Banking Cord Blood

I had the same debate with myself when I was pregnant with my daughter. Finally, I realized because of all the amazing advances in science and technology and at the same time all the diseases and potential accidents one might encounter in their life that it was better to be safe than sorry. I would rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I am a single mom and it was a financial sacrifice to pay for it but I know I will not regret that choice even if I never need it. But should one day I need it I will feel a tremendous sense of relief to know that I made that decision for her. Good luck!

Having worked for the Bone Marrow Transplant Center at Florida Hospital for 5 years before becoming a WAHM, I can tell you that storing cord blood is a wonderful thing. I have seen families who stored it, never thinking they would need to use it, then a family member being diagnosed with cancer and needing the stem cells found in the cord blood. Yes, it can be expensive, but to me it is so worth it. You never know if you might need it, and if you don't, then there is always the option of donating it and benefitting someone else.

Good luck and congratulations on the baby!

H.
www.theflutterbyshoppe.com

Hi, My suggestion would be to do your research. When we were considering the subject I went online and talked to numerous doctors about it. Only you can determine if you think it is something worthwhile. One thing that I learned when I was researching, which seemed to be untold by many pushing the issue, is that at any time in your life you can actually extract the cells from numerous sources within your own body. My first son, was born with a generic disease that may one day be treatable, maybe even curable, with the stem cell research, I chose not to do the cord blood freezing thing, because I was informed by many specialty doctors that, if ever it really came to that, and we needed his, we could go and get them at that point. The cells are in our teeth and bones, throughout our entire life. Therefore, to me it seemed rediculous to pay to store them, when if I needed I could at that time retrieve them. Again though my best suggestion is do your own research and decide if it is right for you and your family.
Love,
Mother of two little angels!

Don't do it. We did it with our first baby girl, and we had our second baby two weeks ago and we didn't do it. We don't think it is worth it right now, our doctor didn't recomended. Waste of money, he said.

We chose to do it as well with our first son. It can now be used for our second child as well. We think if it as a little insurance in case something might happen. We pay $150 a year for storage.
They have cord blood banks out there, but you have a better chance of your working than the donors.

Hi L.,
My son was born in March, and we banked his cord blood with CBR, "Cord Blood Registry". We felt that although it is an expense, it was an investment in his health and that of our family, as well. So, we just did it and tried not to think about the money. I have a coupon for $150 off the cost that I can give to a friend. Since I don't know anyone who is pregnant right now, you are more than welcome to use it.
We really liked working with CBR. They made everything simple. I had my own representative during the planning process, and their courier came right to the hospital to pick up the sample. Then, my same rep followed up with us.
It's nice knowing the cord blood is there.
Hope that helps,
S.

Well, it seems we have a lot in common. My husband and I are also struggling with this decision AND I am due in September (the 4th) with our first child as well, a boy! I have read about the pros and cons about banking the cord. The only con though seems to be that it is initially pretty expensive. However, I don't believe that the yearly storage fee after the initial fee is that bad considering there is a chance it could save a life of a family member or your own child. Though the chances seem slim of the cells being a match, it is also one of those "what if" things. Good luck with your decision and let me know if you find out any other cons to the situation.
Thanks!

Just a request...

If you decide not to store the cord blood for yourselves, PLEASE DONATE IT!!! This procedure is totally free of cost (although your own doctor might add a little fee--some states have now passed laws against that), and it can make a life-or-death difference for another child, or even for someone's grandma or grandpa!

If you're already researching cord blood storage, you're well aware of the medical miracles that can be done with this stuff that's dumped out by the bucketful all day long in hospitals across the country. Cord blood is a far richer and more effective source of stem cells than the pro-embryo-harvesting politicians would want you to believe. Already, people have been cured of leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, and other life-threatening diseases, with far less risk of rejection than they would have from bone-marrow transplants. It's even been found that brain damage in stroke victims can be reversed if they are treated with cord-blood stem cells within 48 hours! I don't know about you, but by the time I'm a grandma, I want that to be standard procedure! And in this country, we have the biological resources to do it.

You may have cause to take the precaution of storage for yourself; and if so, go for it. You'll be set to take full advantage of the medical advances of the future. Otherwise, though, the crises and "what if's" you're worrying about for tomorrow are already a heart-wrenching reality for hundreds of mothers out there today. Especially if you and the father both happen to be from the same minority race--that cord blood is GOLD. (From what I've read, it's next to impossible to match bone marrow for minorities--there just isn't a big enough donor pool.)

I donated my daughter's cord blood when she was born, and did it through Cryobanks International, which is headquartered just up the road in Altamonte. At the time, it seemed like nobody I asked (even in the childbirth field) had heard of donation--only paid storage. The procedure was no problem at all. Cryobanks takes a detailed health history (questionnaire) of you and the father (he doesn't have to be there, you can bring the paper in), takes a blood sample from you to screen out any risks, then gives you a kit to bring with you to the birth. (Make sure you take care of all this before your 30th week or so). Your doctor/nurse/midwife does the rest, and a courier comes along to the hospital/clinic later to pick it up--free! It's painless--done after the cord is tied and cut, while you're bonding with your new bundle of joy.

Make your baby a born hero!!! Please donate what you don't save for yourselves!

I am very glad we decided to store our babies blood. It is a tough decicion but with the technlogy we are seeing in 2007, imagine what scientists will know in 2020! And because I chose a company that not only stores, but also is doing continual research, I know that my $ is going to something that if necessary, it will benefit our family greatly.
My company and Johnson & Johnson have paired up and in one of their studies, they call it USSC, the companies are just learning that the stem cells from cord blood can also repair tissue damage in the heart. Say from a heart attack. i know this only because after reading your request, I felt the need to call them and tell me something you will not find on every Cord Blood website.
I also was given a number to a woman who is in direct connect with the clinincal aspects of their work. By the sounds of it, she can probably answer alot of questions that the Reps cant. And she is also a nurse.
I know you mentioned the pricy investment this is, and I felt the same way....until someone said this..." $280 a month for 6 months....Hell S., thats less than your car payment! and it has potencial to save your baby's life?!"
Plus the $100 to 150 a year for storage....but a family member may think that is a great gift to give your Little One every year!
what we did, is we bought a childs piggy bank and set it out at our baby shower with a poster that said "please help fill baby's piggy bank to save cord blood" I thought people may be offended for asking for $ Or because Cord Blood is so controversial but at the end of the night, there was almost $500 in that piggy bank!! I couldnt believe it! Also my grandma loved the idea so much, she decided to pay the yearly storage fee as part of her Christmas present to Sophia. I guess in all my rambling...I am trying to say, please do not let the $ be a factor.
If you need any other info, or would like to speak with the woman I was refered to, drop me a line!
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Congrats to you and your DH.
~S.

A friend of ours lost their first,a 9 month old son on Dec 7,2006 from a genetic disease they didn't know either parent carried. Had they known at the time, cord blood might have been his only chance. They did not know that in the progress of his disease untill damage was done.But they said a transplant would have stopped it and he would have survived with his current damage. And now she is pregnant with their second child, a girl and are undergoing tests for the same Krabbes disease, and if this child does have it, the only hope for cure is cord blood. They don't really have money for the saving of it, but they decided that the chance is worth it. They never saw the need before their first.