The Vocal Vaginal Connection

A raw, sweaty mess. Something primal and out of control.

This how I envisioned labor.

So one full moon I became a jungle cat. Prowling around on hands and knees our baby came naturally, landing on the bed, between my knees. The whole process took about four hours.

What was most helpful? Vocalizing.

Movement of sound from the vaginal cervix to the cervical spine. Giving myself permission to use voice to invite life is the most rapturous and empowering thing I’ve ever done.

The importance of labor breathing is emphasized in birth classes. Techniques like long slow deep breathing or horse lips are taught in prenatal classes, along with – helpful – cheese ball mantras. Seriously, listen to birth affirmations prior to birth. They are powerful anchors for comfort between surges.

Back to the breath. The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle that dances with the pelvic floor. On inspiration, it contracts, widens and flattens, exerting pressure and softening the basement. On the exhale, it returns to round and draws up, inviting the floor to join in tandem. This giant muscle helps to sustain the length and breadth of sound during vocalization.

During pregnancy, the diaphragm pushes upwards to create space. In the third trimester the baby drops and engages his head in the pelvis, also called lightening. This both downward pressure on the cervix and creates more space for breath

Our first pregnancy was a total surprise. We met at the total solar eclipse and lived in two different countries. Soon after our DNA fused and we had to figure out a way to get baby out. We watched as many videos of natural labor as we could get our hands on. I fangirl’d online after the victory of the Empowered Birth Project’s 2017 petition. I longed to be like many women before and become possessed by the process of natural childbirth.

I wanted to enter an alternate realm, walking the line between human and animal. Animals give birth all the time without intervention. So I decided to become a jungle cat, specifically, a puma. We connected in previous mediation space and now would jump from tree to tree between bellowing moans.

In her book Vagina, Naomi Wolf shares the inexplicable connection between the vagina and throat. Coincidentally, she also taught voice and public speaking for ten years.

In Wolf’s research alongside a neuroscientist with women who experienced sexual trauma, after speech exercises and diaphragmatic breathing, subjects would exhibit a deepening of their vocal tone and a release of emotion by sobbing.

The collective wounds in female organs can be attributed to personal trauma and ancestral lines. Womb work is on the rise and women are roaring louder than ever before.

When I envisioned becoming an animal during our home birth, what I was most afraid of was being heard by the neighbors. Imagine them, with their ears against the walls, laughing at the ruckus, or puzzled, calling the cops about some foul domestic dispute. I had reservations about being heard. About sounding out loud. About using my voice and experiencing power through the process of childbirth.

The root word for cervix literally means neck. Our cervical spine protects and aligns all the delicate equipment necessary for sound and expression. So perhaps we can look to anatomy for a neon-flashing-sign as to why sound might be helpful in clearing the vagina-throat pathway.

Check out this video of a pair of female vocal folds in action. What comes to mind?

The folds are controlled by the mighty vagus nerve, which passes from the central nervous system through cardiac, pulmonary, and digestive systems. The vagus nerve runs straight through the diaphragm and is massaged with each luxurious breath.

The vocal folds open during inspiration and close during exhalation. Pitch is determined by how far apart they are when they vibrate. During a lower pitch, folds are farther apart, whereas with a higher pitch there is less space. Here’s a key – what if low, guttural toning during labor actually helps to open the cervix?

This midwifery study found that toning helped increased ability to cope with pain and manage overall emotions of labor. So why hasn’t modern medicine considered the expression of sound and cervical dilation? After all, isn’t as above, so below; so below, as above one of the basic Hermetic principles?

Imagine the voices of all our female ancestors unified in sound. Singing around food, in ceremonies, and inviting children in. Sonic wisdom summoning forces unseen to lend aid.

For now, let’s try this. Close the eyes. Give the jaw a slight wiggle, relax the root of the tongue. Visualize the connection between cervix and throat. Perhaps a beam of light, or a golden thread, a rainbow, an elevator – whatever. Follow the inhale from basement to ceiling, and exhale with an open mouth, in a low tone, HAAAAAA. Repeat. Try hums and vowel sounds. HEEEEE HMM VAAAA. Allow whatever comes to come, and sound from a deep, rooted place.

If I hadn’t given myself permission to make sounds, I’m not sure if our jungle kitten would have arrived with the same magic. Low, guttural vocalization is useful birth technique. Paws down.

Chelsee Albo, Elephant Academy Apprentice

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