Photos Show Mom Who Gave Birth in Red Sea

When moms-to-be ditch the idea of a hospital birth, they could welcome their babies in a bathtub at home — or in the middle of the Red Sea.

Photos captured the moments just after a mother gave birth to her baby in the ocean by the resort town of Dahab, Egypt.

The stunning images were taken by Mohamed El Said from a balcony at Dar Dahab, a hotel he owns near the water. His niece Hadia Hosney El Said shared the candid images.

The mother and father of the infant are Russian tourists who traveled to the Red Sea specifically to give birth in the water.

The Daily Mail reports that the mother had gone for a swim ahead of her labor in the water, and when it was time to give birth, her partner and an older man followed her into the water.

The outlet reported that Hadia said the old man carrying the baby is a doctor who specializes in water births, meaning the delivery was arranged ahead of time.

While the parents’ identity has not been revealed, nor has the condition of the baby, they seemed happy and healthy following the delivery.

After the birth, the placenta was placed in a bowl before the baby was carried to shore with the umbilical cord still attached.

Another child was reportedly waiting on the beach to greet the new arrival and soon after the infant was born in the water, the mom was seen standing up and walking to shore as if she had only been for a swim.

Commenters on social media praised the “beauty” and “ease” of the water birth, but experts claim that planning an ocean birth can be a risky decision for a newborn’s health.

“I worry that this is a completely dangerous environment for the baby,” Dr. Saima Aftab, medical director of the Fetal Care Center at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, told Live Science. Dr. Aftab was not involved in the Red Sea case.

“Even in the presence of a medical professional,” an ocean birth could be harmful, Aftab warned.

Given that the ocean is a vast and unpredictable environment, there is a risk that the mother could drown in her vulnerable state.

The doctor also noted that the high concentration of salt in ocean water could pose risks for a baby. Even if a baby takes in only a few gulps of seawater, it could damage the child given its small size, Aftab said. The varying temperature and risk of infection or other hazards could also pose harm to newborns.

While Aftab discourages an ocean birth like this one in the Red Sea, the doctor said that medical professionals can work with mothers to “come up with a birth plan that keeps needs and wishes for labor front and center,” while also keeping the health and safety of the baby in mind.

“There may be room for a happy medium,” she said.