Claire
Hopefully, this doesn’t come as a surprise but labour and childbirth isn’t supposed to be silent?
It’s totally normal to let out animalistic sounds, grunts and sometimes screams during contractions, and in many ways, it can be beneficial!
Moaning Sounds During Labour
Moaning is a common sound heard in labour, it might be the same sound you made as your baby was being conceived 😊 Moaning actually helps to facilitate the birth of your baby. When you moan in deep tones it’ll help keep your jaw loose and relaxed which in turn relaxes your pelvic area.
Consider it this way — the same sounds you made when your baby was made are the same ones you need to make to help the baby out! Deeper tones as opposed to high pitched tones, it will help keep your jaw loose and relaxed which correlates directly to loose and relaxed perineum.
Roaring Sounds During Labour
Roaring is a sound often heard during pushing. Labour nurses can often tell by sounds alone when it’s time to push!
Screaming During Labour and Childbirth
Screaming Though movies would have you believe that all women giving birth scream, in reality, it’s not the most common noise. It can be, however, a sign that your not coping well with contractions or extremely afraid of something that’s happening or about to happen (inserting an IV, a cervical check, baby crowning). It helps to lock eyes with someone on the support team and be actively guided back to more regulated breathing.
Grunting During Labour
Grunting is often heard when the baby is lower in the pelvis and you are near the end of your labour. This sound usually indicates that mom is feeling the pressure with baby low on the perineum
Loud Rhythmic Breathing During Labour
Loud rhythmic breathing will help you control your breathing and relax your body during labour. When you’re able to control your breathing it works like meditation or ritual which is very helpful when trying to cope with contractions.
Singing During Labour and Childbirth
Singing can be a way to get into a ritual during contractions. You might start chanting/singing a certain mantra which in turn helps you cope with the pain!
Just remember, whatever sounds you make, it is likely helping you and is totally natural! Don’t be shy around doctors or nurses, they have heard it all (and worse)!
Allow yourself to let go and listen to your body. These sounds are most likely helping your labour progress.
Did you make any sounds during labour?
Share your stories in our comments!
Originally posted 2021-03-12 10:44:50.
Love this post! I actually went completely mute. Like I couldn’t even be bothered to answer any questions.😂
I kept thinking about how I sounded like a barge during contractions. Then I surprised myself by how loud I was while I was pushing.
I am so glad I did somatic therapy, which included yelling and making all kinds of quiet and loud sounds – really letting go. Because -hopefully – I won’t be apologising or cringing! I am planning on singing the baby out 🙂
I’m pretty sure I sounded like a wounded animal during labor😂
Yes!! Sound is normal and natural and can help during labour and birth👏🏼❤️
As a nurse, I can say we have definitely heard it all!💗💗💗
I did lots of low moaning during labor. And I full on screamed my second girl out! My husband said the nurse winced and I’m pretty sure I scared every woman giving birth on the floor. 😂😂
i actually had the OB that was in my delivery room telling me not to let out my yells and to keep them in to push. it was wayyyy worse holding in those yells. i didn’t listen to him very much ahaha.
I was screaming. 😂 They all told me to try and make it lower to save my throat but the gas and pain I just let out whatever
I remember my nurse saying Out loud to call the doc because I was grunting and 2 pushes later my son was born 🤪
I pushed for nearly three hours so by the end, I was too tired to make any noise and was silent 😳
When I was pregnant I’d hum/moan during contractions and then nurse didn’t believe it when she said I was 7 cm bc I was coping “so well”. I hope i can help mamas cope that way too!
And screaming 🙈😬
Mooing 🤣
It lasted 36 hours, I had time for all of them😂 jokes apart, I’m a singer and it helped me go through all the contractions. When pushing, I went silent, I was too overwhelmed by what was happening. Midwives said they had fun with me🤣
What about mooing? I swear I was mooing and rocking 😂
Is cursing one? That was my noise
You didn’t add counting 😂😂😂 cos I always count aloud to know what number before the relief 😁
I was like 🐻, 🐯 and 🦁 roaring all together. My throat was sore days after delivery. 😂 But it really helped me, it was so intuitive sound.
Did all of those 😂🙈