Are you an expectant mother and wondering whether or not you should still be singing during pregnancy?
The benefits of singing while pregnant far outweigh the reasons not. Provided your technique is right and you’re taking care of yourself, it’s good for both you and the baby. It has a soothing effect on the body and mind, as well as promoting deep breathing.
Read on to find out more as to why it’s such a positive activity for mums to be and what precautions should you take if you are already carrying a child. Click here if you are looking to book a Singing Lesson in Southampton near you.
The benefits of singing while pregnant
Singing is a very healthy and natural activity. It’s mindful, helps you to breathe more effectively and gives you a gentle workout. So it follows that it would be good for your body, mind and even your baby too. Plus, the breathwork required for vocalists is sure to help when it’s time to give birth – something that’s also a very natural process.
Music has long proven to be very beneficial for babies in utero. It can have a soothing effect, no more so than when the sound and vibration comes from the woman carrying them.
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Pregnancy is a wonderful, joyful and expectant time. While it can bring some less pleasant symptoms such as swollen hands and feet and sickness, doing something you enjoy that reduces stress is excellent for both mum and baby. So don’t stop singing when pregnant unless your specific circumstances have meant that you’ve been advised to do so by a doctor.
Maybe even try out some new songs to match your lowered pregnancy voice. You may have to sing a little differently than usual – bring your song down a semi-tone, and breathe laterally through your lungs, rather than vertically. Doing so will actually increase your vocal capacity long term, improve your lung capacity and make you a more powerful singer. We often only make use of a relatively small percentage of our lungs. Opening up more of that space makes everything function more efficiently.
However, if you need some proof that it’s safe to sing when pregnant, here’s a selection of female stars doing just that. You’ll also note the vocal changes they experienced during this time.
Performing while pregnant
As you’ll already be aware, singing is a very physical activity and most of the hefty work comes from the diaphragm, depths of the stomach and lungs – areas close to the womb. So it’s understandable if you’re pregnant or preparing for pregnancy, that you may be concerned about the effects of this on a foetus.
If you are very close to the end of your term, it’s probably not a good idea to get up on stage, especially if you are experiencing any dizziness. However, many artists do continue until late on in their pregnancy. So it’s really a case of being aware of when it’s too much for you. Bear in mind that you have to work harder as a vocalist (in terms of drawing breath and sustaining breath) in the second and third trimesters.
Here are some tips for performing and recording while pregnant.
- Rest up as much as possible and take more frequent breaks.
- If you haven’t already, stop drinking alcohol or caffeine.
- Make sure you’re getting lots of o2 to prevent dehydration.
- Take gentle exercise to keep everything moving and flowing.
- Use a vocal steamer to reduce the effects of postnasal drip.
- Keep to a plain diet to avoid acid reflux and cut out very greasy foods.
- Practice relaxation techniques.
- Do daily breathing exercises. As your pregnancy continues it’ll affect your ability to take deep breaths from your abdomen, so practice lateral breathing techniques, expanding the lungs horizontally, as well as vertically.
Singing voice change after pregnancy
The biggest effect of pregnancy on your voice will be the impact on your range. It’s widely known that when Adele recorded Skyfall, her voice was much lower than usual, as she was pregnant. She used this to her advantage enabling her to harness a deeper, even richer quality.
You may notice your voice cracking during pregnancy, making it hard to access your mid-range register or higher notes. This is caused by the crowding of lungs and diaphragm as your baby grows, along with the surge of estrogen that can cause the vocal cords to swell and vibrate.
You may have to work harder to get your voice to work the way it normally would. Prepare for this with vocal exercises that enable you to sing from different parts of your body (ie head voice and chest voice) and to access breath from all areas of the lungs. Some singers report an even clearer voice between 3 and 6 months of pregnancy.
Singing to your baby in the womb
When you sing, you increase the oxygen flowing through your body, by breathing more deeply with sustained breath release on the notes. This is excellent for your overall health. Sound can be very therapeutic too. It effectively gives a kind of vibration massage to your unborn child as they listen in the womb.
Generally, men have lower frequency voices. As babies pick up on deeper sounds first, this means they can be heard sooner than a woman’s voice in the same room.
Can my baby hear me sing?
Whether your unborn baby can hear you singing, will depend on their age and the frequencies you’re singing with. Here’s a guide to the stages of hearing in embryo and fetus development.
