I first became interested in Silent Birth when I heard about Katie Holmes’ experience. I had never heard of it before and it sounded fascinating and different. As a health student I am required to learn not only how to prevent birth but also healthy ways of giving birth. Born from an interest in Silent Birth, this article is about alternative birthing methods.
Picture this: there is a delivery room with white walls and a hospital bed in the back and a bunch of doctors gathered around it. Nobody is saying a word. The feeling in the room is peaceful and the atmosphere is calm. The only noise before the baby is born comes from the mother and after the baby is delivered no sound is heard except for cries from the little one. “[The newborn is then] wrapped somewhat tightly in a warm blanket, very soft, and then left alone for a day or so.” [-L. Ron Hubbord] This strategy of non-care may be convenient for parents with promotional junkets and postpartum photo-ops to attend, but it sounds like a real can’t-have for the poor kid stuck in thebetween-lives area,” journalist Dana Stevens wrote in her article titled Silent Night Holy Crap. Even though based on her writing it is clear Stevens doesn’t like a lot of things about Silent Birth, she still gets some interesting facts across.
What I’ve just described to you is what a hospital room would look like during the Scientology-based birthing method called silent birth. You’ve probably heard of c-sections and natural births, but what about silent births? It’s an old tradition practiced by more than you may think, and it has recently been brought to light by celebrity couples such as Katie Holmes and Tom Cruz, and Jon Travolta and Kelly Preston. But where does this different method of birthing come from and what does it mean for the mother and the child?
According to the official website of the Church of Scientology, “Scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the supreme being” (Church of Scientology). L. Ron Hubbard believed that the words heard by a baby when they first enter the world have the power to affect them negatively in the future. He believed that negativity heard by a baby in the first seconds of it’s life had the power to cause permanent psychic scars. The outcome of this negativity being the creation of engrams (a term Scientologists use to describe the recording of a painful memory not usually accessible to the conscious mind) in later life. “A calm and harmonious atmosphere, is the best way to prevent engrams, he averred” (ABC, Primetime). During silent birth epidural and other drugs are allowed as well as as much noise from the mother as she chooses, it’s everyone else that is silent. So for the mother and child, silent birth means giving them a peaceful and quiet birthing experience.
In the birthing method Water Birth the mother gives birth to the baby in a tub of water. It is said to be more relaxing, less stressful, and feel more private. Being emerged in water also helps lower blood pressure. There are many benefits for the baby, such as providing security and reassurance and providing a similar environment to which it has lived in for nine months (Water Birth). Water Birth is an alternative birthing method and there are not many risks to the mother or child.
While Silent Birth is fairly new, Hypno Birth like Water Birth is another birthing method that is thousands of years old. Hypno Birth teaches that severe pain does not have to be present during birth if the mother is free of fear and tension. Hypno Birth has been described as similar to daydreaming (Hypno Birthing). It is a method of self-hypnosis that causes the body to be relaxed prior to giving birth.
These three birthing methods are different in many ways, for instance Silent Birth does not involve water and Hypno Birth does not require silence, but they all have at least one thing in common: a main goal of providing a relaxing and calm atmosphere for the mother and the child.
Bibliography
Stevens, Dana “Tom and Katie’s Scary Scientology Birth Plan.” (2005): Web. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/surfergirl/2005/10/silent_night_holy_crap.html
ABC Primetime “Tom Cruise Confronts Rumors About Silent Birth.” (2006): Web. http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1837794&page=1#.Tw5VjPmwX-t
Official Church of Scientology “Scientology.” Web. http://www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology/scientology-background.html
American Pregnancy Association “Water Birth.” (2007): Web. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/waterbirth.html
Hypno Birthing “Taking the Birthing World by Calm.” (2000): Web. http://www.hypnobirthing.com/howitworks.htm
Wikipedia “Engram” Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engram
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