How pregnant singers can avoid voice problems
Many singers have noticed that when pregnant, it feels different when they sing. And here is the explanation. Research at KTH provides a clear indication that when you are pregnant, your hormones have an effect on your vocal cords in many ways.
“The vocal cords become more unwilling to vibrate, and they must also be forced against each other harder in order for them to make a sound,” says Johan Sundberg, Professor Emeritus in musical acoustics at KTH.
Together with researcher Filipa Lã from Aveiro University in Portugal he has monitored a pregnant singer with the help of voice and blood tests where the latter have indicated hormone status. The measurements were carried out before, during, and after giving birth, and provide clear results.
“We have been able to measure the effects of the massive changes in hormone levels which a pregnant woman goes through,” says Johan Sundberg.
The results are interesting as it can lead to extensive studies in the future which aim, for example, to examine whether pregnancy means that a woman’s voice becomes permanently deeper. A theory which has been around for some time, but has not been proven.
We can however already make some assumptions based on the joint study conducted by Filipa Lã and Johan Sundberg.
“The results show that singers must adapt their singing technique based on the situation, which could be good to avoid injury , says Johan Sundberg.
The researchers’ hypothesis as to why the voice is affected by pregnancy is that the hormones influence the fluid balance in the body, which in turn affects the vocal cords. An assumption which agrees with the results of the study.
For more information, contact Johan Sundberg at pjohan@speech.kth.se or ring 070 - 740 78 73.
Peter Larsson