A mom went viral after giving birth in the ocean. As a labor and delivery nurse, I'd never recommend doing this.

• Liesel Teen is a mom of two and has been a labor and delivery nurse for eight years.

• She focuses on birth education on her Instagram, which has over half a million followers.

• This is Teen's story, as told to Kelly Burch.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Liesel Teen. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When I saw that a mom had gone viral for giving birth in the ocean, my mind raced through everything that could go wrong.

The baby could get too cold in the water, the mother would be at risk for infection, and there could be undercurrents. Then there's the everyday risk of birth, such as excessive bleeding or exhaustion. But I was also worried about the audience: the hundreds of thousands of people who saw this story and might think that a "free birth" could be a good idea for them. I don't recommend it to anyone.

Interest in free birth is rising, but it's not a risk I'd take

In recent years, I've seen a rising interest in free birth — totally unassisted birth at home or in the ocean. These parents don't get any prenatal care and have no professionals at their birth.

It's different from a planned home birth with a midwife. Those are safe.

A free birth is a risk I wouldn't take. There's too much that could go wrong for both parent and baby. When you're the person giving birth, it's often hard to recognize an emergency until it's too late. Thousands of women and babies die every year because they don't have access to care. So to opt out of care when you're lucky enough to access it is something I struggle to find words for.