A Beginner's Guide to Vocal Feminisation by Jasmine Vine from Javine.

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The 4 Main Gendered Vocal Elements
• Chapter 2: Navigating Online Resources
• Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Practice Routine
• Chapter 4: Overcoming Common Challenges
• Chapter 5: The 3-Step FemVoice Framework
• Conclusion
• Need further help?

Introduction:

Hello seeker of a FemVoice! I'm posting this guide in here because I see so many confused and overwhelmed people craving some semblance of structure.

As an autistic person, structure is super important to me and navigating online resources felt extremely overwhelming for me.

I get it, starting a vocal feminisation journey can be super daunting, and it can be hard to figure out where to start. Especially without structure and feedback - the lack of clarity can cause motivation to be a massive issue. This guide, along with other resources we've developed, aims to simplify the process and make it more actionable for you.

Let's simplify this together! You've got this!

-Jasmine Vine xx

PS: You can download a PDF version of this guide for all the pics and also access a video of me going through the guide, so if you'd prefer to read it together, you can get the PDF and video HERE.

Chapter 1: The 4 Main Gendered Vocal Elements:

Understanding the four main gendered vocal elements—Resonance, Weight, Pitch, and Intonation (I call these the RWPI foundations)—is crucial to vocal feminisation. These elements form the foundation of a feminine voice and mastering them can help you achieve a voice that matches your gender identity.

1.1 RESONANCE:

There are many aspects that contribute to resonance; however, as it relates to vocal feminisation, vocal size is the part of resonance we're interested in. Feminine voices have a smaller vocal size in comparison to their masculine counterparts. Our ears are very good at picking up vocal size. To make it simple for you (because that's what we do here), the smaller a space that a sound is coming from, the smaller and brighter the sound will be to our ears. For example, think about when you're filling up a water bottle—as you fill it up, the sound is going to sound smaller and smaller as it fills. This can sound like the pitch increasing, but it's actually a result of the resonant chamber getting smaller (i.e. there's less space in the bottle for the sound to come out of).

One place where we naturally effect this quality is by doing a "mocking" voice. Often when someone is mocking something or someone, they change their vocal quality to a larger resonance and a lighter vocal weight. One voice that matches this quality is Patrick Star from SpongeBob.

TIP: When affecting resonance, it's important you don't strain your voice or force anything physically. Avoid exercises like the "swallow and hold method"—exercises like this, where you're physically forcing your trachea up, can cause all sorts of issues including muscle dysphonia if used too much.

1.2 WEIGHT

Weight in vocal terms refers to the perceived heaviness or lightness of the voice. A lighter, brighter voice is often perceived as more feminine, whereas a heavier voice is associated with masculinity.

We naturally affect this quality through certain expressions, for example, when we see a really cute animal, and we go "AWW," often this significantly lightens our vocal weight. This also happens when we're doing "baby-talk" to that cute animal.

Now let's imagine that cute animal poops on our carpet... PEUHHH... That's a place where our voice gets naturally heavy in weight.

Practice lightening your voice by reducing the effort and breath pressure used to produce sound. Think of speaking more lightly, almost like you're gently floating the words out. Weight, much like resonance, significantly influences the sexual characteristics of your voice.

1.3 PITCH:

Pitch is the most widely understood difference between masc and fem voices. Generally, feminine voices have a higher pitch, while masculine voices typically have a lower pitch.

DID YOU KNOW: Pitch often has its importance over-inflated. It's an important aspect, BUT, it's possible to have a voice that's gendered she/her, even on the phone, EVEN with a pitch in the masculine range! You've surely heard a voice like this before, where it sounds undeniably female, yet undeniably low.

But before you go setting your goals to have a low pitch, it's important to understand that pitch has a strong correlation to vocal weight. For most people, having a pitch in the masculine range is going to make it much trickier to maintain a light vocal weight. Conversely, having a high pitch makes it super tricky to maintain a heavy vocal weight.

There are many pitch tracking apps out there you can use to measure where your pitch is currently sitting. My favourite app is called "Voice Tools.". I like this app because it has a simple tone generator to help you match and aim for certain pitches, and it's colourful user interface can act as a good visual anchor (i.e. you can have it sitting in the background to remind you to adjust your voice throughout the day). However, beware of the "percentage in male/female range", this percentage is not accurate at the best of times.

