Freediving royalty William Trubridge and Sachiko Fukumoto were determined to bring their baby into their world – but giving birth in the ocean turned out to be a step too far.
A Loading Docs short documentary, Water Baby, released on the NZ Herald website today, follows Trubridge – an 18-time world record holder and current world freediving champion – and his wife, actress and free-diver Fukumoto – in the lead-up to the birth of their first child, Mila.
The globe-trotting young family were photographed in this breathtaking image beneath the water with their Mila at Roatan Beach off the coast of Honduras last month. Trubridge was there to compete in the CMAS 4th Freediving Outdoor World Championship.
Unable to give birth in their favourite place, the ocean, for safety reasons, Trubridge and Fukumoto sought the second best thing – a home water-birth. However, water births are rare in Japan and Fukumoto faced obstacles organising a home-birth in her hometown Okinawa. So the couple chose to travel to Trubridge’s family home in Hawke’s Bay to prepare for the birth.
See NZ Herald
