Overcoming Shame to Vocalise During Childbirth: A Qualitative Interview Study.
Laura A Zinsser, Nancy I Stone
PMID 40574467WHAT IT FOUND
Women described shame when labouring sounds made them feel exposed or judged.
They used their voice more freely when they accepted it, stayed in their bodies, and had supportive midwives or partners who welcomed or joined them.
Key findings
01Women experienced shame when they felt their labouring sounds exposed them to being watched or heard by others.
02Nearly all women described feeling safe and secure in their birthing environment as important for vocal toning.
03Vocalising together with others was described as the strongest reinforcement for vocalising during labour.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Nearly all participants grew up in Germany, so the findings may not apply to other cultural backgrounds. Participants were recruited purposively, so self-selection bias is possible. Only women who had vocalised during childbirth were included, so experiences of women who did not vocalise are missing. No questions were asked specifically about shame, and not all participants discussed it. Participants had healthy babies and spontaneous vaginal births without pharmacological or medical interventions, so the findings may not apply to more complex births.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that vocalising during labour reduces shame or improves birth outcomes. The study described experiences after birth and included only women who had vocalised, so it did not test whether vocalisation helps.