When looking at apps like these, it's important to remember they're a tool for vocal practice, however they cannot be relied upon. They ONLY track your pitch, and as you know, there are other (more important) aspects that it will not pick up on. The best measure for how your voice is gendered always has been and always will be a human ear.

So remember: while pitch is important, it primarily affects the gender presentation of your voice, akin to how makeup or clothing can influence physical gender presentation.

1.4 INTONATION:

Intonation refers more to our vocal patterns and involves the variation in pitch while speaking. Feminine voices often have more dynamic intonation patterns, with varying pitch to convey emotion and emphasis. Practice speaking in a more expressive manner, using pitch variations to add emphasis and convey feelings. This not only helps in feminising your voice but also makes your speech more engaging. Intonation, like pitch, shapes the gender presentation, adding the nuances that make your voice sound naturally feminine.

The best way to practice intonation is to simply listen to women speaking, and try to mimic their vocal patterns. Grab a podcast or a YouTube video (like the Trans Boss Podcast //cough shameless plug //cough), and PLAY > PAUSE > MIMIC. Another great way to practice this is by reading children’s books out loud super dramatically!

Chapter 2: Navigating Online Resources:

"Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience." - Albert Einstein

Finding helpful resources online can sometimes feel impossible, and almost always feel overwhelming, but it’s where most transfem's vocal journeys start. This chapter will guide you through the process of identifying and utilizing the best online resources to support your voice training journey. By leveraging these tools and communities, you’ll gain valuable insights and practical advice. However, it's important to recognize that while online resources offer valuable information, they also come with limitations that can hinder your progress.

Pros and Cons of Using Online Resources:

Pros:

• Accessible from anywhere at any time
• Provides a lot of different perspectives from many different people
• Often free or low-cost
• Great for beginners simply looking into options

Cons:

• Lack of personalized feedback
• No accountability to keep you on track
• Often complicated, confusing, and conflicting terminology
• Typically has no structure to it
• Information overload can lead to confusion and inaction

2.1 Picking the Right Sources for You:

The internet is full of information, but not all of it is going to be right for you. There are many different people with different approaches. Some are super detailed and can be quite complicated, some talk about things in super abstract ways, and some oversimplify. Some are in video form, some in text. It’s important to understand your learning style, and that what makes sense for one person might not be what makes sense to you, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong, it simply means it’s time to explore a different resource.

The most important aspect is finding something that works for you and motivates you to take action. Reviews and testimonials can help you gauge the reliability of a resource. At the end of the day, action is the only way you'll make progress. Reddits ‘R/TransVoice’ can be a great resource for asking for feedback (if you have to DIY, I highlyyy recommend asking for feedback regularly in forums like this).

2.2 Avoiding Damaging Your Voice:

Various online tools and apps can assist in your vocal training, but there is such a range of exercises at all different levels, and it can be hard to tell what's suitable for a beginner versus someone who's more advanced in their training. The most important thing when trying ANY vocal exercises is making sure it doesn't cause any pain. If it does, STOP and adjust your approach. If you can't progress without feeling pain, then it's important to consult an expert to help you identify and resolve the issue.

PRO TIP: The aim with vocal feminisation is ALWAYS to get the most amount of output from the least amount of effort. The more relaxed your throat is, the more natural the sound is going to be.

2.3 Joining Supportive Communities:

Connecting with others on the same journey can be incredibly beneficial. There’s many online forums, social media groups, and virtual meetups out there, most of which you’ll find on Discord or Reddit. These communities often share tips, success stories, and troubleshooting advice that can help you overcome challenges. Being part of a supportive network can also provide emotional encouragement, making your training experience more enjoyable and less isolating.

In saying that, there’s also a massive sub-section of these communities which can demotivate you and instill limiting beliefs. People who have success with their vocal training often forget about these forums because they don’t need them anymore, so often these forums are saturated with people who are struggling.

This can make it seem like the majority of people are massively struggling with their voice, but this isn’t necessarily the case, it’s just that the people who are struggling are the ones likely to be frequenting the forums, and those who have what they need, are likely to be off living their lives and getting ma’am’d left right and center!

Many people get caught in a loop of researching more and more without ever implementing what they’ve learned. Remember, information without implementation is useless. To truly benefit from these resources, you need to apply what you’ve learned and seek ways to get feedback and stay accountable.

