A lotus birth is when the cord of the baby is not cut. This was our plan. The midwife had no knowledge of this procedure. The aborigines also believe in the practice. The theory goes, that the child will naturally depart from the cord. (it takes 2-3 days). This will signify the childs karmic cycle is over ( my theory).  The birth was lovely although we were forced to cut the cord. We opted for a water birth the water was collected from a sacred spring and we used the kitchen alot to ensure the water stayed at the correct temperature (37 degrees) I consumed a an ancient remedy that was used for time-eternal to greet the soul in the spirit world before coming through to the earth plane. We had a lady administering homeopathic remedies to ease the birth and we was greeted by a beautiful baby girl. We had to cut the cord ( I was told to do it...eeek!) as the child seemed a little pale. Having a new soul around has really given me a new perspective on life.