Cord Blood Banking

nauticalmama · August 2014

Is anyone planning on banking their baby's cord blood? Or had anyone done so in the past? Can you delay cord clamping and still bank the blood?

DH is really into the idea of banking the cord blood. I'm fine with it but I keep reading conflicting info on whether or not you can delay cord clamping and still bank the blood. (I really want to delay cord clamping and I think that's the most important priority.) I feel like I can't really trust the info on a website that offers cord banking services because they are just trying to sell a service and I can't seem to find much on any unbiased sites.

Anyways, any insight or info would be much appreciated:) I don't see my midwife for another four weeks so I won't have a chance to ask until then.

chickyclg · August 2014

The nurse at our OBs office gave us some info and we are still undecided. The one thing the nurse kept stressing is if we opted out of storing it that we should at least donate it and they use it for children with cancer.

jennjilljo · August 2014

We tried to donate our cord last time because no serious medical issues run on either side of our family that could be treated using cord blood. Our plans were foiled by money. Apparently because of where we love we would have had to pay $1,000. As much as we love the pursuit of science or would have loved to give the cord up to someone who could use, we just couldn't afford it.

JKHope · August 2014

You had to pay $1000 to DONATE your cord blood? That doesn't sound right. I donated my son's cord blood. I just contacted the hospital to find out who they use, ordered the kit, filled out the paperwork and brought it to my delivery. The donation center called me when my son was 6 months and a year to ask about medical issues that may have come up with him. It was easy and can really help people. You do have to order the kit a few months in advance though

JKHope · August 2014

Also, they did not allow delaying cord clamping when I donated

LilTiger15 · August 2014

I did bank my first born's cord blood. My OB did delay the clamping a little bit because that was also important to me. I was too caught up in everything that was going on at the time to see exactly what was going on down there, but my husband said it was delayed probably a minute. Obviously, had we not wanted to collect the blood for banking, it could have been delayed longer. I researched every cord blood bank extensively, and decided to go with StemCyte. Since I already have my first child's blood banked, we decided we won't bank this baby's cord blood. If the second baby ever has a need for it, I'm sure its sibling's blood will work too, especially since they are related. Since we won't be banking this new baby's blood, I plan on delaying the clamping until the cord is literally flat with no pulsing. If you choose to go with StemCyte, let me recommend you request the free material that they offer online. Don't actually choose to purchase. Eventually, they will probably send you an email with a discount offer. I eded up getting an offer for $750 off. I am so glad I procrastinated a little while!

jennypolkadots · August 2014

If delayed clamping is important to you, make sure you talk very candidly with your doctor. My doctor skirted the issue. I brought it up with a doula and she said that although most all of her mothers request it, she has never seen a hospital birth that waited more than 3 to 5 minutes before clamping. I also didn't realize that doctors don't want to hang around to deliver the placenta, so they massage your stomach and pull on the cord until it comes loose. Then give you pitocin to stop the bleeding that is very likely when your placenta was just ripped from you before clotting on it's own. Not trying to upset you, I just honestly had no idea this was typical protocol until she told me and I read into it.

So then we talked to midwives and are now leaning in that direction. Still not 100% sure on our plan but maybe after this week when I have 3 appointments lined up we will know for sure. Our midwives deliver the placenta to a bowl, then cover it and place it on a table next to the mother and baby. Then after an hour or so, when the cord goes white and flat, they clamp and cut it. The benefit here is the baby gets all the stem cells but can also sort of back wash any extra blood to the placenta as nature intended. The baby and placenta reach a sort of equilibrium and then the cord can be cut pretty much effortlessly. This is our ideal plan and one of the many things making us willing to shell $3000 out of pocket to have a midwife.

We don't plan to bank cord blood and I assumed it wasn't an option with a birth center birth and delayed clamping.

usmcwife89 · August 2014

What is the importance of delaying clamping? My doctor hasn't really talked to me about that yet.

jennjilljo · August 2014

@JKHope‌ Everyone we talked to said it was because of out area.

jennypolkadots · August 2014

@usmcwife89 - your doctor probably won't talk to you about it at all. The majority of the time the doctor will cut the cord immediately after the baby comes out. This is mostly for the doctor's convenience so he or she can get to the placenta being birthed and be out of the room. They don't like to hang around for 30 minutes waiting on the placenta to come, so that is why they will pull it out and then give you medicine to stop bleeding instead of waiting on it. This is a generalization though, you need to ask your doctor.

Delayed cord clamping means a lot of different things. For some it is 3 minutes, for some it is just 5 minutes until it stops pulsing, for others it is an hour until the cord goes white and equilibrium is reached, and others will wait 24+ hours until the cord practically detaches itself. Delayed clamping allows the placenta and baby to continue exchanging blood after birth so that the baby gets more cord blood (stem cells, antibodies, etc) and if you wait the one hour the baby can also transfer back unneeded blood to the placenta. The baby will have healthier iron levels as well. This is how nature intended the placenta to work after the birth. Just google "delayed cord clamping" and read a bit.

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/health/study-endorses-later-severing-of-umbilical-cord.html?_r=0

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263181.php

https://cord-clamping.com/

ems0523 · August 2014

At our hospital, you sign consent prior to giving birth for the cord blood to be donated. If you needed cord blood eventually, you'd have a better opportunity to get a donation (not necessarily your own baby's) because of your original donation.

nauticalmama · August 2014

@JKHope‌ Thanks for that info. That's what I had heard previously but all the cord blood bank websites say you can delay.

I would totally donate if we didn't want it ourselves, but that's ridiculous if they charge you!

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