When TomKat (aka Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) announced their plans to have a “silent birth†as dictated by the tenets of Scientology, many raised an eyebrow. Several Scientologists came forward to speak about the importance of silence within the birth process and focused attention on the necessary quiet of the hospital staff rather than the silence of the birthing woman herself. And despite this focus on the noise level of the birth attendants, a few did elude to the fact that the birthing woman herself must remain quiet as well. So why the focus on mandating a woman’s noise level during her birth?
The Scientologists suggest that the noise decree protects the newborn, who may be traumatized by hearing the full-throated noises of delivery. In much the same way that the Anti-Choice Movement erases the position of the woman by demanding that we “think about the baby,†so too does the Scientological birth philosophy, which tells women to do it “for the baby.†And in a society that repeatedly reminds women to put themselves second in every possible way, this message is particularly resonant. The best mother is the one who sacrifices the most for her child, and denying oneself even the satisfaction of a low moan during delivery reminds us all that a woman’s needs are always a distant second. In myriad ways, today’s culture tells women that they should be seen and not heard—which is why the notion of a “silent birth†warranted no more than a raised eyebrow. In fact, it should trouble us all that women continue to be reminded to swallow themselves on account of the hypothetical needs of someone else.
