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Giving birth to a child is one of the most meaningful and painful experiences that women go through. Although some women can opt for epidurals at the hospital before giving birth, more women seem to be turning to different birthing methods. Lotus births and home births with a midwife have been steadily increasingly, and now, another way of giving birth has slowly gained some popularity. Heather Barrington, 27, is due in July and plans on having a dolphin-assisted birth.

Heather and her husband, Adam, 29,both from South Carolina have travelled all the way to Pahoa, HI to prepare for the birth of their child, according to the Charlotte Observer. The couple is currently staying at the Star Newland, which founded The Sirius Institute. The institute is focused on giving pregnant women the experience of birthing a child while cohabiting with dolphins. Even though the Barrington family is not due for a few months, Heather and Adam have already begun the bonding process with the dolphins. They hope that the connection between them and the dolphins, as well as the dolphins and their unborn baby, could help improve their child's quality of life.

On the website, the institute describes itself as being "dedicated to the creation of human/dolphin co-creative habitats where dolphins and people can learn from each other through music, underwater birth, dolphin sound healing and restoration."

The website also stated that "children born in the water with the dolphins develop six months faster over their first six months, have perhaps 150 grams more brain weight and are ambidextrous." However, according to a Penn and Teller interview, the institute has yet to help a mother give birth in the actual water with the dolphins because the mothers ended up changing their minds.

Despite the fact that dolphins have displayed huge acts of kindness, experts remind people that dolphins are not cuddly animals. Dolphins might look sweet and friendly, and have often been portrayed that way in movies, but they are far from it. Dolphins are known as violent predators that kill other animals and baby dolphins. These actions, at times, appear to occur for no apparent reason. Experts stress that these animals are wild animals and do not normally interact with humans, which is why birthing a child within dolphin territory could be capricious and dangerous.