Pregnant woman opts for ‘dolphin-assisted birth’

A pregnant woman and her husband are preparing to deliver their newborn baby among a pod of dolphins at The Sirius Institute in Pohoa, Hawaii.

Heather Barrington, 27, and Adam Barrington, 29, of South Carolina will go through a series of prenatal swims with the dolphins in preparation for a “dolphin-assisted birth” in July, Fox News reports.

The Sirius Institute describes itself as a “a research consortium with the purpose of ’dolphinizing’ the planet.” The institute recently set up the Dolphin Attended, Water, Natural and Gentle Birth Center because of increasing demand for dolphin-assisted births.

“We are now receiving up to 3-4 requests per week through the Internet from people searching for a place to birth with dolphins,” the Sirius Institute said, according to Medical Daily.

Experts note that though dolphin-related injuries among humans are relatively minor, the mammals are predators and can become aggressive, Medical Daily reported.

“Having that connection with the pod of dolphins anytime — even if the birth doesn’t happen in the water — still brings peace, comfort and strength to the mother and baby during labor,” Mrs. Barrington told the South Charlotte News.