Katie Holmes set for silent birth

Katie Holmes in Sydney in February. Matthew King / Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - After the giddy fanfare of their highly public courtship, American actress Katie Holmes is expected to give birth to Tom Cruise's baby any day now as quietly as humanly possible.

The "TomKat" baby may be the most hotly anticipated celebrity birth of the season, but it is expected to be delivered in line with the little understood Scientology method of quiet or silent birth.

Cruise, 43, is one of the best known adherents of the Church of Scientology founded by Ron Hubbard, who believed that the best possible start in life for a new baby is a calm and loving environment free of screaming obscenities, chatty doctors or shouts to "push".

"A woman who wants her child to have the best possible chance will find a doctor who will agree to keep quiet especially during the delivery, and who will insist upon silence being maintained in the hospital delivery room as far as it is humanly possible," Hubbard wrote.

Scientologists have spoken out in support of Cruise and the silent birth principle despite rumors and media criticism.

The Mission Impossible star this week denied one tabloid magazine report that he had bought an adult pacifier to muffle the moans and groans of his 27 year-old fiancee.

According to another report, large posters have been given to the Catholic-raised Holmes reminding her to "Be Silent and make all physical movements slow and understandable".

Scientologists John Travolta and his actress wife Kelly Preston were among those explaining the method.

"Screaming is fine....it's the words. If you can avoid saying certain phrases and words...Of course you're going to groan and yell. It hurts. Just keep it to the minimum," said Preston, mother of two.

"As a mom, I am going through a very painful experience and my child is going through a very traumatic and painful experience. So I didn't want to say anything that could affect him later in life," Preston added.

Scientologist believe that all the traumatic experiences and words in life are recorded in the subconscious including a child's memories of his or her own birth.

Michelle Seward, a Los Angeles financial planner and Scientologist who had a silent birth, said, "We're not trying to achieve absolute silence necessarily. And if the mother has to have an epidural, that's OK."

The baby will be the first for Holmes, best known for the TV show Dawson's Creek, and the first biological child for twice-married Cruise.

He adopted two children with actress Nicole Kidman before their marriage ended in divorce in 2001.

Cruise and Holmes have yet to announce a wedding date after a whirlwind romance starting in April last year that was played out on television and paraded before the world media.

- REUTERS