What's the deal with cord blood banking?

fwtx5815 · August 2015

It seems like everywhere I turn now, I'm seeing ads for cord blood banking. The frequency of this advertisement makes me think it must be a pretty lucrative business (which isn't to say that it isn't beneficial to families, but still)

Have any of you second+ time moms done it? Were you happy with your decision?

Did anyone skip it and wish they had done it?

We have plenty of time to decide but I'm curious what experienced moms think of it. I've never heard feedback from anyone IRL on this.

bntfroggie · August 2015

From what I read it is ridiculously expensive, so we may donate ours but definitely wont be keeping it around.

skruhmin · August 2015

FYI if you plan on doing any kind of delayed clamping (until after cord stops pulsing), you can't bank it. And yeah, it's super expensive. Didn't do it with either but I feel that the delayed clamping is way more beneficial than I-just-might-need-this-some-day.

Parker16772 · August 2015

I didn't do it with DS but I def. want to look into it. My cousin just did it and I meant to ask her about it last time I saw her. She said it's a lot cheaper now than it used to be.

Parker16772 · August 2015

I just looked up viacord and it is 1200.00 due at delivery and 175.00 a year storage fee so not too terrible. Not that the delivery of a baby is a good time to fork over 1200.00 with all the other medical bills.

mb0112 · August 2015

I also read that delayed clamping is more beneficial than banking.

Parker16772 · August 2015

Just curious what is delayed clamping?

kfarr26 · August 2015

I'm definitely going to look into this delayed clamping business. I'm a first timer and have not heard of this!

skruhmin · August 2015

They wait a few minutes to clamp the cord so baby gets as many nutrients and as much bloodflow as is possible. Once it stops pulsing it means the blood isn't being pumped to baby anymore. Honestly you don't even realize what is going on and how fast time is going - after delivery is a complete blur. But make sure you make your wishes known ahead of time, whatever they are.

skruhmin · August 2015

Great article on delayed clamping.

SarahFoley725 · August 2015

I spoke to my doctor about delayed clamping and she told me that it doesn't have much benifit unless baby comes early. I'll obviously do more research, but that's just what she said. We won't cord bank because it is expensive but we will probably donate.

fwtx5815 · August 2015

I didn't realize that it was either delayed clamping OR banking, I'd already decided a while ago that I would like to do the delayed clamping, so that makes the decision easier.

mb0112 · August 2015

Yes I read it's either delayed clamping OR banking because the blood you would have banked (or a lot of it anyways) gets transferred to the baby if you delay. I think just 3 minutes delay is what is recommended. I don't know how beneficial it could really be, but if you aren't planning to bank it anyways, it seems like a good idea because it couldn't hurt. Of course if delayed clamping is useless, donating to a bank would be the right thing to do but if there is a chance it helps my baby's health I'd rather delay clamping. Seems like how nature intended it.

Smom901316 · August 2015

We banked with our first. We "financed" the upfront cost but it is only like $100 a year to maintain. We have a history of blood disease and blood cancers on both sides of our families so the investment in having the most pure form of cells in case we needed them was worth it to us. If you don't bank , and if you don't delay clamping .. Please consider just donating ... It costs you nothing and if you do not elect to donate or bank, the cells are thrown away as medical waste... People can also conribute to a "registry type fund" in lieu of traditional gifts. They are now also banking tissue .. There is less research out there on the pro's of tissue if you need to use it . ALSO that is the best chance of a non "self donor" match if one of your other children need to use the cells one day . Since we have so many cells banked ... We will be either delayed clamping or donating (based on our options for c section)

lightrox · August 2015

I'd love to donate but SC doesn't have any hospitals that do cord blood donations which makes me sad.

julesr1989 · August 2015

Friends of ours didn't do it but wish they had as their LO later developed a spinal disease and were told the blood cells would have been of huge benefit to his treatment. Their sister had banked his cousins cord blood and they would have been a close enough match but sister didn't want to give up her daughters in case she needed it in the future...

fwtx5815 · August 2015

skruhmin said:
Great article on delayed clamping.

@skruhmin I had that exact same article bookmarked on my computer. I'm curious about the supposed risk of hemorrhaging for the mother, I can kind of see why that would be a concern but apparently research doesn't back it up.

"Until recently, clinicians believed early clamping reduced the risk of hemorrhaging in the mother, but research hasn't borne that out."

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