Dolphin-assisted childbirth is an option that some expectant parents are embracing, claiming it is a more natural, relaxing way to deliver a baby.
Adam and Heather Barrington, a North Carolina couple expecting their baby to be delivered in July, have traveled to Hawaii to plan a dolphin-assisted birth at the Sirius Institute.
"It is about reconnecting as humans with the dolphins so we can coexist in this world together and learn from one another," Heather Barrington told the Charlotte Observer.
According to the group's website, the Sirius Institute is a new-age center with two primary goals: the establishment of human outposts in space through interplanetary travel, and the "dolphinization" of Earth through contact with the marine mammals.
However, according to Discover, this is "possibly the worst idea, ever," noting that a powerful carnivorous animal might not be the ideal companion for a woman giving birth, or for her newborn.
Male dolphins, in particular, can be aggressive and have been known to rape and kill other dolphins; killings have also reportedly included infanticide.
Nonetheless, the Sirius Institute claims it receives up to four requests each week for dolphin-assisted birth.
"People who are deeply called to be with the dolphins search widely and find us," according to the institute's website.