8 weeks: The embryo begins to develop ears
18 weeks: The ears begin to protrude out of the head and hearing begins to becomes possible
22-24 weeks: Low-frequency sounds below 500 Hz can be heard, like a dog barking or a lawnmower (an adult can hear a range of between 20 and 20,000 Hertz)
29 weeks: Higher frequency sounds above 500 Hz become audible
Bear in mind that your unborn baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid and your body’s own soft tissues. Therefore anything they hear will be muffled, so humming may not be loud enough to register as sound, especially in the early stages. But humming is fantastic for your baby. Not necessarily for what they hear, but what they feel. It sends vibrations through your body that have a soothing and therapeutic effect, for both of you. Humming is also a fantastic vocal warm-up ideal for gently keeping your voice in shape during pregnancy.
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Why you should sing to your baby?
There are lots of benefits of singing to your baby both before they are born and afterwards. It builds rapport and bond, is good for your health as it’s relaxing. It soothes the baby and even helps with the early stages of cognitive development.
Singing to babies can help them sleep. It’s a well known and longstanding technique – singing to your baby to get them to drop off. Traditionally lullabies like Rock a Bye Baby have long been used for this. But you might prefer to sing a gentle version of some of your repertoire. Why not use the time to practice your sets, as well as getting the baby to sleep.
Do babies in the womb respond to music?
Yes absolutely. Once your baby is over 20 weeks, they will be able to hear music, including that played through headphones. Your choice of music is important. Opt for something that’s not too jarring like heavy metal. Instead go for something classical, or easy listening. Upbeat music is fine, as long as it isn’t startling. You may feel the baby kicking along to the beat!
If you want to expose your unborn baby to music in a deliberately therapeutic manner, you could sign up for a prenatal music class. Many women like to spend some time considering and compiling a playlist for labour and birth too.
What are the benefits of listening to music while pregnant?
Playing music to your baby in the womb is excellent. There are proven benefits to exposing your child to music from pre-birth onwards. Keep playing music to your child after birth too. The types of music that have the most relaxing and soothing impact, are classical tunes, lullabies and nature sound music.
There’s certainly no guarantee that exposing your unborn child and baby to music is going to mean they grow up to be a famous singer or a musical maestro, but it will aid in their learning and mental health. You could even take up a musical instrument during this time. Playing the guitar may be tricky, but the piano and a smaller stringed instrument will have a calming effect on both of you, and promote mindfulness.
How can my unborn baby listen to music?
If using regular headphones keep the decibel level under 70. Or you could purchase a set of BellyBuds, the baby bump sound system headphones designed especially for this purpose.
Avoid anything that exceeds 115 decibels (around the sound level of a chainsaw) as this may be harmful for an extended period and possibly even increase the likelihood of hearing problems in the baby. This is only a recommendation, however, as experts don’t yet have definite evidence of this.
Also, avoid any large scale concerts where there could be a lot of crowding – and limited access to toilets. With less bladder control during pregnancy, that is never a good thing. It’s important that you can still do the things that you enjoy while expecting, and going to gigs is a great way to unwind and catch up with friends.
Singing while pregnant is very positive for both you and the baby. The effects of pregnancy such as morning sickness may leave you feeling like you’re not up to energetic performances. Or you may feel on top of the world and totally on top of your game as a singer at this time. Everyone is different. If you’re still concerned, it may be a good idea to arrange some singing lessons, so you can be sure you’re using your body and voice in the correct way while pregnant.
Related Questions
Does singing induce labour?
Singing is not one of the activities listed as causing the onset of labour, although ‘relaxing’ when you’re at full term can help get things moving. So if singing makes you relaxed it might. There are a variety of foods and activities that are believed to bring on labour.
Can a loud concert hurt a fetus?
Extremely loud music can be stressful for an unborn child. If it’s straining your own eardrums, then it’s too loud for your baby. Stick to more relaxed tunes and laid back concerts during this time. And stay a distance away from the speakers so it’s not overpowering.
Are singing lessons worth it?
This is probably a question that many people have asked over the years. But the short answer is yes. Professional vocal coaches can help you to train your voice and make sure that you are singing in key. They can also help you to sing louder.
To book singing lessons in Southampton, check our availability below:
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We also offer Piano lessons in Southampton, Guitar lessons and Music productions lessons at River Studios.