Katie Holmes to remain silent during her newborn's first week of life

by Karen Walrond (Subscribe to Karen Walrond's posts) Apr 12th 2006 11:39AM

Categories: Pregnancy & Birth, Bump Watch, Celeb Kids, Rumors, Media

You may not have noticed, but I comment very little on Katie Holmes' and Tom Cruise's Scientology faith -- frankly because I know very little about it, and generally consider the practice of a religion a very private thing. I can't help but comment on this latest news report, however, because I'm hoping and praying that this is actually the media getting the facts all wrong:

According to Femalefirst.co.uk, not only will Katie Holmes give birth silently, but she "has banned from speaking to her newborn for a week after it is born." The article continues: "Katie, who is due to give birth any day, has already promised Tom she will deliver the child in complete silence, and she will also have very little contact afterwards [emphasis mine]."

My comment: I hope this article actually dead wrong -- because I can't imagine having finally given birth, and then not being allowed to speak with or be near to my new baby.

Bless her. She must love Tom a lot.

Comments (43)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

julie 4-12-2006 @ 11:55AM

I can't believe this. I am starting to think of "The Handmaid's Tale". I really hope it's not true!

Missy 4-12-2006 @ 11:57AM

Karen, I agree with your sentiments. I agree that religion is a very personal thing but I will state, on the record, that they're all weird. :)

I cannot imagine not having contact (or having very little) with my newborn in that first week. My only thought is if she's nursing, that's damn near impossible.

I really hope the poor girl doesn't come down with PPD.

Courtney 4-12-2006 @ 12:07PM

Wow, what is next. Oh yeah, she is not going to breastfeed remember Tom is... That news came out a few months ago.
I tell you "how much is Tom paying her to have this baby?" Kinda seems like a Michael Jackson baby buying business. What are Tom's intentions...

All of this is pretty creepy. I shall pray for them.

Caitlin 4-12-2006 @ 12:12PM

I feel sorry for their child. Babies need to be cuddled and loved by all the important people in their life. The people who plan to raise the baby shouldn't be restricted from bonding with their baby unless there's a good medical reason. I hope that article is wrong for Katie and the baby's sakes.

I wasn't allowed to see my son until he was 2 days old, and I was only allowed to touch him during the 10 minute touch times that followed diaper changes for the couple of days I saw him. It's very hard to have this little person you've been dying to meet for most of the last year, and then not be allowed to hold them and do all the sweet little things you do with new babies.

Janet 4-12-2006 @ 12:12PM

I think this is emotional abuse of the baby and the mother, and I only hope that after she gives birth, she will come to her senses, grab her baby and run for the hills. And I hope she takes a few of Tom's millions with her. What an idiot he is.

Ms Sisyphus 4-12-2006 @ 12:21PM

It's false. I'm too lazy to bother with the links right now, but it's a complete misconstruing of the Scientology practices. I looked it up.

Gosh I hope this particular story is done soon, cuz the world spins on its axis every time I have to defend the Scientologists.

sungoddess 4-12-2006 @ 12:22PM

I think Katie Holmes is brainwashed... brainwashed and being held captive!

Melissa 4-12-2006 @ 12:26PM

Unfortunely, this is true. This is how Scientologists believe. As for the breastfeeding thing, they don't believe in that because a mother's milk is musty. But they don't believe in using regular formula either. They make their own

http://members.chello.nl/mgormez/childabuse/barley_water.html

using barley, milk, corn syrup and water.

Urggggg.

Caley 4-12-2006 @ 12:26PM

Maybe Katie is agreeing to these terms now, out of her "love" for Tom, but something tells me it could all change once her baby is born. She has no idea what childbirth or mothering or holding your newborn baby in your arms is like, so it could be that it's easy for her to SAY yeah, I won't make any noise, and yeah, I'll limit my contact with the baby. But a mother's love and need to bond with her child are very strong things- too strong, I think, to be ignored when it comes right down to it, "religion" or not.

