When it comes to childbirth , many new moms have different plans for how they wish to deliver their baby. Some women prefer to have their babies in a hospital where they can have epidurals and doctor’s care.
Others prefer home births, which can be natural with the help of a wet nurse or a doula . And, then there are those who have some more unique plans in store for delivery.
Natural births have become rather popular over the years.
Where prior, many women preferred to give birth in a hospital, many women are now opting to have natural births in the comfort of their own homes or other safe spaces.
Some women prefer not to have drugs or any kind of numbing during the labor and delivery process.
Natural births, to some women, make labor and delivery more “real” and special for them. There is no scientific evidence to back this up, however, spirituality says it allows mothers to feel more connected to their babies.
Natural births often occur in bathtubs or pools of water.
Doulas and other birthing coaches provide help throughout the process. Many times, they bring pools for mothers to submerge in during the natural birth. The water helps the flow of the delivery.
One mother recently went viral for her decision to give birth in another body of water.
27-year-old Josy Peukert posted her birthing video on Instagram in February in which she had a natural birth in the Pacific Ocean. With her husband by her side, the mom gave birth in the ocean located in Playa Majagual, Nicaragua.
The mom said, “it was just the right time.”
“I got this idea in my head that I wanted to give birth in the ocean. For weeks I monitored the tide, and so when the time was right for me to give birth I knew the beach would be safe for us,” she told Jam Press .
Peukert’s husband was close by during the delivery.
Benni Cornelius, her husband, was by her side throughout the birth with towels and also a sieve. He had brought it with them to be sure he could catch the placenta after the birth.
Peukert’s birth, however, is not just a “natural, home birth.”
In fact, it’s referred to as a “free birth” by experts. This is because she did not have a birthday coach or medical professional trained in labor and delivery with her during the process.
Experts say that free births are not always safe.
Liesel Teen, labor and delivery nurse and the founder of Mommy Labor Nurse, says unassisted births are truly not recommended. The reason for this is that things can be unpredictable during labor.
Complications can occur that require professional help.
“Women who are considered low-risk leading up to birth can have life-threatening complications arise during labor that would require medical assistance, including but not limited to: shoulder dystocia, postpartum hemorrhage, failure to transition, umbilical cord complications, meconium aspiration, and fetal intolerance of labor,” she said.
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Experts also say that it’s not necessarily “safe” to give birth in the ocean.
“Giving birth in the ocean comes with its own set of risks including the temperature of the water, the unpredictability of tides and waves, and risk of infection due to harmful bacteria or pathogens in the water,” Teen said .
Water births are usually carefully planned.
Experts say that water births are carefully planned with specific temperatures of water from 90 to 100 degrees. Ocean water can be too cold for a newborn baby and the risk of hypothermia can be high. So, it’s important to have assistance and discuss with a medical provider.