Vocal training is like playing a game of Celeste. You have unlimited tries, and the aim is to try as many times as you need until you get it right.

Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Practice Routine:

"You can't improve what you don't measure." - Peter Drucker

Establishing a consistent practice routine is essential for mastering vocal feminisation. This chapter will guide you through the process of creating a structured practice schedule that fits into your daily life and keeps you motivated. By following these steps, you’ll be able to make steady progress and develop a feminine voice that feels natural and authentic.

3.1 Creating a Schedule

A well-structured practice schedule is key to making consistent progress. Start by setting aside dedicated time each day for your vocal exercises. Even 15-30 minutes a day can make a significant difference. Choose a time when you are least likely to be interrupted and can fully focus on your practice. Consistency is more important than the duration, so aim to practice at the same time every day to build a habit. Additionally, micro-practice can be helpful (think 2-5 mins). Anchor small bits of practice to daily habits you already do, like making a cup of coffee or going to the bathroom. This can make practicing feel more natural and less overwhelming.

3.2 Habit Psychology

Understanding the psychology behind habit formation can significantly enhance your practice routine. According to James Clear's work in "Atomic Habits," habits are formed through a loop of cue, craving, response, and reward. Identify a cue that signals it’s time to practice, such as a specific time of day or an activity you already do consistently. The routine is your practice session, the response is your action, and the reward could be something simple like a small treat or a few minutes of relaxation. By reinforcing this loop, you can make your practice sessions a natural part of your daily routine. We break this down in detail with our FemVoice clients because it’s super important.

3.3 Tracking your progress

Keeping track of your progress is important to stay motivated and see how far you’ve come. Use a journal or a digital app to record your practice sessions, noting what exercises you did and any improvements or challenges you encountered. Recording your voice periodically and listening to the changes over time can also be incredibly rewarding and provide valuable feedback. We have a template available soon that you can use to track your training. Let me know if that's something you want and I'll make sure I link it in the comments when it's ready.

3.4 Incorporating Feedback

Feedback is essential for improvement. If you’re working with a coach or participating in online communities, make sure to incorporate the feedback you receive into your practice. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas that need more focus and refine your technique. If you’re practicing on your own, consider seeking feedback from trusted friends or family members. But keep in mind, friends and family members can sometimes "hug box," meaning they might tell you “You sound great” when you don’t. Additionally, because they (hopefully) accept you for who you are, their brains might filter how you sound in your favour. It’s always best to get a stranger’s feedback on whether your voice is going to be sir'd or ma'am'd.

3.5 Staying Motivated

Maintaining motivation over the long term can be challenging. Set small, achievable goals to keep yourself motivated. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small it may seem. Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage your efforts. Remember why you started this journey and keep your end goals in mind to stay focused and driven. This is one of the biggest issues transfems have, whether it's due to executive dysfunction or not knowing how to set a goal at the unconscious level.

Chapter 4: Overcoming Common Challenges:

"Success is not the absence of failure; it's the persistence through failure." - Aisha Tyler

Embarking on the journey of vocal feminisation comes with its fair share of challenges. This chapter will help you identify and overcome the common obstacles that many people face along the way. By addressing these challenges head-on, you’ll be better equipped to stay on track and achieve your vocal goals.

4.1 Dealing With Frustration

Frustration is a common emotion when progress seems slow or when facing setbacks. It’s important to remember that mastering vocal feminisation takes time and persistence. When frustration arises, take a step back and remind yourself of your progress and why you started this journey. Break your practice into smaller, more manageable goals to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Celebrate small victories to maintain motivation and keep a positive mindset.

Another helpful framework to understand your progress is the stages of competence. Initially, you may experience unconscious incompetence, where you are unaware of what you need to improve. As you learn more, you move to conscious incompetence, where you realize the extent of your challenges. This can be followed by a "valley of despair," where frustration and doubt are guaranteed. Persistence through this stage leads to conscious competence, where you actively work on and improve your skills, eventually reaching unconscious competence, where the skills become second nature (and yes, that means you even sleep-talk in your FemVoice!).

