Impolite Birth: Theatre Voice Training and the Experience of Childbirth

Little data exists on vocalization during birth. What research does exist supports the notion that vocalizing can be a useful tool to birthing people. Similar to many childbirth courses, theatre-based voice training includes a strong focus on physical release and ease to function as a fruitful foundation for easy vocalization. Additionally, this type of training places specific focus on the use of sound and cultivates the ability to use the voice freely and without inhibition. This study hypothesized that using theatre-based voice techniques during childbirth would reduce the perception of pain during labor and improve women’s sense of autonomy during the experience. To explore this hypothesis, two groups of pregnant people were taught theatre-based voice exercises and researchers collected data on their experiences after their births. Broadly, this study suggests that theatre and voice-based experiences have the potential to improve women’s overall satisfaction with their birth experience and presents an important, cross-disciplinary application to voice work.

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Voice and Speech Review on 2022-10-25, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/23268263.2022.2137970.

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Work Title Impolite Birth: Theatre Voice Training and the Experience of Childbirth
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Kris Danford
  2. Lee Roosevelt
  3. Alexandra Vroom
  4. Lisa Harris
  5. Ruth Zielinski
License CC BY-NC 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Voice and Speech Review
Publication Date October 25, 2022
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2137970
Deposited November 21, 2023

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added Final_Draft_Impolite_Birth_Manuscript-1.pdf
  • Added Creator Kris Danford
  • Added Creator Lee Roosevelt
  • Added Creator Alexandra Vroom
  • Added Creator Lisa Harris
  • Added Creator Ruth Zielinski
  • Published
  • Updated