A mother who gave birth to her baby in the lapping waves of the Pacific has revealed why she avoided a hospital birth.
Josy Peukert went viral after sharing a video of her giving birth in the waters of Playa Majagual in Nicaragua.
The clip, shared on Instagram, has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, with the 37-year-old saying the rhythm of the Pacific Ocean made “free birth” – giving birth to a child without medical or obstetric help – relatively worry-free.
“Because the conditions on the day were good — that’s what I did,” Peukert told Jam Press, adding, “I got this idea in my head that I wanted to give birth in the ocean.”
“I watched the tide for weeks, so when the time came to give birth, I knew the beach would be safe for us.”
Puekert gave birth on February 27, while her husband Benni Cornelius took them to the beach, loaded with towels and gauze.
They also brought a bowl with a “sieve to catch the placenta”.
Vision captured on the day shows the mother holding her newborn baby — named Bodhi Amor Ocean Cornelius — close by before packing their birthing toolbox and returning home.
Camera icon Josy Peukert went viral after sharing a video of her giving birth in the waters of Playa Majagual in Nicaragua. Credit: delivered/Josy Peukert
“The waves had the same rhythm as the contractions; that smooth flow made me feel really good,” Peukert said.
“The soft volcanic sand below me reminded me that there is nothing else between heaven and earth, only life.”
Puekert revealed that she had considered the birth of the ocean after disturbing past experiences.
“My first delivery was traumatic in a clinic, and my second delivery was a home birth, but with the third, even a midwife in my house was too much,” the mother said.
“This time, I had no doctor’s appointments, scans, or outside influences.”
She received high praise from those who followed her journey online – some described her decision as “empowering”.
“What a legend, what a mother, what a happy boy! Pure nature is all you need,” said one person.
While some considered whether the delivery was “hygienic,” Peukert said her little bundle of joy is “perfectly healthy.”
Camera Icon Puekert revealed that she had contemplated the birth of the ocean after disturbing past experiences. Credit: delivered/Josy Peukert
Sue Kildea, a professor of obstetrics at Charles Darwin University, said she “believes in a woman’s choice” but warned there are risks to “freebirthing”.
“Midwives undergo significant training to help women deliver safely and recognize when mother or baby is not well and escalate or refer if necessary,” she told news.com.au.
“This support is not available with a free delivery.”
