Once we decided to bank our son’s cord blood, selecting a company was the first priority. Initially, we asked my obstetrician for recommendations to reputable companies. When he gave us that information, we initiated conversations with those companies. Many (if not all) private cord blood banking companies will send you a packet of information and follow-up with a phone conversation to speak with you about their company, the process, and any questions you may have. For most of us, price weighs heavily into the decision-making process. Admittedly, my husband and I allowed price to sway us with our son. With our daughter, we took time to research a few of the potential companies we were considering. One of the things that made it easy for us was our hospital’s policy on which companies would and would not be accepted. That left us with two options. We chose ViaCord (more on that in a subsequent post).
Once we enrolled, we were sent a kit that was to be taken with us to the hospital. I’d like to suggest that you pack this, along with your bag ahead of time (a month before delivery seems reasonable). We did not have a bag packed when I went into labor at 2 am, 3 weeks early with our baby girl. And as we were driving to the hospital, I realized we had forgotten our cord blood kit at home. Despite the fact that I didn’t *think* we were really going to have the baby that day, I asked my husband to turn around (we were halfway to the hospital) and get the kit. Fortunately we did since our baby girl was born that same morning.
Once we got to the hospital, we notified the nurse that we were planning on banking our baby’s cord blood. It’s very important to tell the labor and delivery nurse that you are planning to bank your baby’s cord blood. While this information may be on your chart, it’s wise not to assume that your doctor has notified the labor and delivery staff. My blood was drawn and the kit was sent to the operating room for the obstetrician. Apart from that blood draw, the process was painless. My husband videotaped the entire procedure, which involves clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord after the baby is born and collecting the cord blood into the storage bag. It takes just a few minutes and I would never have known it was done.
Once the cord blood was collected, we called ViaCord to arrange for a courier to pick up the sample. I suggest calling the company as soon as possible so the sample can be processed and stored in a timely manner. Time is important to ensure that the maximum amount of usable cells are procured. Approximately 48 hours after the kit was picked up, we received a message confirming our baby’s collection had arrived safely to the lab. Our baby girl is just over 2 months old and it took approximately 8 weeks to be notified that our baby’s cord blood has been processed and the stem cells cryopreserved.
The actual process of banking our daughter’s cord blood was relatively effortless. The company we chose, ViaCord, was very organized and the process went smoothly. Here is a short video which describes the process:
For more information about cord blood banking, here are a few resources:
ViaCord, cord blood banking — www.viacord.com
Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation — http://parentsguidecordblood.org/content/usa/medical/medmotiv.shtml?navid=31
I did not receive compensation for this post. I did receive a discount courtesy of Viacord, cord blood banking.
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Banking cord blood is such a fantastic scheme, it’s the ultimate recycling programme.
While I don’t exactly feel the way Lisa does that it’s a great “recycling scheme” – I do think this is a wonderful thing to do to prepare for any future problems your children may have.
Thank you for letting us know how it works, I was really curious since it was not available when my kids were little.
I hope your children are never in the position to need it!