Kelly Preston had 'silent birth' for son's delivery

American actress Kelly Preston has revealed that she had a "silent birth" when she delivered son Benjamin last year in line with her and husband John Travolta's Scientology beliefs.

The 48-year-old, who has appeared in movies including For Love of the Game, What a Girl Wants, Return to Sender and Death Sentence, said that she was forbidden to talk during labour.

Speaking on the Today show, she explained: "It's just no words as much as possible. If you need to moan, if you cry out or all of that, of course, is normal. But just bringing them in as peaceful and gentle a way as possible."

The actress went on to state: "I'm blessed, my kids have always been amazing, very calm, very peaceful, happy, and I absolutely know that it's very much because of that."

Preston and Travolta were distraught following the death of their late son Jett in 2009 and the couple described her pregnancy and subsequent birth of Benjamin as a "miracle" given her age.