Giving birth is one of nature’s greatest miracles, and there are as many ways to do it as there are parenting styles. Hospital births, epidural-free, and home water births with a doula all are valid ways to safely deliver babies into the world. But one German mom turned the tides with her viral take on the water freebirth by delivering her baby directly in the glittering Pacific Ocean. That’s one way to do it, though this one may NOT be what doctors recommend!
More from CafeMom: 'Born Free' Is the Documentary Every Woman of Child-Bearing Age in the US Needs To See Now
Mama Josy Peukert gave birth to her fourth child on the beach in Nicaragua.
Josy experienced all her contraction and labor pains as she squatted in the water. She shared a video of the delivery on her Instagram (don’t worry, the video is safe for work), holding the newborn, who was still attached via his umbilical cord.
The baby, named Bodhi Amor Ocean, is cradled gently against her chest as Josy beams with delight and waves of salty water lap around them. It’s a beautiful scene, and she seems relieved to have delivered Bodhi safely.
'I got this idea in my head [that] I wanted to give birth in the ocean,' said Josy.
There was no danger of the high tide overtaking baby and mom because “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 the New York Post.
There were no medical personnel on hand during the birth.
Her husband, Benni Cornelius, took the video and, uh, caught the placenta with a household sieve. The couple eschewed all traditional obstetrics care, citing medical disappointments with their previous births.
“My first birth was traumatic in a clinic,” she told the Post. “And my second birth was a home birth but by the third even a midwife in my home was too much.”
Josy also didn’t visit a doctor for the usual pregnancy appointments, so they didn’t even know the baby’s due date. “We just trusted that our baby would make its way.”
(Please note that we are reporting on this style of birth, not recommending it!)
And make its way the baby did, into the pleasant waters of the Pacific Ocean in February.
Although many of us are shivering our way through the winter, February in Nicaragua is as beautiful as you’d expect in Central America. There, the ocean averages a balmy 79 degrees that time of year, ensuring that Bodhi emerged into a comfortable setting. It’s a far climate cry from the couple’s native Germany; they moved to Nicaragua before starting their family.
As you’d expect, the birth is proving to be controversial.
Commenters online were equal parts dumbfounded, grossed out, and concerned for the logistics of the delivery. Many asked if it is safe for the baby to be exposed to saltwater, while others noted that the ocean is teeming with critters.
"Legit question … wouldn't all the blood attract sharks?" one Twitter user wondered.
"There is so many parasites in the water, like this don’t make sense," commented someone else.
Mostly, folks were just astonished that Josy did this at all.
Naturally, the story has gone viral for the sheer bonkers factor. On Josy's Instagram page, the messages of support were plentiful, mostly because of the kick-butt factor and the natural way in which she chose to deliver.
Don’t worry. Mom and baby are doing just fine.
Josy told the Post that the baby is perfectly healthy and is a “really calm and satisfied baby.”
It seems like there is no doubt her baby is a water kid, through and through. Little Bohdi even took his first steps on the beach!
