Terminology of women’s embodied experience of labouring and birthing sounds—a qualitative interview study

Background

Human beings have a diverse repertoire of linguistic and non-linguistic sounds used for self-expression. During labour and birth, women produce a range of sounds described in the scientific literature as moaning, primal sounds, roaring, screaming, singing, and vocalising. However, research on women's experiences of vocalisation during childbirth remains limited.

Aim

To explore women's experiences of the sounds they produce during labour and birth and deepen our understanding of these sounds.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews with 18 women were conducted within the first six weeks postpartum. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis following the approach of Braun and Clarke, with MAXQDA used to organise and manage the data.

Findings

Two themes emerged from the data: 'embodied sound and memory' and 'giving the sound a name'. The first theme explored women's embodied memory of sounds, including how they recalled these sounds during the interviews. The second theme explored in depth their subjective experiences and descriptions of the various sounds they produced.

Conclusion

The terminology used to describe the non-linguistic sounds produced by labouring and birthing women reflects a nuanced approach to conveying sound as a physical experience. Sounds such as breathing, humming, moaning, vocalising, and screaming, as well as the sounds made moments before birth, seem to be remembered as embodied, physical sensations rather than solely through cognitive reflection.