With much trepidation, I decided to post this. I've deleted it several times.
I spoke with a certified DEAF interpreter, a deaf friend/colleague who interprets in situations where the deaf person does not have any formal language. (FYI we often use relay interpreters in these situations. Ie the "defendant" signs to the deaf relay interpreter, who signs to the hearing interpreter who then speaks English to the judge (or whoever). My colleague thought that considering the situation the deaf woman's reaction was not surprising.

The likely lives in a world where all her information comes to her visually. She is then left to connect the dots. No one explains things to her. No one says where people go when they leave. They leave. they reappear. Period. Things happen, no one says to her how or why. Light happens, dark happens, she likely has no concept of night, day, sun, rotation....
you see where I'm going. I have MET people whose lives are like this.

My colleague's contention is this: she is a farm worker. She has likely SEEN birth before. Birth of animals. She MAY have known she was going to give birth and MAY have gone to the place she had seen birth happen before. The animal pen. If she hasnt seen folks to to the hospital (we dont know if she's seen movies, tv...)... she may have thought she was doing what was done. Oh, this conversation with my colleage was three days ago, she also thought cleaning the mouth out with tissue was logical...

I apologize if I've offended.