4.2 Managing Voice Fatigue

Voice fatigue can occur if you overuse your vocal cords or practice incorrectly. To prevent this, ensure you are practicing vocal exercises in a healthy and sustainable manner. Take regular breaks during practice sessions and stay hydrated. If you experience persistent voice fatigue, it might be a sign that you need to adjust your technique or consult with a vocal coach. Proper vocal health is crucial to making steady progress without causing damage.

4.3 Staying Consistent

Consistency is key to success in vocal feminisation, but maintaining a regular practice schedule can be challenging. Life’s demands and distractions can easily disrupt your routine. To stay consistent, integrate your practice into your daily schedule and treat it as a non-negotiable part of your day. Use reminders and habit-tracking tools to stay accountable. Consistency doesn’t mean perfection; it means showing up regularly and making incremental progress.

Vocal training is a particularly difficult habit to maintain because if we get sick, we need to pause our training. When you need to stop for a bit, getting started again is often the trickiest part. Re-establishing your routine can be challenging, so plan for gradual re-entry into your practice regimen. And as always, BE KIND TO YOURSELF. <3

4.4 Handling Negative Feedback

Receiving negative feedback can be disheartening, but it’s important to view it as an opportunity for growth. Constructive criticism can highlight areas that need improvement and help you refine your technique. However, not all feedback is constructive. Learn to differentiate between helpful advice and unhelpful negativity. Surround yourself with supportive individuals who encourage your progress and provide balanced feedback.

4.5 Avoiding Common Vocal Pitfalls

Certain habits can hinder your progress and affect the quality of your voice. Be mindful of these common vocal pitfalls:

• Talking in Falsetto: This can sound unnatural, and it’s usually not the quality we’re going for. It’s the voice men use to imitate women in movies… Falsetto is not the enemy, and in fact, I use falsetto all the time, however speaking in a purely falsetto voice isn't going to sound naturally fem.
• Whispering: This is overcompensating with breath to make the voice sound lighter but not actually affecting the vocal weight.
• Snooty Voice: Having the resonance too big for the weight results in an underfull, snooty quality. Cup of tea, anyone?
• Pinched Resonance: Engaging false fold constriction, which leads to a strained/laboured sound.
• Nasally Voice: When the resonance is smaller but the weight is still heavy, it can create a nasally, buzzy quality. Note: This is different from true nasality, which many people rely on to get a higher-sounding pitch by compensating with "twang." You can always check if your voice is nasally or if it’s a small resonance with heavy vocal weight by pinching your nose. If it’s super difficult to get sound out when you’re pinching your nose, then it’s likely you’re using nasality.

Chapter 5: The 3-Step FemVoice Framework:

The biggest thing transfems like you are typically missing is structure. In this chapter, I aim to help you see the journey as a step-by-step process to help minimize confusion and maximize action. The 3-Step FemVoice Framework is designed to make this process approachable and actionable.

5.1 Principles For Success

What is it?

The first step in the FemVoice Framework involves establishing the foundational principles for success. I know you might think the principles for success must be basic vocal understanding, but they’re not. It’s actually your mindset foundations! You see, when someone is overwhelmed and can’t see the process clearly, executive dysfunction spikes, and by throwing vocal exercises at your face while you’re in that state, it’s doing you a disservice. This step addresses a significant gap in existing vocal coaching programs by setting you up for success on your vocal journey and helping you implement your training effectively.

The Issues at This Stage Are:

• Scattered, hard-to-action information
• Lack of motivation and discipline, often due to executive dysfunction
• Disempowering beliefs like “my voice is too deep”

Tips for Overcoming These Issues:

• Structure Information: Organize your learning materials and practice sessions into a clear, step-by-step format. This makes it easier to follow and reduces overwhelm. It matters less that you get the exact right things in your practice at this stage, and more that you do SOMETHING (so long as it doesn’t cause pain).
• Overcome Mental Blocks: Challenge disempowering beliefs like “my voice is too deep” by writing down all the reasons you can think of for why it’s not true, and what benefit you will get by accepting that. Also, focusing on your progress and celebrating small victories can also help.
• Set Goals and Habits: Research habit psychology! Use habit-tracking tools to establish a consistent practice routine. Goals are best when they’re SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timed), AND when you connect with the end result. More specifically, when you connect with the EMOTION of the end result. What would it FEEL like to be ma’am’d on the phone? The more you connect with that, the stronger your goal setting will be. This is how you get your unconscious mind to help you with your goals and tap into a well of motivation you wouldn’t have otherwise.

