A Hawaii couple might be taking their quest for a natural childbirth too far – they’ve decided to deliver the baby in the ocean, surrounded by dolphins! Dorina Rosin and her husband Maika Suneagle claim to be “dolphin people” and believe that their baby will be able to “speak dolphin” after the birth.
It sounds bizarre, but as it turns out, dolphin-assisted births are really a thing. The trend has been around for a few years now, and it appears to be gaining popularity. The idea apparently sprung from immersion or water births that are quite popular the world over. But couples aren’t satisfied with just water any more – they want to be surrounded by friendly dolphins as well.
According to the Sirius Institute in Hawaii, which runs a dedicated dolphin-attended birth centre, the idea is quite “reasonable”. Their website states: “Since birthing in water is beneficial, and dolphins are able to heal or improve a wide range of medical conditions, it is reasonable to suppose that their presence at water births could be beneficial.”
Not everybody agrees with that, though. “Because of their friendly disposition and common occurrence in aquariums, we tend to think of dolphins as trustworthy, loving creatures,” Christie Wilcox wrote for Discover Magazine. “But let’s get real for a minute here. Dolphins don’t eat sunshine and fart roses. They’re wild animals, and they are known to do some pretty terrible things.”
“Male dolphins are aggressive, horny devils,” she added. “Males will kidnap and gang-rape females, using alliances of several males to keep females isolated from the rest of the group. They also get a kick out of beating on and killing other animals. Dolphins will toss, beat, and kill small porpoises or baby sharks for no apparent reason other than they enjoy it. Is this an animal you want to have at your side when you’re completely vulnerable?”
Apart from the risk of the dolphins turning aggressive, there are plenty of other things that could go wrong while giving birth in the ocean. “There’s the obvious concern that a Great White shark may turn up in the vicinity, attracted by all the discharge and blood – not something anyone should have to deal with while in labor,” Katherine Martinko wrote on Tree Hugger. She explains that should any complication arise during the pregnancy, it would be almost impossible to get the laboring woman out of the water fast enough to assess the situation. “Joyous water births can quickly turn tragic when a baby is left to swim too long,” she added.
But Dorina and Maika seem immune to such practical arguments. They recently posted a video on YouTube of 38-week pregnant Dorina taking part in a dolphin blessing ceremony. In the footage, she is seen swimming alongside dolphins with a snorkel and flippers, while Maika twists and dances with the creatures.
On her website, Dorina writes: “I invite you to experience yourself as a part of the earth and to remember your love. Let us meet the treasures together that the earth provides for us – security, protection, trust, calm, strong roots, joy, strength, beingness, deep lust, and a lot more.”
Dorina’s dolphin birth will be featured in a documentary by British filmmaker Katie Piper which profiles women who opt for unorthodox births. Piper confirmed that “dolphin people” like Dorina and Maika believe their child will be able to “speak dolphin” as a result of being born alongside them.
The worrying bit is that, according to CBS Atlanta, the Rosin’ dolphin birth plan only consists of her showing up in the ocean during labor and hoping some friendly dolphins show up to assist her. Let’s hope everything goes according to plan, for all their sakes.
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