh just say PUSH when docter say push.. I think its simple.. push.. eee ooo eee ooo push... eee ooo eee oooo push!....


by the way.. how come they are your BOTH in laws?.....are they one of your husband's sister or brother?
 
Originally posted by Travis
oh just say PUSH when docter say push.. I think its simple.. push.. eee ooo eee ooo push... eee ooo eee oooo push!....


by the way.. how come they are your BOTH in laws?.....are they one of your husband's sister or brother?
Click to expand...

The pregnant woman is hearing, so Glow's here to interpret for the pregnant woman's deaf husband. :thumb:

They may be Glow's sister's/brother's spouse's sister/brother. ;) It's confusing to explain on this... prefer explain in person. Sorry.
 
Hahaha Travis....I know how to sign all the important birth words ... push, contractions, pain, very strong pain..... ;)

Chel is right....

The mommy-to-be is my husband's sister. Her husband is deaf. I don't know if he would technically be my brother-in-law, but I don't know what else to call him. We all live in the same town so we are very close.

I am going to look into getting a professional interpreter and pass that information on to them. I don't know why but he usually doesn't take advantage of professional interpreters. He had one at work when he worked for a big company. Then he worked for a very small company and he didn't have an interpreter. I wonder if that was against the law? Since he was raised in our small town there are not many deaf people here, and he was not raised in the "deaf culture" so to speak, so maybe he feels uncomfortable with a professional interpreter following him around all day. Maybe that is why they haven't looked into it. Maybe they would just rather have a family member (me) help them out with signing in the delivery room instead.

If they still don't want a professional interpreter, I am going to be there to help as much as I can! He can read lips fairly well, but as you all know, lip-reading is not as exact as signing. I think he misses a lot of the conversation when people don't sign.

I guess I need to go talk to him a little more and see how he feels about all these issues. Thank you all for your opinions and I will come back after the birth to let you all know how it went and what they decided about an interpreter.

Kristina
 
Has she had her baby yet? Did you interpret? What happen? Keep us posted! :thumb:
 
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