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Scientology & Silent Births
[Quoting ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
helenangel from another post]:
helenangel from another post]:Some background about me- I am the moderator fornaturalbirth, am starting a doula (childbirth assistant) outreach program for underprivileged mothers, am a doula in training, want to be a midwife, and wish to be both a lactation consultant and a certified childbirth instructor. Labor and delivery is my bag. =)
$cientologists believe in a natural birth- no augmentation, no medication, etc. However, it differs from traditional natural birth because not even holistic applications may be applied. So one could not use blue/black cohosh to help along a stalled labor or use willow leaf as a mild anesthetic, etc.
$cientologists also believe in a SILENT BIRTH. Yeah, can you tell Scientology was thought up by a MAN? The birthing suite must be completely silent and the mother isn't even allowed to do any vocalization including breathing too heavily. After the child is born, it cannot be talked to or otherwise verbally communicated with for a week. They used to mandate that no tests could be performed on the child either for a week, but Federal regulations require it now. Many $cientology-style births START as homebirths (notice the key word there, I'll explain.)
Has anyone actually accomplished this yet? Doubtful. Even Kelly Preston admitted she started screaming to be taken to the hospital during the birth of their second child and had to vocalize with the first. Of course what does this do? In $cientology, the mother and the birth is considered a FAILURE. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association both have condemned $cientology-style births in the past for several reasons.
1. Potential danger to mother and/or child. Even in unassisted homebirths, people use fetal heartbeat monitors to prevent against distress and to monitor the condition of the baby. Since $cientologists have silent births, monitors are not allowed. If the child goes into distress, there is no way of knowing and hence steps cannot be taken. Monitoring equipment of mother and baby is standard among midwives and doulas assisting with homebirths as well as hospitals, etc.
2. Damage to the mother. It is natural and normal for a mother to vocalize during childbirth. The woman's body is put under a tremendous amount of stress during labor and delivery. To then force a woman to not release this stress is both physically and mentally damaging to the mother, and also to the child who does not get to associate the mother's voice with voices heard inside the womb (but I'll talk more about that later).
3. Elevated cesarean rates and infant mortality due to lack of proper medical care. I think this speaks for itself but I can explain. Basically, c-sections are BAD BAD BAD last-resort things. Non-monitored, unassisted homebirths have the HIGHEST transfer & cesarean rate when there is not infant mortality. Infant mortality is a high and very real possibility in $cientology-style births due to complications not being addressed. Mother fatality is also uncommon but has been reported, however MOST OF THESE DEATHS ARE NOT REPORTED so it is very hard to get evidence. (Really, don't get me started on how $cientology tortures and oppresses women.)
4. FAILURE TO THRIVE in newborns due to lack of parental care within the first week. Infants need constant care after birth- not only hygiene and feedings but also contact withe the parents. The first week of life is one of the most crucial times of parent-child bonding. Hearing the mother's voice, feeling her skin, and smelling her is critical for a newborn to thrive- this is why even premature and ICU infants are encouraged to have vocal, sight, and physical contact with their parents. I believe there is a correlation between $cientology-style births and SIDS but I cannot find the study.
You know, I am very respectful of people's beliefs and what they want to do. However, I draw the line when their beliefs interfere in the right of another person to have a healthy and happy life. It is my opinion that $cientologists oppress women and children as it is a heavily misogynistic and greed-based cult.
no subject
Oh, according to Google, he's dead. Damnit.
I knew the cult was nuts, but I didn't realize just how far they went in their insanity in relation to births.
no subject
I always try to follow the logical end of a teaching
I mean, Hubbard goes on and on about mother sticking sewing needles to induce an abortion, being smacked around while pregnant, and all sorts of bad things done to and done by the mother. So, if we go by Scientologist reasoning, mother stress and pain = engrams for baby. Being forced to suppress pain and stress leads to . . .guess.
