Katie 'quiet as a mouse'

When they fell in love, he shouted it to the world.

But when Katie Holmes had Tom Cruise's baby, she was a little less boisterous.

In fact, according to sources, the actress was 'as quiet as a mouse' as their daughter Suri arrived at a Los Angeles hospital.

Scientology, Cruise's religion, dictates that birth should be as silent as possible because leaving the womb is traumatic enough for newborns.

It also encourages women to give birth without pain relief if possible.

Miss Holmes, 27 , who was rumoured to have had an epidural, may not have managed to meet her boyfriend's ideal of a drug-free birth.

But she certainly appears to have lived up to his widely publicised demands for a silent delivery.

'You couldn't hear anything coming from the room,' said one hospital worker.

'She may have been giving birth but she was as quiet as a mouse.'

Cruise appeared as thrilled with his fiancee as his new baby daughter saying yesterday: 'Kate was and is an absolute champ.'

In an email to U.S. TV presenter Diane Sawyer, he instructed a lackey to write: 'It's a girl! It's a girl! Her name is Suri and she is gorgeous.'

The baby has a full head of dark hair and blue eyes, a source close to Miss Holmes's family said yesterday.

'Suri has lots and lots of dark hair and big, blue eyes,' the source said.

'She's going to be a beautiful baby.' The name, according to Cruise's publicist, has origins in the Hebrew word for 'princess' and Persian word for 'red rose'.

But rather unfortunately it also happens to mean 'pickpocket' in Japanese.

The couple are said to have found it in a book of baby names.

Suri, who weighed 7lb7oz and measured 20 inches, was conceived just three months after her parents started their whirlwind romance a year ago.

Cruise's ex-wife Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two adopted children, Isabella, 13, and Connor, 11, was among the first to congratulate Miss Holmes.

She did not, however, mention her former husband. In a statement issued by her publicist she said: 'I hope both mother and baby are doing well'.

She and Cruise were said to have had a heated argument only a few days ago as he wanted Isabella and Connor to be present at the birth.

Miss Kidman, who is engaged to the country singer Keith Urban, said she believed being in the delivery room could traumatise them.

Suri's arrival in the early hours of Tuesday morning comes after widespread scepticism about her parents' relationship.

Their romance developed incredibly fast - at the exact time both were publicising movies.

There were so many rumours that Miss Holmes was not really pregnant she was forced to pose for pictures showing her bump bared.

Suri's arrival also coincided with a film schedule. Cruise is in the middle of publicising his film, Mission Impossible III.

Yesterday he cancelled a day of promotional work and has not yet decided whether he will fly to London and Rome next week for the premieres in both cities.

He has been a changed man since meeting Miss Holmes last March.

As well as proposing within weeks of their first date, the usually reticent actor jumped on Oprah Winfrey's sofa as she interviewed him and announced: 'I'm in love, I'm in love'.

Photographers and fans have been keeping vigil outside the couple's Los Angeles home for most of the month.

Cruise even had to order a security officer to guard their rubbish bins.

The couple had not revealed the sex of the baby, buying clothes for both girls and boys.

They have taken Scientology-based lessons in parenting.

In preparation for the big day, Cruise bought a new car which would not be recognised by the paparazzi so he could take Miss Holmes to hospital in privacy.

Yesterday the couple were believed to be back at their home where presents had already started arriving from friends including the Beckhams and fellow Scientologists Kirstie Alley and John Travolta.

Source: thisislondon