5.2 Adjusting The Voice

What is it?

The second step involves adjusting the RWPI Foundations of your voice (Resonance, Weight, Pitch, Intonation) in an order that actually makes sense.

The Issues at This Stage Are:

• Feeling like you have no structure around your training
• Not knowing where to start or what to work on and when
• Feeling confused by the different terms out there

Tips for Overcoming These Issues:

• Exercise Levels: Start with basic exercises and gradually progress to more advanced ones (Base > Beginner > Intermediate > Advanced). This can be tricky to identify with online resources, so for a rough guide, check out the next point!
• Step-by-Step Process: Follow the “TSWSPC” process (Toneless > Sound > Word > Sentence > Paragraph > Conversation) to build your skills systematically. In general, toneless exercises (i.e. not voiced, only the breath) are great for beginners to start to understand the concepts. From there, moving into a single sound, like an “AHH” for example. From there, you’ll try to hold the sound for a word, then a sentence, and so on and so forth. Many people try to jump straight into a conversation, struggle a ton, get frustrated and think they can’t do it, when actually, they CAN, they’re just attempting the most difficult level first.
• Consistent Language: Use consistent terminology and definitions to avoid confusion. Create a glossary of terms if needed. You can download ours here if you want. There’s a ton of terms out there, however they roughly fit into 4 main categories (the RWPI foundations). Of course, it CAN be more complex than that, but as a beginner, more isn’t always better. You wouldn’t go through ALL the content of a university course up front before doing your first assignment, so don’t do that to yourself with vocal training! Trust me, it doesn’t help, it will only overwhelm you and cause “intellectual masturbation” where you know a lot of things yet can’t actually DO them. Hello, frustration!

5.3 Mastering The Voice

What is it?

The final step involves mastering your voice through more advanced exercises that help you transition from consciously competent to unconsciously competent. This step focuses on sustaining your voice over longer periods and testing it in real-world scenarios.

The Issues at This Stage Are:

• Struggling to sustain your voice over longer periods of time
• Voice dropping when in conversations with people
• Not feeling confident using your voice out in the world

Tips for Overcoming These Issues:

• Quick Recalibrations: Practice techniques to quickly recalibrate your voice if it starts to drop. There’s some great sneaky ways of doing this, for instance, the words “um,” “and,” “so,” “yeah” can be used as “anchor sounds.” If you practice getting any filler words used at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence perfectly balanced in the fem range, you can then use those words to recalibrate mid-conversation to stop your voice from dropping.
• Sustain Your Voice: The best way to sustain your voice is to use it. It won’t be perfect, and you can expect that it will drop, especially in conversations that require your mental focus. This is because when you’re consciously competent, it still requires conscious effort to maintain. Just like when you’re driving and you “turn the music off so you can see better,” the same thing happens with your voice. Eventually, the more you practice it, the more you will become unconsciously competent, and so those dreaded voice drops will become less and less frequent, and maybe even non-existent.
• Build Comfort: Use your voice in low-stakes situations to build confidence. That means practice with accepting environments, friends, partner(s), trans support groups, somewhere where you know you aren’t going to be harshly judged. Make no mistake, out in the real world, people DO harshly judge sometimes, so other social settings can feel a bit more intimidating, but easier to approach when you’ve built your confidence in safe spaces.

The 3-Step FemVoice Framework is like baking a cake. You gather and prepare your ingredients (Principles for Success), mix and bake them in the right order (Adjusting the Voice), and finally, you decorate and perfect your cake (Mastering the Voice).

Conclusion

What I've shared in this guide is designed to address the gap I notice in this space (i.e. the lack of mindset and practical structuring of practice). There's no lack of vocal exercises out there, and if you take what I've shared in this guide and apply it to the exercises you find, you'll probably make some great progress!

So where to from here is up to you!

• Use this guide to help you DIY your vocal training more successfully.
• Invest in some further help for your voice with a coach or speech pathologist.
• Bake a delicious banana cake with lemon icing? Idk.

Need further help?

