‘Dolphin-Assisted’ Birth Story Bogus? Couple Disputes Report They Wanted Sea Creature As ‘Midwife’
A couple who have been widely criticized online for wanting to give birth with a dolphin as their midwife have pushed back against the story, claiming that what has been reported about them is a falsehood.
The Daily Mail reported that Dorina Rosin and her partner, Maika Suneagle, had planned to have a “dolphin-assisted” birth, believing that it is a more natural and relaxing way to bring a child into the world. The couple were profiled on the Channel 4 documentary Extraordinary Births, and it was claimed that they believed their child would be able to “speak dolphin.”
The new parents have now pushed back against the report, asserting that it is far from accurate. According to Tech Insider, Suneagle told them in an email that the article was patently untrue.
“The false article about us planning a Dolphin assisted birth is actually quite bogus… The media picked it up and spread it around quite quickly. We never said anywhere of to anyone that we were planning on having a birth in the water with Dolphins [sic].”
Pregnant woman to have baby with dolphins helping to midwife. Baby will “speak dolphin.” OK. http://t.co/gGUdPS7TVc pic.twitter.com/2P5vKRpn7s
— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) September 1, 2015
Rosin didn’t actually go through with a dolphin-assisted birth, as the documentary reflects. As Discover notes, she went into labor on dry land at night, undergoing a natural birth. The documentary did note that she claimed to feel “positive energy” from the dolphins, however. In his email to Tech Insider, Suneagle confirmed that point, though he claimed that the pair planned to have the birth on dry land from the beginning of their pregnancy.
“The dolphins here are highly spiritual beings that humans could learn lots from. Although none of them were available to join us in the yard for the birth we definitely felt their spiritual support.”
Pregnant woman plans to have dolphin as midwife http://t.co/xNXqtF09WR pic.twitter.com/iILuTRQkH1
— Stuff.co.nz News (@NZStuff) September 3, 2015
The practice of dolphin-assisted birth has been considered by others in the past, and scientists were quick to note at the time that it poses several very serious risks. To start with, a dolphin is a 600-pound animal with sharp teeth, more than capable of injuring a human being. Male dolphins have been observed attempting to kill a calf shortly after its birth in the wild, and scientists also point out that the blood released during birth could potentially attract sharks.
Though another couple voiced their intent to try the practice in 2012, Discover blogger Christie Wilcox points out that there is no evidence anyone has ever gone through with a dolphin-assisted birth in the wild.
[Photo via YouTube/ Kim Jam]