Oh well, I'm sure the mother set aside money for the child's first auditing.
fuck that
the truth about Scientology births
(Anonymous) 2005-10-28 01:51 am (UTC)(link)It seems that ONE story was written, and other media "sources" just copy from that and perpetuate the myths. What lazy reporters!
Scientologists give birth according to how they and their doctors or midwives feel they should. We can use pain killers, narcotics, epidurals, or spinals if we choose.
In fact, in 16 years, I have given birth 7 times as a Scientologist, and never once has anyone at my church ever questioned me about my birthing practices! I had 6 births at the hospital, the last as a planned home birth.
I have had a narcotic during one labor, and an epidural for one birth. (I didn't like either option as they both had complications for me, so I chose to birth without pain medications the other 5 times.)
This was MY choice. I have Scientologist friends who have med-free births, and some who do the whole medical thing with epidurals, etc.
I think this has more to do with the mother's own feelings about childbirth, not with any Scientology teachings in particular.
Hubbard DID recommend that OTHER PEOPLE remain quiet around the laboring mother. This makes sense to me in many ways.
Drs. Bradley and LeBoyer both recommended this as well.
Hubbard NEVER stated anywhere that I've ever seen, that women should not make noise during birth!
I make TONS of noise during birth. It's hard work! Grunting, screaming, whatever... birth is a noisy experience. We don't use WORDS during birth (and contractions) unless absolutely necessary.
For us, "silent" birth means "NO UNNECESSARY WORDS SPOKEN."
The reason behind the "no words during birth" is covered in "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health". We believe that words spoken during moments of pain can have a negative effect on the person later in life and act as hypnotic suggestions.
For instance, if someone says, "she can't breathe" during a child's birth, that child might end up with asthma or some other lung problem.
During Dianetics counseling, people come across incidences like this, and after handling them in session, often find illnesses have disappeared. So it makes sense to us to not do anything that might create a situation like that to begin with.
So most of us try to keep quiet when ANYONE is in pain in our vicinity. If a child falls and skins his knee, if someone gets stung by a bee, etc., we don't use words for a few moments, until the initial pain and shock have passed.
In emergencies, of course, we DO speak if necessary.
Some of us also listen to instrumental music during labor (I do.)
As for monitoring the baby, this is done, according to the advice of the doctor/midwife. I have ALWAYS had monitoring, even for the home birth.
As for leaving a baby alone for 24 hours, or a week, depending on what rumor you listen to, that is absolutely insane, and no one I know would do such a thing. We love our babies and hold them and hug them and kiss them, etc. As an "attachment parent" the moment my babies are born, they are on my tummy getting their first cuddles.
Hubbard himself said, "Affection can no more spoil a child than the sun can be put out by a bucket of gasoline."
Also completely untrue is this idea that we don't allow any blood tests or anything of our babies for a week. I have NO idea how anyone could have gotten that idea! That was never written anywhere, and every Scientologist I know gets those tests done. Perhaps a reporter confused us with another religion - I believe the Jehovah's Witnesses don't do blood tests, and medical intervention is not usually done by Christian Scientists. NOT the same religions!
My baby got all his initial tests - including the newborn screening.
Scientologists just aren't so strange! We give birth like anyone else - we scream or yell or get epidurals or narcotics, as we and our doctors or midwives see fit. We birth at home, or in birth centers, or in hospitals, according to our preferences and medical necessity. We hold our babies following birth, we breastfeed (most of us, probably), we hug and cuddle our babies and children.
"Dianetics" is the place to go to get the full scoop on Scientology birthing, straight from the horse's mouth.
Re: the truth about Scientology births
(Anonymous) 2005-10-28 02:13 am (UTC)(link)We believe that words spoken during moments of pain can have a negative effect on the person later in life and act as hypnotic suggestions.
For instance, if someone says, "she can't breathe" during a child's birth, that child might end up with asthma or some other lung problem.
You're all COMPLETELY insane.
Also? STOP BREEDING.
no subject
You must be a terrible Scientologist if you have enough money to support that many children.