Mother gives birth to her fifth child while swimming in the sea at 2am with no medical assistance

By Eleanor Dye

11:47 25 Mar 2024, updated 12:54 25 Mar 2024

A mother has given birthy to her fifth child while swimming in the sea at 2am with no medical assistance. 

Josy Cornelius welcomed her son – named Maui – in the Caribbean Sea of Nicaragua after moving to the island specifically for two months just to give birth to her child.

The 38-year-old has gone into labor in the ocean twice and believes different oceans can offer different birth experiences.

Josy believes in ‘free birth’ – welcoming a child without the help of medical professionals.

And she cares so deeply about the conditions in which she raises her children that, while expecting her youngest, she even moved her family hundreds of miles away to experience the ultimate ocean birth.

The mother-of-five said: ‘Women should plan their pregnancy and birth the same way they plan their dream wedding: no distance too far, no budget too tight, no idea too specific. 

‘This is the best prerequisite for the dream birth.’

Baby Maui was born in the Caribbean Ocean at around 2am local time on September 11, 2023. 

The family – including their 11-year-old daughter and three older boys aged seven, three, and two – had moved to a Caribbean island in Nicaragua specifically to prepare for his birth. 

Josy then filmed a ‘very special’ video of the ocean birth – which she said was a ‘flawless experience’. 

In the clip posted on Instagram, which has racked up nearly 19,000 views and over 900 likes, the mother is seen cradling her newborn while still in the ocean.

In another, she smiled alongside her husband Benni, 43, and paddled in the water.  

Josy previously shared snaps of herself and Benni at their local beach in Nicaragua, Playa Majagual, to mark Bodhi’s birth in 2022.

Josy said: ‘I planned the last birth meticulously. The preparation took over 70 weeks.

‘Our first ocean baby was just five days old when I imagined that our next baby would be born in the Caribbean sea.’

After deciding to welcome her youngest child in the Caribbean sea, Josy and her clan moved to an island two months before her due date.

She said: ‘There’s a lot of organisation behind it. We had someone look after our farm and then we went on holiday for eight weeks.

‘Since I worked online, this wasn’t a problem. I have also looked after my clients from the Caribbean.

‘No investment was too big to make this unforgettable moment that shaped our lives come true.

‘We spent the two months there during the birth and postpartum period and also in preparation.

‘The Caribbean Ocean speaks a different language. The waves are gentle. The colors are brighter and there are many pristine beaches with privacy.

‘Everything we planned was perfect – what we couldn’t plan was our baby wanting to come out in the middle of the night!’

Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many people offering their support and congratulations.

They said: ‘I’m in total awe of you! Look at how you made this happen, you are living proof that the women can claim the births they want […] And huge congratulations my friend to you and your family’;

‘All the best love and good luck on the birth of your little miracle and to your wonderful family’.

But the reaction has not been entirely positive, and not everyone is convinced that seawater births are safe. 

After Josy shared the first video of her free birth of 2022, she was met with hate online from people critical of her decision to have a natural birth in the water.

One concerned commenter asked: ‘Is this sanitary? There’s a lot of bacteria in the sea.’

Another wrote: ‘What a shock for that bubba – from a warm womb to the cold ocean.’

There are no available statistics for how many freebirths take place around the world each year, however the number is believed to be small but growing. 

The process is fraught with controversy, after a California woman’s baby was stillborn in 2018 following a six-day labor with no medical intervention. 

Liesel Teen, a labor and delivery nurse and the founder of Mommy Labor Nurse, previously told Newsweek: ‘Unassisted birth, also referred to as ‘freebirth’ or unattended birth, isn’t something I ever recommend.

‘Giving birth in the ocean comes with its own set of risks including the temperature of the water, the unpredictability of tides and waves, and risk of infection due to harmful bacteria or pathogens in the water.’

Josy said: ‘I didn’t really respond to the hate because I knew it just showed how ignorant and uninformed society is.

‘I do understand the confusion after my first sea birth. The world is not ready for a new way of thinking about birth. People are ignorant. It just proved to me had to keep going.

‘Many people don’t realise that midwives also add salt to the water during home births or birth centres.

‘Salt water offers numerous benefits. Contractions in water are vastly different from those on land.

What is a ‘free birth’ and is it safe? 

A free birth or Unassisted Childbirth (UC) refers to when a woman chooses to give birth at home or elsewhere without the assistance of a healthcare professional, according to Doula UK. 

While the medical profession considers the practice a risk to both mother and baby, the organisation says it’s a ‘perfectly legal and legitimate informed choice for a woman to make in the UK’.

However, article 45 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order it is an offence for any unqualified person to deliver a baby unless it is an emergency.

Statistics on the number of UCs in the UK have not been collected by the NHS. 

In the US, around 7,000 babies are born a year without medical assistance. 

On Instagram alone the Freebirth Society of which Josy was a member has more than 22,000 members. 

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) say women should be supported to have the birth they choose.

But it insisted that ‘safety is paramount’ and families need to be aware of the risks of going it alone, without the help of a medic or midwife.

Professor Asma Khalil, vice president of the RCOG, added: ‘Women and people should have the right to give birth in an environment in which they feel comfortable, and should be supported in their birth choice. 

‘However, safety is paramount and, while most births are uncomplicated, advising women about the potential risks is crucial for informed decision-making.

‘Women opting for unassisted births need awareness of the potential challenges and delays in accessing medical assistance if complications arise, as emergency intervention may be necessary, even for those at low risk.

‘Home births, supported by a midwife, may be suitable for healthy, low-risk women who are having a second or subsequent child and have had a straightforward pregnancy.

‘However, for women having their first baby, evidence shows a home birth slightly increases the risk of a poor outcome for the baby.

‘Some degree of anxiety about giving birth is common in many expectant mothers.

‘Women should be given the opportunity to address their fears and past traumas via open discussions with their midwife or obstetrician.’

‘The body doesn’t need that many contractions in such short intervals. Most obstetricians know that today.’

‘For far too long, childbirth has been viewed as a threat and treated medically as if it were a fatal illness. Like many other freebirthers, I prove otherwise.

‘We have to get rid of the collective fear of childbirth.’

Josy has some medical work experience after working in medical technology for several years, focusing on cardiology.

She then volunteered in a children’s clinic with a focus on premature and high-risk births, completing further training in intensive care.  

Now Josy is helping other women as a doula under the name @‌OceanBirthMom on Instagram. She worked with 119 parents in 2023.

She is convinced that a natural birth offers the greatest safety for mother and child and says that Maui’s arrival has ‘completed’ the family. 

Josy and Benni emigrated to Nicaragua from Germany where they met and had their first child together, Marley Mune.  

She added: ‘I have five children, born from five regions of the world. I couldn’t be more blessed.

‘My last three babies were born within the last three years.’