Voice Changes During Pregnancy

Did you know that hormones can play a big part in vocal quality?! As a recently pregnant woman, I can attest that some of these voice changes occurred for me this time around and in my previous pregnancy as well.

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Things I’ve Experienced During My Most Recent Pregnancy:

1. Hyponasality – my nose got stuffy, causing my voice to sound as if I have a cold! I did not have a cold, but I sounded as if I did.

2. Reflux – I had increased nocturnal reflux events related to changes in my hormones. This can lead to a less pliable vocal fold, which changes vocal quality. It can also lead to a “lump in the throat” sensation that causes increased throat clearing, which also causes swelling at the vocal fold level leading to voice changes. For more info about reflux, check out this post.

3. Changes in voice range – I think this is primarily due to the reflux above, in my most recent case; however, women also experience increased swelling all over – including at the vocal fold level. This can decrease a woman’s high range, and increase her lower range due to increased bulk at the vocal fold level.

In My Previous Pregnancy I Also Experienced:

1. Reduced lung capacity – this occurred later, and it was much worse after I developed gestational hypertension (increased swelling and high blood pressure due to pregnancy). This made it difficult to make it through phrases that used to be cake-work for me.

2. Postural changes – the hormones of pregnancy cause relaxation of ligaments, which changes body alignment. This can lead to increased pain when singing as well as changes to breath management and support of the tone. 

A possible vocal side effect I did not experience was vocal fold hemorrhage. Women who are pregnant are also more at risk of a vocal fold hemorrhage due to increased fragility of the blood vessels all over – even in the vocal folds. To reduce this risk, use good vocal technique and avoid pushing at the throat level when singing or speaking loudly.

Caring for Your Voice During Pregnancy

Voice care during pregnancy is not unlike typical vocal hygiene recommendations. I’m not familiar with any treatments for the hypo nasality, and the reduced lung capacity and postural changes that come in the later trimesters may require work-arounds for breath control and support. It is also prudent to recognize the range changes and find repertoire that suits you best for the next few months before the baby comes. One thing that can be treated is the reflux. Medications like PPIs and H2 blockers are helpful if the reflux is painful. Otherwise, I’d recommend following reflux precautions, as identified in this post.

Have you ever experienced voice changes during pregnancy? How did you cope with these changes?