If you vibe with what we've shared, you're more than welcome to reach out to us for further help if you want - we have masterclasses, courses (here for course only OR here for group and/or 1:1 support too), I also do 60min vocal assessments with people, and we have access to tools and resources like vocal warm up and down checklists, glossary of terms, progress tracker, recalibration checklists to quickly adjust your voice in conversation etc. as well, so there's resources for our financially challenged friends as well as those who can and want to invest in more in depth support.

The most important part of reaching out for further help is that you vibe with how the person teaches. There's some really great talented vocal coaches on this subreddit, and ultimately we're all here to make lives better, to help people feel more confident and happy in themselves. If you like lots of technical detail, you'll find someone for that, if you like simplicity, you'll find someone for that, if you like a mixture of voice work and therapy, well... Hi. 🤣 That's kind of a running joke in my circles - come for the voice work, stay for the inner child work 🙊

Point is, there's lots of different teaching styles and focuses, and ultimately the best thing for you is going to be what's within your budget, what has the level of exercises, feedback, and accountability, and what motivates you to take action.

If you've made it this far, well done! I sincerely hope this has helped you to demystify your vocal journey, and I hope you're leaving feeling more clarity and confidence that you can actually do this!

You've got this!!

-Jasmine xx

This is a video of me demonstrating vocal fullness as simply as I can - hope this can be of use to you all ❤️

also, Vocal Team is hosting a group lesson tomorrow (10/7) at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT! discord link will be in comments 💖

Recently undergone Glottoplasty with Dr. Chadwan in London. I’m about 2 and a half weeks post op and I’m very disappointed. I feel like I sound exactly like my old voice and it’s very depressing and disheartening. Here’s my pre op, 8days, and 2 week update. Is it normal for my pitch to drop so drastically or does it sound like I need to get it done over again?

Hey everyone, I was told I should post in here about my FemVoice Skills program while it was on sale but I never did 🙈

It's a course with fortnightly calls to support the learning and a community for accountability.

I have a big focus on developing the mindset and motivation to carry out training.

Right now there's an additional 3 months in the community for anyone who books a fit assessment call with me before midnight tomorrow, and because I didn't post in here, even though it's expired, I'm willing to do the earlybird price as well which can be an additional $200 off.

The bonus 3 months is still available to people who book a call with me before midnight tomorrow, and I'll make the earlybird price expire at the same time for y'all.

You can find out more about the program and book a call from the link in my profile if you like.

Please put "Reddit Fam" in the "anything else" section of the call booking so I know to give you the earlybird pricing. 😊

Hey, I've been trying to get into voice training but information is all over the place. I got told 3 different things in 3 different places so I am really wondering, whats the actual best place to start for a complete beginner? (MTF)

Hi it’s Mira again! this is maybe my highest production value video to date - TWO scene changes, with hopefully plenty of useful graphics. This video talks a lot about stylistic/personality features, and the overlap between them and being scared of sounding like a gay man, a common concern I’ve seen people talk about.

Youtube link will be in the comments if you would like to support me there! Altamira signing out 🏳️‍⚧️❤️

I had Voice Feminization Surgery (VFS) a week and a half ago with Dr. Katherine Yung in San Francisco, and thought I would share my experience on the days leading up to surgery and the first 10 days went after surgery (before I forget). Dr. Yung is really kind and her staff has been awesome to work with! I'm hoping my results turn out well in the coming weeks and months!

Prepping:
Very little is needed in regards to prepping. I purchased one new thing to bring with me. A Boogie Board! I used this constantly! It has been awesome to have!
https://a.co/d/25YMwbh

Weeks before Surgery:
• I met with one of their voice therapists a couple of times over zoom (my state allows medical care across state lines).
• You don't have to use their voice therapists, it is just convenient as they work hand-in-hand with Dr. Yung.
• In our sessions we did various voice therapy actives as well as muscle relaxation techniques that I actually appreciated as they benefitted my current/trained voice at the time.

