A mum who welcomed her son into the world in the ocean has said her experience was "worry-free" and made her "feel really good" - despite comments from some who claim it wasn't "sanitary".
Josy Peukert, 37, went viral after she uploaded a video on Instagram showing how she and her partner drove to the shoreline of Paya Majagual in Nicaragua so that the woman could give birth in the water with the waves lapping at her back.
The video, which has been viewed over 200,000 times, also showed Josy going through contractions, and while she may have seemed in pain in the clip, the mum insists the rhythm of the waves combined with her contractions actually made for a fairly pleasant experience.
She said: "The waves had the same rhythm as the contractions, that smooth flow made me feel really good. I got this idea in my head I wanted to give birth in the ocean and because the conditions were right on the day that's what I did."
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The mum-of-four sent her children to stay with friends once she knew her labour was starting, and she and her partner Benni Cornelius, 42, drove to the beach with a birthing tool kit - including towels, a bowl with a sieve to catch the placenta, gauze and paper towels.
Josy and Benni then welcomed their son, Bodhi Amor Ocean Cornelius, in the water on February 27 before packing up and driving back home.
And the mum says her birthing experience was "worry-free" without any doctors or midwives involved, which was a stark difference for her compared to previous labours she has endured.
She explained: "After Bodhi was born and wrapped up in towels I went back into the ocean to freshen up. Then I got dressed and we packed everything up and drove home where the three of us got straight into bed.
"I wanted to be worry-free for once.
"My first birth was traumatic in a clinic and my second birth was a home birth but by the third, even a midwife in my home was too much.
“This time I had no doctor's appointments or scans or outside influence. We didn’t have a due date or deadline for the baby to arrive we just trusted that our baby would make its way.
“I had no fears or worries to welcome a new little soul into our lives, just me, my partner and the waves. It was beautiful. The soft volcanic sand under me reminded me there is nothing else between heaven and earth just life."
Josy shared the video online two days after Bodhi's birth on her Instagram account, @raggapunzel, where she was met with some comments from people who were concerned about whether or not the little one's birth was "sanitary".
One person asked: "Is this sanitary? There's a lot of bacteria in the sea."
While another said: "What a shock for that bubba – from a warm womb to the cold ocean."
But the mum quickly responded to the negativity to defend her actions, stating that her son is "perfectly healthy" and appropriate steps were taken to ensure the ocean birth was safe.
She said: "Bodhi was born in the midday sun when it was about 35 degrees, we weren't worried at all that he'd be cold and I had no concerns about waterborne infections.
"He is perfectly healthy.
"I did all the research I needed to to make sure it was safe. Water is a barrier that is medically proven.
“For me and this baby, I wanted to feel completely connected by my own self directed care. This pregnancy was the greatest gift we could have imagined and wished for.”
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