Can’t sing after pregnancy???

[KO2018]

This is a really weird one but I used to be able to sing pretty well until around my third trimester in pregnancy when I suddenly couldn’t hold a note… It’s like I don’t have the breath control any more and I just sound weak and wobbly and rubbish.

My girl is one year old now and it’s still not back to now it was! I can only think it’s something to do with pregnancy and my diaphragm muscles or something? But I never heard of this before.

I wonder if anyone else has found the same thing?

I am the same. My singing has generally declined as I've got older which I thought was just due to me being less involved with music stuff but it declined loads after my pregnancy.

Same with dance - I could dance again after my first pregnancy but after my second I couldn't. I just couldn't move my body the way I wanted. Then after my 3rd I seem to have it back again?! I got moves now

My advice is have another baby and see if it resets it...?

Haha that’s a high risk strategy @AddictedToVinted !

Interesting,
I couldn't sing a note before I was pregnant.
But my singing voice has now improved so much now, after having 2 children.

Could it be because you sing much less? I never sing around the house now.
I find that after a session of pilates I can sing much better.

I had exactly the same. My voice changed. I can't shout either. It's better now (16 years later) but has never returned to pre pregnancy state. I spoke to my doctor about it. He asked if I screamed a lot during labour . I did not. Quite the opposite.

I had this! I have always loved singing, so it upset me.

I fixed it by learning the Hallelujah Chorus (alone!) and practising scales until my vocal control came back. It's an excellent one for a lot of note control and a fairly wide note range. I retrained myself fairly easily, but it definitely took some effort. I have never been able to hold a note for quite as long as before though, I can't seem to expand my ribcage in the same way.

I have never been able to sing BUT when I saw a physio about pelvic issues after my second she said that a lot of the issue was that I'd started using my rib cage not my core for stability when my core was compromised by pregnancy, but that meant I was holding my rib cage too static (and was basically unbalancing my whole body) - and when we did breathing exercises I could really see what she meant. I had to retrain both how I breathed and how I held myself, which took a while but made a huge difference.

My voice changed after birth. I had a rough birth with scar rupture and c-section so think it was part of healing, my abs/core felt like they'd given up on life. It did return to normal after a few months. I started back in the gym at 10wk pp weightlifting, I had been lifting to 35+2wk too.

Opera singer here.

Singing uses all the muscles of your torso, especially the ones that your baby has just ruined. Abs, pelvic floor, lower back and lung capacity (ignore the diaphragm, it does what it does and you can't help/improve it). Not to forget the thickening or thinning of the vocal folds that can happen during pregnancy. It's a whirlwind of fun.

Your baby put stress on those muscles and they probably couldnt keep up (if you weren't singing regularly).

Now you've had the baby, if you want to get back to signing, you need to start from the beginning, and build back those muscles and strength. Find yourself a teacher, they should help you build it back up properly without damaging yourself.

Think of it like weight training with a PT. It's very much worth it. Good luck

Yep same here. My second was a very big baby I’m only 5 3inch. My voice has never been the same, I can’t seem to throw my voice unless I really try. I get ignored a lot now I’m in my 50s 🙄

Thanks @coffeeneeded that’s great advice! Really changed your whole body…

Fascinating! Sometimes I open my mouth and just can't get a note at all. Kids are 14 and 12 so probably more perimenopausal than pregancy related.