A birth consultant thinks that one way parents can deal with the overwhelming task of taking care of their newborn baby is by not cutting the umbilical cord.

ABC News spoke to Mary Ceallaigh, a birth consultant and doula from Texas who is getting the word out about the benefits of "umbilical nonseverance," which is allowing the cord to naturally fall off after the birth of a newborn baby.

Ceallaigh said the unorthodox approach to childbirth is called a "lotus birth," and it can help mothers and babies bond. Although the practice may seen like an unnecessary new-age remedy, Ceallaigh explained that the ritual is based off of standard Balinese practices where parents take care of their baby while also keeping the baby's attached placenta.

"It is a trend getting more notice in western culture particularly among holistically inclined people. [It's] just as another way to create optimal beginnings for babies," she said. "A lot of people don't understand that the baby, the placenta, they're all made from the same cells. It's not some kind of waste material the body produces separately."

When the baby's umbilical cord isn't cut, it naturally seals off about an hour after the birth process. Both the cord and attached placenta are said to completely detach from the newborn anywhere from two to 10 days.

Dr. James Hook, director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, gave his thoughts on the uncommon practice:

"On one hand we want the safest possible delivery on the other hand it's a natural process. It's an area [where we need] to figure out how to balance the joy of having a baby with safety. If I was taking care of a patient, that's some of the choices they make. They're empowered to make their choices."

Watch the video below to see Ceallaigh talk about the practice.