Recent media reports on silent birth have generated tremendous interest in the subject of silent birth. The Church of Scientology answers those seeking the facts on silent birth.
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What exactly is a silent birth?
This is all about providing the best possible environment for the birthing mother and her new baby.
Silent births are labor and delivery done in a calm and loving environment. This means everyone attending the birth should refrain from spoken words as much as possible. Chatty doctors and nurses, shouts to “PUSH, PUSH” and loud or laughing remarks to husbands are the types of noises that are meant to be avoided.
The idea of silent birth is based on L. Ron Hubbard’s research into the mind and spirit. He found that words spoken during moments of pain and unconsciousness can have adverse effects on an individual later in life. What has been said during traumatic experiences such as birth records in a part of the mind called the reactive mind. These recordings store and have the power to influence a person by dictating thoughts, emotions and psychosomatic ills not under his control. Anyone can read about this in the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.
Mothers naturally want to give their baby the best possible start in life and thus keep the birth as quiet as possible
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What actually takes place during a silent birth?
There is no specific routine. Just like care is taken in all other aspects of labor and birth, a woman and her doctor or midwife and any others present work out how to communicate without words. Different women have done different things.
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Does the Church of Scientology have a rule that their members must adhere to this practice?
Not at all. A woman’s delivery is always up to her and her doctor.
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Does the Church have rules against the use of painkillers, anesthesia or other medical drugs?
The Church has no policy against the use of medicines to help a person with a physical situation. When it is a medical problem, it is up to the doctor and the patient.
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Doesn't L. Ron Hubbard recommend a natural, drug-free birth?
Yes, because it is best for the mother and the child. It is common knowledge that natural childbirth is best, but that doesn’t always work out, and it is up to the mother and her doctor.
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It has been reported that many Scientologists demand a natural childbirth with no drugs. Why?
It is the mother’s choice. If they don’t use drugs it’s simply because a mother wants the best for her new baby.
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Is it true Scientologists can't talk or touch their baby for three days to a week? Are there supposed to be seven days of silence around the child after the birth?
Absolutely not, this is a complete fabrication and not a practice of the Scientology religion.
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Do doctors agree with silent birth procedures?
Of course. It’s a personal decision of the mother and doesn’t interfere with any medical procedure. Doctors naturally respect the right of a mother to choose her own birth experience.
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Are C-Sections permitted?
This is a medical decision, nothing to do with Scientology.
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Can you explain further what Dianetics technology is?
L. Ron Hubbard, the Founder of Scientology, discovered in his research the single source of stress, worry, self-doubt and psychosomatic illness, which is the reactive mind. This part of the mind records all perceptions in times of pain and unconsciousness. The words spoken during these moments do record and can have very adverse effects on people later in life.
Dianetics techniques uncover this recorded material and enable a person to erase the harmful effects of the reactive mind, resulting in increased ability, intelligence, physical and spiritual well-being and ultimately a state of awareness called "clear."
Full information on this is available in the book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.
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How does the Scientology religion approach parenting?
There are many Scientology books containing practical knowledge about raising children.
Scientology helps people understand their basic nature and this alone helps parents tremendously in understanding and helping their children grow up to be happy and intelligent.
Some of the basic principles Scientologists apply to parenting are summed up in the following quotes by the Founder, L. Ron Hubbard:
"Today's children will become tomorrow's civilization. Try to be the child's friend. It is certainly true that a child needs friends. Try to find out what a child's problem really is and without crushing their own solutions, try to help solve them. A child factually does not do well without love. Most children have an abundance of it to return."
— The Way to Happiness
"The spoiled child is the child whose decisions have been interrupted continuously and who is robbed of his independence."
— Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
"Affection could no more spoil a child than the sun could be put out by a bucket of gasoline."
— Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
“A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.”
— Child Dianetics
“A human being feels able and competent only so long as he is permitted to contribute as much or more than he has contributed to him.”
— Child Dianetics
To order any of these or other Dianetics and Scientology Books, click here.
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Do Scientologists consider children adults in a small body?
No. Scientologists consider children to be spiritual beings, like all people are, but they need to be taken care of as children. L. Ron Hubbard has written quite a lot on the subject, including,
"A child needs all of the love and affection it can possibly get.”
and
“A good stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.”
Children need respect, love, help, and education. They want to help others from a very early age and it is important that adults allow them to do so, within the realms of safety. A child has to know they have a place in life, that they are important and that their contributions are meaningful in a real way.
Education is an important part of this, as a child needs understanding of the workings of his family and society to be able to contribute to them in meaningful ways and in this he can be greatly assisted by his parents and other family members.
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