Category Archives: Vocal technique

Pregnancy and singing

I just read an article on the effects of pregnancy on the singing voice which was spot-on. I’m officially 32 weeks as of today, well into my third trimester, and a couple weeks ago, the third-trimester effects started becoming a lot more noticeable. I’d stopped wearing my wedding rings months ago in favor of a larger substitute ring, and I finally took that one off as well as it was becoming more and more difficult to take off with my hands being swollen every morning. Each pound gained is reflected much more in my face than it was in the first two trimesters. The hormone relaxin, intended to relax tendons and widen the pelvis in preparation for giving birth, affects every muscle in the body and creates weird aches and pains as muscles stretch in ways they aren’t really supposed to. And, of course, the fetus itself is just under 4 pounds and 16″ long, creating a fair bit of baby bump in addition to forcing the mother’s internal organs to squish around and cram in anywhere they can.

What does this mean for singing? Swelling and weight gain mean thicker vocal chords, and my blood volume is much higher than normal, leaving the vocal chords not only swollen but more sensitive to damage. The relaxin affects vocal chords as well, giving me a lower, huskier speaking voice than usual. And the lung capacity is obviously diminished. I’ve noticed my range going lower more easily, but last week was the first where I started feeling my voice get really tired after only a few songs. It’s a unique time to record since I’ll have the low range and a very throaty quality, but I won’t make it through a dozen takes. Add on a bit of a cold and I’m lucky to make it through 3. So, instead of working on my own CD, what am I motivated to do? A cover of Analeda’s “Weight of the Chain” that’s not even going on my album. It’s been an earworm ever since I heard it at KWCB, and her voice is notably lower pitched than mine. Maybe this will be one of the few recordings of myself that I don’t hate listening to.