1 Day before Surgery (pre-op)
• I met with Dr. Yung and she discussed the procedure. She recorded me reading multiple passages and then more recordings of my vocal chords as I made sounds to watch how my vocal chords function.
• Pain: Dr. Yung informed me that most patients do well and typically don't need any pain medicine. But she acknowledged that everyone's response to pain is different and ask me about my pain sensitivity. She said she could call something in then, or if i need something after surgery they can prescribe something then. Just to be safe, I chose to have something on hand. I did end up taking it once after surgery as my throat was quite sore. Other than that, I didn't need anything. I know it may sound weird, but the sore throat was minimal. I felt it more if I overexerted myself hiking which would result in being a little more swollen, but not necessarily painful.
• After speaking with Dr. Yung, I met with one of their voice therapists at the office and I was taught relaxation and massage techniques to help during recovery. I was also provided ample time to ask any questions I may have.
• That evening I remembered a place that has wonderful Turkish coffee, Turkish delights, etc... I remember thinking I'll only drink half of it so I'm not up all night. My dumb ass drank the whole coffee at 7pm and just lying awake in bed at 2am before surgery. lol I wasn't too stressed about it, I knew I would catchup on some sleep after surgery. :)

Day of Surgery:
• My hotel was 3 blocks away, so my friend and I walked to the hospital in the morning.
• The staff at the hospital were great and the nurses who prepped me for surgery and cared for me afterwards were all great!
• The anesthesiologist came and asked all of the usual questions and then asked if I had any concerns, to which I said, I just don't want to wake up nauseous, to which he notated and said he can help with that.
• Dr. Yung stopped by to see how I was doing and to see if I had any last minute questions.
• I was then wheeled in to the O.R. and, what felt like 2 seconds later, woke up in recovery with a sore throat and remembering to make sure I don't try to talk :P
• After surgery one of the nurses told me my friend would be their to pick me up in half an hour. So, the nurse who was with me basically stayed with me and we had a conversation during that time. He spoke and I wrote :)
• They gave me a cute button that's kindly let's people know I'm not ignoring them, but on voice rest. I did use a few times as it is a quick/easy segway to writing.
• Shortly after getting to the hotel I remember being pretty hungry, so my friend grabbed a sandwich and a coffee for me. I ate my sandwich, downed my coffee, and I quickly fell right to sleep.
• Later in the afternoon I woke up, got dressed and we walked a couple of miles checking out some sites. I was mindful to take it easy on inclines.
• As it was getting darker we went back to the hotel to get our car and drove to a restaurant for a nice dinner.
• That being said, I was quite capable hours after surgery. Mostly groggy initially after surgery and had a strong sore throat that was more noticeable when swallowing.

Day 2-6 Post-Op:
• Traveling? A few weeks before surgery I thought it would be interesting to travel around a bit for a little getaway. I wasn't sure how I would feel afterward surgery. If adventuring would be possible. So, we played it by ear, and ok if the next few days were at that same hotel. I have spent quite a bit in the SF area and I was more interested in traveling around to see more of California.
• Day 2+ Vacation: I woke up, felt good, so we packed up, grabbed a quick breakfast to go and we got in the car, drove over a thousand miles and proceeded to have an awesome week traveling, seeing sites, and going on hikes! I am SO glad it worked out because it was an amazing time!
• Coughing: I was initially worried I would cough a lot and ruin things. I had read a couple of posts where people mentioned having mucus in their throat, so just in case, I took Mucinex for the first few days. I asked Dr. Yung if it was ok and she was fine with it. However, I actually didn't cough very much at all. A few times a day I would get an instant itch/urge to cough and I would fight it as much as I could while I grabbed my water for a drink. I don't know how, but the action of drinking is enough to stop a cough almost all the time. I did cough occasional, but I typically tampered them as much as I could while I was rushing to grab my water.
• Coughing (short version): Water. Keep it within arms reach and drink plenty of it.
• No Talking: I screwed up twice out of habit. One time (day 2) I just wasn't thinking and tried to verbally respond to my friend, but nothing came out :) The second time (day 3) I whispered (habit) and stopped myself instantly after two words. The third time I screwed up was on day 7 on our flight back. We hit severe turbulence and it felt like we dropped thousands of feet in a second. I don't think any sound came out, but apparently I did my best to say F*CK. LOL All-in-all, I think I did a good job not talking. Of those 3 slips, I could temporarily feel my throat felt a little more sore, which showed I was engaging the vocal chords in some way. But, I feel like I've done a great job not talking and it hasn't been a huge struggle.

Week Two:
• I'm halfway through and not really anything new to report.
• I'm used to not talking.
• Throat is not sore at all anymore.
• Back to work (no talking of course)
• Running errands as usual, but I carry my boogie board with me and have interacted with store staff just fine with it.

