Articles by Catharine Miller:

How I Became a Midwife

Let's Live

The Value of Relaxation

How Midwifery Helps
the Environment

Sounds in Labor

Yoga in Pregnancy

Choosing a Midwife Q&A

Sounds in Labor

Remember the importance of sounds in helping the body to relax and let go. Moaning, sighing, or chanting with the slow exhaling breath can set up a vibration that resonates throughout the body. Making sound keeps the mouth and lips soft and loose, and the resonating vibration in the body helps relax the laboring Mom and open up her cervix. It’s important to keep the tone of your sound low-pitched, and draw it out long and slow with the exhaled breath. The support people in the room can join in and follow whatever sound the laboring woman is making, bringing it down to a low pitch if it gets into the higher octaves. When several people in the labor room moan, sigh, or chant with the Mom, the vibration is much more powerful, and can really assist her in letting go and surrendering to the process of labor.

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