To empower, educate, support, and advocate for moms in our Deaf Community to have the safe and healthy pregnancy and birth they desire.
2010- Birth to my first daughter
- Location: Birth Center
- Provider Type: Midwife
- Birth Type: Water Labor (Tub) and Birth in water
- Interventions: None
- Restrictions: Sent to Hotel for early labor (2 hr drive from home)
- Hearing Status: Hearing
- Communication Access: Full Language Access (Pregnancy, Labor and Birth, and Postpartum)
- Postpartum: 2+years of breastfeeding
2015- Birth to my first son
- Location: Hospital
- Provider Type: Midwife
- Birth Type: Water Labor (Shower) and Transition/Birth in water
- Interventions: None
- Restrictions:
- No laboring in the tub
- No food
- Tried to give interventions but I declined
- Hearing Status: Hard of Hearing
- Communication Access: Limited Language Access – speaking but not fully understanding receptive communication (Pregnancy, Labor and Birth, and Postpartum)
- Postpartum: 2+years of breastfeeding
2019- Birth to my second daughter
- Location: Home
- Provider Type:
- Midwife for prenatal and postpartum care
- During labor: No medical care
- Birth Type: Water Labor, unassisted with family.
- Interventions: Without Medical Provider Interventions
- Hearing Status: Deaf
- Communication Access: Limited Language Access (Pregnancy, Labor and Birth, and Postpartum)
- Pregnancy: Interpreters (on-site)
- Labor and Birth: Reading lips (family)
- Postpartum: Interpreters (on-site and VRI)
- Postpartum: 2+years of breastfeeding
2023- Birth to my second Son (PLAN/goal)
- Location: Home
- Provider Type:
- Midwife for prenatal and postpartum care
- During labor: No medical care
- Birth Type: Water Labor, unassisted with family.
- Interventions: Without Medical Provider Interventions
- Hearing Status: Deaf
- Communication Access: Limited Language Access (Pregnancy, Labor and Birth, and Postpartum)
- Pregnancy: Interpreters (on-site)
- Labor and Birth: ASL Access Family
- Postpartum: Unsure
- Postpartum: 2+years of breastfeeding
I am a Deaf USAF Veteran. I am an educator at heart with 8+years of experience in public schools. I’ve had various levels of communication access during the pregnancy and the birth of each of my children. I can attest that all mothers need effective communication with providers during labor and postpartum. As someone with experience with various births, I assure you of the importance of having another support person on your side to help you receive the birth experience you desire. To have a support Doula during the birth who can communicate in the mother’s language, who can understand them and their needs at such a vulnerable time, is precisely what ALL Deaf/HH moms deserve. Often, as much as we appreciate them, interpreters are just not enough. Their role is only to facilitate language and cannot/should not support the birthing person’s emotional or physical needs or even step in as an advocate.
I want to take my role a step further and become a Deaf Doula, Deaf birth worker, Deaf Labor Supporter, and one day even a Deaf Midwife. I want to help mothers have everything they want out of birth because they deserve it, and so do their babies. Please share, and support my business as great new things are coming. I can’t wait to find more ways to empower, educate, support, and advocate for moms in our Deaf Community.
Dare2Doula -By Salerno🤟🏼
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