Let’s talk about women with disability today. What are their pregnancy and childbirth experiences? You see, I have always been curious to find this out, and how I have always intended to do so is by talking to different women with disability and documenting their stories. This has been on my mind for years, but for some reason, I have never gotten round to doing so.
Until now.
I am now on a quest to document the pregnancy and childbirth experiences of women with disability. You see, 10% of women with disabilities are of childbearing age. Unfortunately though, many women with disabilities are assumed to be sexually inactive, and therefore unlikely to have children. Which is a false assumption. Women with disability are not asexual; they have feelings and desires. They are sexually active and their experiences are significant, if the healthcare system is to offer them quality services. Their stories therefore need to be told, and I am here to do that 🙂
So, I will talk to women with different types of disability and seek their experiences regarding their access to antenatal, labor, birth and postnatal care services in health facilities or otherwise. Are there aspects of this care they they would like to see done differently? What are their stories, their experiences?
A few days ago, I decided, as one of my first steps in this journey, to talk to Judy Kihumba. Judy is a sign language interpreter, and an advocate of maternal mental health and wellness of deaf mothers. Judy is also the founder of the organization Talking Hands, Listening Eyes on PPD (THLEP), which she started with the aim of addressing the maternal health issues of deaf mums and breaking the silence on postpartum depression (PPD).
My discussion with Judy about the pregnancy and childbirth experiences of women with disability helped me gain invaluable insights as I begin my journey of documenting the pregnancy and childbirth experiences of women with disability.
Judy will link me up with deaf moms, who I will talk to and learn more about their experiences. I will be sure to share their stories here on Mummy Tales.
For now, I would like to ask that if you are, or know of a woman with disability who is pregnant or who has given birth within the last year and would be willing to share their experiences, kindly connect me to them.
I’m reachable on maryanne@mummytales.com
Let’s tell these stories together.
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