Folio’s South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreters share their experiences

Interpreter A – Receiving antenatal bookings is always exciting. From administration, examination and consultation to delivery, you experience everything with the patient. The way we are received and welcomed is totally different from doing other bookings. I don’t know if it’s because there’s another little life involved, but it feels as though you become a light in the life of the doctor and the patient. If consultation rooms are small they do what they can to accommodate you. It’s amazing when everyone sees the need to have you there. Sometimes you get a little shy with all the compliments, especially when they call other doctors to come and watch, but it’s all worth it. The patient gets more excited and feels more involved somehow. The staff often ask me to teach them a few signs, such as “Hi”, “How are you?” and “Thank you”. It’s a beautiful process.

The biggest highlight is the final day when we go to the labour ward to have the baby – the excitement of the Deaf mom when she realises her fears, thoughts and feelings will be acknowledged and understood, and knowing that her questions will be answered. I tell them “Everything will be fine, hang in there tiger!” When the process eventually starts we change clothes to scrubs, we also remove any jewellery and cover our hair. Inside the theatre you say a little prayer: “God can we please have this baby safe.” It’s impossible to be the interpreter only, being human kicks in. You just pray for all the best as if it’s your own baby. Most Deaf moms say it’s less frustrating when the interpreter is there, because they know when to push and when to stop, and whether they have almost reached the end or not. One of my favourite parts is interpreting the first cry. It’s every mom’s dream to hear their child’s first cry. The way they smile when you interpret that cry is priceless and then they ask you if he or she cries normally or not. The nurses then pass the child to the mom for a few minutes before cleaning and dressing the baby. After that the mom will pass the child to you, saying “Hold the baby, you were part of everything,” and then the endless thank yous follow.

On your way home you feel like a million dollars. You know that you’ve made someone’s day beautiful. They send pictures of the babies all the time with the caption “Look at your daughter, look at your son!” It’s just amazing.

Interpreter B – Every interpreting experience is different but a session in the maternity ward calls for a unique approach. The interpreter has a big influence on the atmosphere. If you are calm the patient will be calm and you can see it in their eyes. Before the final phase the Deaf mothers-to-be calmly moan and I keep a respectful distance to give them and their partner some space. The only time I go closer is when they ask for some water if they don’t have a partner with them, or to hold their hand or to call a nurse or doctor. Of course, when a doctor or nurse arrives it is usually a panel, never just one doctor or one nurse. They enter one after the other. One nurse just checks the file, the other one checks dilation, and the doctors check that the nurses did what they were supposed to do. After that more nurses check blood pressure and the baby’s heartbeat, and make sure that he or she is not in distress. The doctors and nurses change constantly and that’s why it’s important that the interpreter remains the same person. Can you imagine the agony? You can’t hear or speak, you are in pain and people are prodding you all the time, you don’t know what is happening, you can’t answer questions in between every contraction, and the faces of the staff keep changing.

After all the checks, all the pain and pushing, I remain next to the mother mindful of her privacy, not looking down or any other place but directly at her. I explain to the mother when to push and when to breathe. If a C-section is required I explain that the baby is tired and won’t come naturally. They have to sign to agree to the procedure and to receive blood transfusions if need be. The patient signs the documents because I make sure she understands what’s going on. In the anteroom to the theatre they play calming music, but of course, unfortunately she cannot hear the music.

Once the mother receives the spinal injection she feels numb. I explain why and how the numbness will spread. I usually sit right next to the mother listening to doctors and nurses while they are talking about supper and the weather, and the kids’ school concerts. I wait until the conversation is directed at the mother because she is awake looking at me to tell me when the baby is out and crying. Once the baby is out the doctor shows the baby and takes him or her away to be cleaned. They stitch the mother up, clean her and move her to a room where the doctors explain breastfeeding. Before I leave I always ask the nurses to explain what will happen during the next three days. They are always happy to do this and I provide them with my number in case my services are needed during this critical phase.

Interpreter C (Feedback given in Afrikaans) – Op Dinsdag, 3 Maart 2020, was ek bevoorreg om as gebaretaaltolk ’n ma by te staan wat geboorte geskenk het. Sy het ’n tolk aangevra omdat sy met die geboorte van haar eerste kind geen inligting gekry het van die mediese personeel nie, en sy wou vreeslik graag meer betrokke wees by die tweede een se geboorte.

Met doofheid is jy nie net uitgesluit soos iemand wat moontlik nie dieselfde taal as die dokters en verpleegsters praat nie – jy is uitgesluit van absoluut alle klank. Ongelukkig dink baie mense dat Dowes woorde kan “lees” op ’n persoon se lippe. Dit is egter nie waar nie. Hulle kan soms hier en daar ’n paar woorde uitmaak, afhangende van die Dowe persoon se vermoë, maar meeste van die tyd moet hulle probeer aflei wat die spreker bedoel met behulp van lyftaal en die konteks. Dis vreeslik stresvol.

Soos baie ander Dowes, was die ma wat ek moes bystaan se geskrewe woordeskat redelik beperk. Om haar voor te berei vir die bevalling het ons dus via video-oproepe “gesels”. Tydens haar opname by die hospitaal het ons heen en weer video-oproepe gedoen omdat die dokters hulle rondtes op verskillende tye doen. Verpleegsters het nie altyd genoeg tyd om uitvoerige terugvoer te gee nie. Ek kon darem vrae beantwoord soos: “Hoe ver is ek ontsluit? Wat is my bloeddruk? Wat is die uitslag van die toetse?” Ek kon ook vir haar verduidelik dat sy meer moet rondloop in die gange om die proses aan te help. Van die mediese personeel het gesê hulle is dankbaar daar is ’n tolk teenwoordig. Die personeel het nie altyd tyd om alles “visueel” te probeer verduidelik nie. Die verpleegpersoneel het gesê dat hulle my betyds sal skakel, maar aan die einde van die dagskof is die boodskap nie oorgedra nie. Teen 22:30 die aand het ek onrustig begin voel en die ma laat weet ek is op pad. En dankie tog ek het gekom! Sy was in vreeslike pyn en haar kontraksies was baie naby aan mekaar. Ek het die suster geroep en sy het gesê die ma is maar nog min ontsluit, maar toe sy kyk na haar kontraksies en ek vir haar van die pyn sê, het hulle haar dadelik na die “stage room” geskuif. Die baba het toe teen 23:00 sy eerste asempie ingeasem. Daar was egter ’n klein komplikasie – die baba se een been het opwaarts gelê. Via my het die ma toe verduidelik dat haar eerste seuntjie se bene albei opwaarts gelê het pas na geboorte. Sy het selfs ’n foto daarvan gehad.

Ons het later die dag ’n afspraak gehad by die ortopeed. Nadat hy die beentjie gespalk het, het hy verduidelik dat ’n gebrek aan vrugwater hierdie toestand kon veroorsaak. Hy het egter gesê dit sal weldra regkom. Die ma was baie verlig en het genoem dat sy nie die eerste keer geweet het wat aangaan nie – hulle het net haar baba weggeneem na geboorte en ’n paar uur later was hy terug met gespalkte bene. Geen inligting is deurgegee nie.

Dit was ’n groot voorreg om deel van hierdie proses te kon wees. ’n Belewenis wat ek nie gou sal vergeet nie … ’n wonderwerk! En dit is wonderlik om te weet dat daar, sover moontlik, soveel inligting as moontlik deurgegee is vir ’n ma om die geboorte van haar kind ten volle te kon beleef.