Earlier this year mum-of-four Josy Peukert gave birth to a beautiful baby boy sweetly named Bodhi. However, it was the unusual way in which she gave birth which made Josy go viral.
Known as ‘freebirthing’ Josie gave birth to little Bodhi in the ocean among the waves at Playa Majagual, Nicaragua. She documented this empowering experience in a video shared to Instagram, which has since gone viral.
In the video, Josy is seen experiencing contractions while kneeling down in the water, then the next clip shows Josy cradling her baby boy in the sea, with his umbilical cord still attached.
Opening up about this unusual birthing experience when talking to Jam Press, Josy said that she had been monitoring the tide for weeks beforehand, so when the time came to give birth she knew it would be safe.
When the time came, Josy and her husband drove to the beach which they had previously eyed out, bringing towels, gauze and a “sieve to catch the placenta.”
“The waves had the same rhythm as the contractions, that smooth flow made me feel really good. The soft volcanic sand under me reminded me there is nothing else between heaven and earth,” Josy recalled. “I had no fears or worries to welcome a new little soul into our lives, just me, my partner, and the waves. It was beautiful,” she added.
While Josy is adamant that this experience was perfectly safe and healthy, other healthcare professionals disagree.
As explained by Professor Sue Kildea when speaking to news.com.au, “Midwives go through significant education to enable them to support women to birth safely and to recognise when things are not going well for mother or baby, escalating or referring as required. This support is not available with a freebirth.”
Meanwhile, Kellie Wilton, Australian College of Midwives principal midwifery officer, went on to talk about the danger unclean ocean water can have on a newborn. “The ocean is unpredictable and therefore can be unsafe. The currents and waves could make for unstable conditions, and there are no studies that I have seen that support the safety of birth in the ocean.”
Wilton goes on to say that water temperature and cleanliness are both factors that need to be taken into account when choosing to opt for a water birth. “Women should be educated in the risks and benefits of water birth,” Wilton said.
“If a woman wanted to birth in the ocean, a midwife should advise her of the risks of ocean water, and suggest the safer option of birthing in a birth pool with safe, clean water. “
“Although, ultimately, a woman is free to choose whatever mode of birth she wishes, which is why some women feel compelled to freebirth,” Wilton added.
