STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Bastet wrote:

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doveanunu wrote:
Scientologists also believe that the woman must be totally silent during the birth. Furthermore, no one speaks to the baby for 7 DAYS after birth! The reasoning behind this is that it will "scare" the baby. UM, hello! Hearing a mother's voice is SOOTHING for the baby!
That is quite possibly the weirdest birth method I've ever heard of.  What is the point of a "silent" birth?  Does the noise during birth "scare" the baby, too?  What about other people in the room, for instance the DOCTOR, can s/he talk?  Weird.

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Bastet, i actually have been freaking out about this so I have been trying to find out the "why" behind it - it seems that NO ONE, doctors, nurses, etc can speak. And that is for a week. This snipet is from Accesshollywood, and while I realize it's a "tabloid" type show, this is what I've seen everywhere I looked. I guess all of us chicas who had "noisy" births & prodding are ruined!!!!


Tom and Katie are likely to follow the church's "silent birth" guidelines during delivery, which means no music and no talking during the birth, which also means no screaming during the pains of labor for the mom-to-be.

The doctrine also states that newborns cannot be poked or prodded for medical tests or even spoken to for the first seven days of their lives, believing that babies go through so much pain during the birth, they shouldn't have to experience any further discomfort or sensory experience that could return later in life to haunt them.

laken1 wrote:

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Bastet wrote: doveanunu wrote: Scientologists also believe that the woman must be totally silent during the birth. Furthermore, no one speaks to the baby for 7 DAYS after birth! The reasoning behind this is that it will "scare" the baby. UM, hello! Hearing a mother's voice is SOOTHING for the baby! That is quite possibly the weirdest birth method I've ever heard of.  What is the point of a "silent" birth?  Does the noise during birth "scare" the baby, too?  What about other people in the room, for instance the DOCTOR, can s/he talk?  Weird. Bastet, i actually have been freaking out about this so I have been trying to find out the "why" behind it - it seems that NO ONE, doctors, nurses, etc can speak. And that is for a week. This snipet is from Accesshollywood, and while I realize it's a "tabloid" type show, this is what I've seen everywhere I looked. I guess all of us chicas who had "noisy" births & prodding are ruined!!!! Tom and Katie are likely to follow the church's "silent birth" guidelines during delivery, which means no music and no talking during the birth, which also means no screaming during the pains of labor for the mom-to-be. The doctrine also states that newborns cannot be poked or prodded for medical tests or even spoken to for the first seven days of their lives, believing that babies go through so much pain during the birth, they shouldn't have to experience any further discomfort or sensory experience that could return later in life to haunt them.

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you guys!  i read an article in a really random magazine about this and it even quoted a passage out of one of RL Hubbards books on the reason behind it.  i'll try to find it but if i remember correctly:  they feel that anything said during the childs first week into the world can affect it for the rest of its life.  something like an imprint.  so the silence is needed for the child and its mothers "journey". 

it was so weird and completely random... but i'll try to find it again and post it here.

laken1 wrote:

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bex wrote: you guys!  i read an article in a really random magazine about this and it even quoted a passage out of one of RL Hubbards books on the reason behind it.  i'll try to find it but if i remember correctly:  they feel that anything said during the childs first week into the world can affect it for the rest of its life.  something like an imprint.  so the silence is needed for the child and its mothers "journey".  it was so weird and completely random... but i'll try to find it again and post it here. This is a total thread hi-jack, but I guess my issue with this is: what about the rest of us? Since Tom & Katie presumably didn't have "silent births" is that an issue in their lives? WTF? i suppose this argument could be made for all sorts of beliefs for various religions but still.. how bizarre

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ok i found it:




Hush-Hush Delivery for Holmes?

So much for Katie Holmes' supposed plans to wait until her wedding night. As we all know by now, the glassy-eyed actress, 26, and her fast-moving fiancé, Tom Cruise, 43, are expecting a little bundle of sure-to-be-well-publicized joy, whose bedtime stories will likely tend to be more towards L. Ron Hubbard than Old Mother Hubbard.

Unlike many celebrity pregnancies, which are preceded by months of is-that-a-bulge-under-her-somewhat-baggy-shirt speculation, the unrestrained lovebirds opted to come right out with their happy if slightly disquieting news.

"Tom and Katie are very excited, and the entire family is very excited," Tom's publi-sis Lee Anne DeVette announced to People. Holmes, she says, "has never felt better," a healthy state we hope continues postpartum, or else she's going to be up to her ears in vitamins and personal trainers.

The big question: Will Katie (or Kate, as Tom prefers to call her) opt for the silent treatment in the delivery room? The New York Daily News wonders whether the couple will engage in the Scientology-suggested "silent birth," which discourages any unnecessary noises, like, say, labor pain screams.

"Maintain silence in the presence of birth to save the sanity of the mother and the child and safeguard the home to which they will go," wrote Hubbard in "Dianetics." Or, as Scientologist John Travolta explained it before wife Kelly Preston gave birth to their daughter, Ella, in 2000, the quiet is to ensure "there's nothing recorded in the child's mind that shouldn't be there while there's pain going on. Any people saying any kind of negative verbiage may adversely affect the baby later on."

In other words, no "glib" remarks from medical staff will be permitted, although some gentle moaning from the mom is apparently allowed. The paper says Scientology also promotes a weeklong period of noiselessness following the birth to ensure the little nipper's first days are "trauma-free."

There's still no word on a due date (or a wedding date, for that matter, although Cruise recently told "Entertainment Tonight" that they have "big, big plans"), but with "Mission: Impossible III" set to land in theaters in May, perhaps the tot, who, we're assuming, will be both "amazing" and "magnificent," will arrive in time to lend a promotional hand. (Apropos of nothing, "Batman Begins" arrives on DVD in two weeks, and "War of the Worlds" is out in late November).

This will be the first child for the former "Dawson's Creek" sweetie-pie; Cruise is dad to Connor, 10, and Bella, 12, whom he adopted with second wife Nicole Kidman.

And given the recent rash of Hollywood breakups, it's refreshing that TomKat have approached such major life changes with caution. After all, it's been nearly six whole months since the ookily demonstrative duo first stepped out together in Rome; almost five months since the grin-happy A-lister wantonly abused a sofa on Oprah; and a little more than three months since he popped the question atop the not-at-all-symbolic Eiffel Tower.

And for those who have repressed some of Tom and Katie's saliva-covered public displays of affection, we've helpfully compiled a gallery of their amorous highlights. Grab some Pepto and enjoy!

laken1 wrote:

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Tom and Katie are likely to follow the church's "silent birth" guidelines during delivery, which means no music and no talking during the birth, which also means no screaming during the pains of labor for the mom-to-be. The doctrine also states that newborns cannot be poked or prodded for medical tests or even spoken to for the first seven days of their lives, believing that babies go through so much pain during the birth, they shouldn't have to experience any further discomfort or sensory experience that could return later in life to haunt them.

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This is the biggest, most ludicrous pile of steaming horsesh*t I have ever heard. Words fail to express how psychotic this is. I wish her much enjoyment of her silent, drug-free natural birth and post-partum!

besides what about the fact that the baby comes out screaming?  what do they do, shush him/her?  good grief.

NCshopper wrote:

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how the HELL does L. Ron Hubbard know ANYTHING about childbirth and what is best for a baby?  Does he have a degree in child psychology?

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Hmmm, gee I hope not since they also believe that psychology is a bunch of crap!

I'm fired up about this as well, and I'm not sure why. My husband said maybe we should make up some stupid rules & start a cult as well....(kidding of course, but hey, why not!)