Pregnant woman plans dolphin-assisted birth
Despite warnings from experts, Dorina Rosin plans to give birth in the sea
Have you ever thought of doing away with the midwife and enlisting a dolphin instead? It might sound nuts, but that's exactly what one mum is planning on Katie Piper's latest Channel 4 documentary. Extraordinary Births will feature the story of spiritual healer Dorina Rosin and her partner Maika Suneagle, from Hawaii, who are planning a dolphin-assisted birth.
The couple run a healing retreat on Hawaii's Big Island – and Dorina has been swimming with dolphins throughout her pregnancy. Just two weeks ago, the couple posted a YouTube video of the mum-to-be at 38-weeks pregnant interacting with dolphins in the sea.
But experts have warned that dolphins are not as cute and cuddly as they seem – and make unlikely birth partners. "This has to be, hands down, one of the worst natural birthing ideas anyone has ever had," science journalist Christie Wilcox wrote in Discover in 2013.
She wrote that dolphins have been known to "toss, beat, and kill small porpoises or baby sharks for no apparent reason other than they enjoy it, though some have suggested the poor porpoises serve as practice for killing the infants of rival males. And asks the question: "Is this an animal you want to have at your side when you’re completely vulnerable?"
But on her blog, Dorina explains that she found dolphins to have strong healing properties. "In 2011 and 2014 I had the privilege to learn from and with wild and free dolphins and Humpback whales in Hawaii who transformed and healed me in a very profound way," she wrote. "I felt deeply called to spend two times three months in nature – mostly by myself – and to deeply connect to this magical place of beauty and transformation inside and outside which called me home."
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And the documentary's presenter and mum-of-1, Katie Piper said Dorina appeared happy and relaxed with the dolphins. "I found the dolphin people a bit out there but they seemed so happy and the woman was so relaxed," Katie told the Times. "I just thought everybody was wonderful and it was all a bit of an eye-opener."
Extraordinary Births will air on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight.
Photos: Channel 4
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