Cord Blood storage, anyone done it?

[RangerPooh]

DH and I would like to store our baby's cord blood, but are unsure about who to go with. No one that we know has done this, hence no personal experiences. So has anyone here stored their baby's cord blood? Who did you go through? How has the service been? What made you decide to go with that company?

Right now we're tossed between Viacord and Cord Blood Registry.

 

[Bren's Mom]

We chose to donate cord blood rather than bank it.

Contrary to what the companies tell you, the chances of being able to use your stored cord blood are pretty slim.

Donated cord blood will allow you to potentially help someone who needs it now.

 

[Nik's Mom]

We chose to donate cord blood rather than bank it.

Contrary to what the companies tell you, the chances of being able to use your stored cord blood are pretty slim.

Donated cord blood will allow you to potentially help someone who needs it now.

We did this too! I hope it helped someone.

 

[Acklander]

We did the donation route as well. I had read that if everyone donated, needing it wouldn't be an issue as it would always be available just like blood donations.

 

[JessicaR]

I wonder if its common practice to ask the Mom to be if she is interested in donating. I know when I had my kids it wasn't. I would have donated it too.

My sister stored it with ViaCord. They had some sort of monthly plan at the time. It was also the company her Doctor recommended. This was about 1 1/2 years ago.

 

[Bren's Mom]

Sadly, it's not really common knowledge about donating. My OB had no clue, but was absolutely helpful once I gave him the info. My hospital was helpful as well. In the end we had an issue because my water broke 7 weeks early and my kit hadn't arrived, but everything was all set up to go. There would have been no charge to me.

http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Donate_Cord_Blood_Share_Life/index.html

There's a list of states under 'Where to Donate', you can look for your local hospital.

If your hospital is not there, you may be able to donate through Cryobanks.

http://www.cryo-intl.com/enroll/donating/

And here are a couple of other places that accept cord blood from eligible donors:

http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Donate_C...Blood/Non-Network_Cord_Blood_Banks/index.html

 

[C.Ann]

Contrary to what the companies tell you, the chances of being able to use your stored cord blood are pretty slim..

Why?

 

[itsheresomewhere]

Why?

Because if it is a genetic condition or mutation it is in the cord blood.

 

[bekkiz]

My OB was pretty anti paying to store it, unless you have oodles of money. She seemed to think that in the number of cases that are helped by cord blood a tiny percentage require dan matched cord blood. It's pretty adaptave stuff. The way she explained it, and some other things I read about the whole thing, it really seemed like it was playing on the parental guilt and was simply a money grab.

In any case, not only do we not have oodles of money, it was likely I would end up with a c-section plus we had twins, so we were not a candidate for storiing OR donating it, which made me kind of sad.

 

[RangerPooh]

For us it is piece of mind that we don't mind spending the money on. While we may never use it, it is worth it to us that there might be a chance of having it available of the need should arise, especially since it might be a match ofr our other children.

So while we are not interested in donating it this time (would have in the past if we on the ball early enough), we would like to hear about experiences of those who have paid to store theirs.