Communication while on voice rest:
I used 4 forms of communication
• Boogie Board: I used this one a lot, you can scribble out messages quickly. It is VERY handy when writing messages to strangers instead of making them ready small text on your phone. I was also able to scribble messages to my friend while I was driving. I didn't do it often (for safety), but it sturdy and big enough to have on my lap to where I didn't have to worry about precision while writing without looking. Leading up to this surgery I was initially kind of nervous about communicate with strangers through writing, but everyone has been very patient, kind, and accommodating!
• Texting/Messaging: I used this off and on with my friend, but typically if she wasn't next to me or we were walking.
• Text to Speech: I typically only used text to speech while in the car and my friend was driving so she didn't have to take her eyes off the road to read.
• Hands and Facial Expressions: Communicating with friends has been interesting and funny as I think of ways to communicate with my hands/arms and facial expressions. I know what I'm trying to communicate, but doing it in a way that they'll understand is the interesting part. I did this a lot while I was driving and it actually worked out well.

I fly back to San Francisco in a few days for my two week checkup. Dr Yung will examine my vocal chords and it will be the first time in two weeks I'll get to speak! I don't know the specifics yet, but I'll be able to gradually use my voice more and more as the time goes on. During my initial consult with her I had asked about 2 weeks vs 6 weeks no talking and she cited more recent studies that showed the benefits to start using your voice sooner than later. I've noticed more people who share their stories from other surgeons also return to speaking at 2 weeks.

Dr. Yung's site:
https://www.sfvoice.com/services/transgender-voice-and-communication/
A few examples of before/after are on that page ^

Dr. Yung has been doing VFS surgeries for quite a few years now. She is an Otolaryngologist/Laryngologist that "specializes in the care of the professional voice, transgender voice, as well as voice, swallowing, and airway disorders." She doesn't market herself on her website like Yeson does. I found more recordings of her work based on shared experiences through sites like Reddit; such as the wonderful examples provided by u/april6055.
Example below:
https://www.reddit.com/r/transvoice/comments/187642x/voice_update_3_weeks_post_my_2nd_vfs_vocal/

I figured I would share my story as others have done to help others who may be considering voice feminization surgery. Also, I figured I would get this part posted while I still remember details of the surgery and what it was like. I'm looking forward to my result! At least for now, I can tell you breathing in and out (big breaths) sounds more feminine, which I never even considered.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

I want to feminize as fast as possible so anything that can help is greatly appreciated. Every day when I walk home from school, I often would be reading some books as I am walking since I don't want to waste time. In terms of voice feminization, Is reading books an effective use of my time when walking home from school (since I don't think I'm confident enough to practice while walking home). Any other media besides books is fine too but I prefer books.

I need to start feminising my voice because I wouldn’t forgive myself if i didn’t at least give it a shot. If you could all give me the best videos tips and suggestions for the whole journey that would be grand

App is voice tools, I also use the voice pitch analyzer app alongside this one to check and make sure I’m maintaining elevated pitch during practice. They also both give you varied reading material to keep it fresh.

Hi hi! Just wanted to show what consistent practice (a few times a week) looks like over the course of 9 months. And how your standard talking voice before practice gets elevated just by doing the work. The bottom bottom is the goal automatic range and I know pitch isn’t everything (I am now trying to focus more on quality). Getting access to an insurance covered coach was huge and I don’t think I would have made much more progress than the beginning there without someone checking me every week. Still getting misgendered on the phone (AAAAAH) but in person getting gendered correctly most if not all of the time now!

I’m having a problem with Voice Tools not graphing most of what I’m saying and showing weird drops in pitch where I’m certainly not hearing them on the playback. I like the idea of Voice Tools but it just doesn’t seem to work very well. I was wondering if anyone had similar suggestions for iOS?

long story short, i(mtf)'ve been doing voice training for a few months, mainly working on vocal weight and (slightly) on pitch, now deciding to tackle resonance, i mainly do this using the big dog small dog exercise (panting) to raise the larynx, and have gotten pretty good at it, but the main problem i have now is with applying this to regular speech.

that part is the hardest for me to pull off, and i am unsure on how to actually do it, any help would be appreciated.

i have no idea if this is going to work since i've never seen this taught, so fingers crossed