aya-dares asked:
We are doing a group presentation about Scientology and I would like to ask you a few questions about newborn care. (I have found a couple of opposing materials and am not quite sure which are true.)
-Are there any specific practices in Scientology for new born babies after birth?
-Do you allow administration of vaccinations, injections and antibiotics to newborns?
-How about blood testing and circumcision?
-Do women breastfeed their babies? Do they use formula?
-Is it true that parents are prohibited from talking or holding their baby for a day (or a week) after birth?
I have quite a few questions. I really would appreciate any response regarding any of the questions
Hey aya, good questions. I'll do my best to answer.
Are there any specific practices in Scientology for new born babies after birth?
There are no required practices but there is a suggestion that the baby be welcomed and told where he/she is. This helps orients the being to their new life.
Do you allow administration of vaccinations, injections and antibiotics to newborns?
Such things are totally up to the parents and doctors. Scientology is not a medical practice. and doesn't intrude into that area
How about blood testing and circumcision?
Same thing, it is totally up to the parents.
Do women breastfeed their babies? Do they use formula?
Same again. There is a formula that L. Ron Hubbard came up with but there is no requirement to use it. For example, my daughter was allergic to cows milk, so when her mother was having trouble breastfeeding we gave my daughter a formula based on goats milk.
Is it true that parents are prohibited from talking or holding their baby for a day (or a week) after birth?
That is completely false. Such a practice would be very bad for the poor kid and would make them feel unwanted or abandoned. That's the last thing you want to do.
Thanks for asking such great questions. If you have any more feel free to ask.
7 comments:
Thank you for your very elaborate answers. I have a follow up question regarding the first answer. How soon is the baby welcomed, oriented and talked to? And who can do the welcome talk? And how soon does the Naming Ceremony occur?
Also a follow up for the blood testing, circumcision and injections; How strong is the Scientologists' belief that infant distress caused by pain can result to negative engram?
Hey aya_dares,
Thanks for more great questions. Here are my answers:
How soon is the baby welcomed?
As soon as seems appropriate. You have to use good sense and judgement for things like this. If the baby is in distress then you'd handle the distress first or if the doctor was carrying out some important procedure then you certainly wouldn't interrupt him.
Who can do the welcome talk?
Whoever the parents feel is best. I know a midwife who does it. She's delivered a couple of thousand babies and she definitely knows when it's appropriate and when it isn't.
She was the one who delivered my son and she did it pretty soon after he was out of the womb. The room was quiet and things seemed pretty calm and she just gently told him something like "this is your mother and this is your father and your name is xxxx and you are in Los Angeles." The welcome seemed to calm him a bit.
And how soon does the Naming Ceremony occur?
This is up to the parents. I don't think there is a rule about it, but it's usually after a couple of months.
How strong is the Scientologists' belief that infant distress caused by pain can result to negative engram?
Definition of an Engram: "a mental image picture which is a recording of a time of physical pain and unconsciousness. It must by definition have impact or injury as part of its content."
Anything which fits that definition is an engram. Engrams are part of life and can easily be handled by auditing. Things said to a person in pain and who is fully or partially unconscious get recorded and have been found to later adversely influence the person, so we try as much as is practical to not talk around someone in such distress. That of course includes babies if there is any trauma associated with the birth.
Details about engrams and keeping quiet around injured people are covered in the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
I hope that was helpful.
Thanks for the info. That was very helpful.
One last area I forgot to address was the baby bath.
"...The baby should not be bathed or chilled but should be wrapped somewhat tightly in a warm blanket, very soft.."
So my question is, when will the baby have his/her first bath? And do you have any specific way of doing it? (For example: head should be washed first, etc.)
Thanks.
AND if it's alright with you I would want to list you as reference for our class presentation. First name and initials would be fine.
Thank you.
Hey aya-dares,
On the "baby bath" questions:
To me the advice "...The baby should not be bathed or chilled but should be wrapped somewhat tightly in a warm blanket, very soft.." is just common sense. The child was in the womb and is now outside and the likelyhood (especially in a hospital) is that the environment is chilly. Therefore you make the shock as minor as possible by keeping the kid warm (like the womb) and wrapped up "somewhat tightly" (like the womb).
Regarding when the baby gets its first bath: That's up to the parents.
Regarding any ritual for bathing a baby. There is none.
Hope that answers them.
Hey aya_dares,
On giving me as a ref. No problem. Just give me your email address. Leave it in a comment and I will not post the comment so your address is kept private.
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