Deafness and antenatal care: understanding issues with access

Deaf pregnant women are often neglected within midwifery services, mostly due to a lack of understanding of how best to care for women with different communication needs. Midwives have a key role in exchanging information and taking the time to understand deaf women's needs in order to act as an advocate and helping to overcome the barriers that can be created by deafness. In order to fulfil this role, midwives need to have an understanding of the problems faced by deaf women and their partners when accessing maternity services.