Beth 4-12-2006 @ 12:42PM

Sounds like she is being brainwashed. so sad for her and the baby.

Susan Harris 4-12-2006 @ 12:50PM

"L. Ron Hubbard - the founder of the strange sci-fi cult - writes in the religion's creed, that all followers must live by, that new born babies must not hear their mother speak for a week so they will not associate their voice with the trauma of birth."
If the birth is actually silent, why the week of being without baby? If the birth is silent then there should be no reason to keep baby from mom.I'm thinking thats kind of strange, since it has been shown (science) that infants "forget" as quickly as the "traumatic event" occurs.

Ginny 4-12-2006 @ 1:11PM

No wonder all the scientologists I know are weird. Look at what happened to them after their birth.

Anonymous 4-12-2006 @ 1:55PM

Umm Ms. Sysphus,

"It's false. I'm too lazy to bother with the links right now, but it's a complete misconstruing of the Scientology practices. I looked it up."

That's not really evidence. In fact, if you want talk about looking up the links, it's a lot easier to find links that criticize Scientology practices than those that contradict what's being said here. Please provide the links.

Susan 4-12-2006 @ 2:47PM

From the outside - cause that's what we are here, people - it looks mighty crazy. I can't even fathom why, in the course of the past year, this otherwise "normal-ish" woman would become a puppet rather than exercise her own thinking. But the media has been happy to show us her transformation at the hands of Tom Cruise and his Scientology friends. CREEPY doesn't even begin to explain it.

Like many of you, I just hope that Katie's instincts kick in as soon as the baby is born (or is being born!) and she tells Tom to shut up and let her do her job. Cause being a mommy does require communication with the child, holding the baby and feeding him/her. And now that I'm warmed up... What could ANYONE who has done any research into the healthy benefits of breastfeeding have against those first few, precious days of colostrum? Couldn't she at least TRY to breastfeed, even for a day or two? I am a big believer in at least giving the baby colostrum (if you can do it!) even if you don't intend to breastfeed long-term or exclusively.

Yikes, I didn't think I cared this much.

momma2mingbu 4-12-2006 @ 2:49PM

It's also REALLY easy to post as "Anonymous" instead of owning up to your own posts. If you really want to know the truth, why don't you do the research yourself...after all, Google isn't that hard to use.

momma2mingbu 4-12-2006 @ 2:54PM

Some scientologists DO breastfeed. (Kelly Preston, for example.)

Anonymous 4-12-2006 @ 3:19PM

Do you go by momma2mingbu at work? I don't have to have a blog link to comment and whether I give you a real first name or fake first name, unless I give my full name and address, I think the difference between Anonymous and Jane is negligible.

And, momma2mingbu, I couldn't find anything to contradict what people are saying. Everything I found pretty much supports that Scientology is a cult that tries to seduce people away from their money. That's why I asked for the links.

Michelle 4-12-2006 @ 3:29PM

Like, Caitlin, I was unable to even SEE my baby for days after he was born (he was 15 weeks early) and it was weeks before I was able to hold him. I got excited just being able to change his diaper and take his temperature, things we take for granted as parents. I finally got to bring him home after 3 months.

Hopefully, she will want to be with her baby as soon as possible.

However, I thought I read many monns ago just the opposite of this post: she could be away from the baby for a determinite length of time. I could be wrong. My children have killed my capacity for memory.

Michelle 4-12-2006 @ 3:33PM

oops, I meant to say I thought I read many MOONS ago she COULDN"T be away from the baby for a determinite length of time!

Jeez! Not only have they killed my capacity for memory, they've apparently taken away my typing skills, too!

Kristen 4-12-2006 @ 4:01PM

When are women going to hold up the bullsh*t card when it comes to certain (shall I say MOST) religions of this world and say WTF? And I'm not just talking about scientology.

I will yell, I will wear pants, I will not submit, I will not be property, and I will not be suppressed.

Hello, would a female-created religion (oh wait, there are practically none...) do this? PLEASE. We know better. WAY better.