A couple from North Carolina will be using more than just a human midwife to aid in the birth of their child, they are opting for something a bit less conventional, a dolphin-assisted birth, reported the Daily News.
Adam and Heather Barrington traveled to Hawaii so their baby can be delivered among a pod of dolphins.
The Barringtons are in their late 20's and have been married for four years. They live on the road, travelling across the country and performing odd jobs or bartering. They got the idea to give birth accompanied by dolphins from the book, "The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life" by Drunvalo Melchizedek. The couple also believe they were given "signs" that a dolphin birth was right for them over the course of the pregnancy.
"It is about reconnecting as humans with the dolphins so we can coexist in this world together and learn from one another," Heather told The Charlotte Observer
The couple has both prenatal and postnatal swims planned at the Sirius Institute near Pahoa, Hawaii.
"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," Heather said.
A few scientists are concerned that the birth will not be as peaceful as the Barringtons hope it to be.
"Male dolphins are known for their aggressive behavior, including raping both females and other males of the species," Christie Wilcox, a Hawaii-based PhD candidate in cell and molecular biology, wrote on Discover.com.
Wilcox added that male dolphins will also "toss, beat and kill small porpoises or baby sharks for no apparent reason...though some have suggested the poor porpoises serve as practice for killing the infants of rival males."
The couple will have a midwife present during the birth. The institutes's founder, Star Newland will also supervise the expecting parent.
The soon-to-be parents do not know the gender of the baby, but they have already selected the name Bodhi.
